By Milson Veloso
Every time we are about to experience a dream coming true, there's that feeling of excitement, besides many questions and anxiety. I’ve also gone through that a couple of years ago as an international student moving to Hungary from Brazil. I am currently a Ph.D. Candidate in Communication Science and part of the International Student Recruitment team at Corvinus.
Now that you are one step closer to living this journey, I have collected some tips and structured the next steps you should take for the process to go smoothly, which may help you make the most out of it. Hence, in this post we will cover the following topics:
What are the next steps in the student selection process?
What should you do once you are (conditionally) accepted?
How to prepare for the arrival in Hungary?
What to do after you arrive in Budapest?
Tips and advice from someone “who’s been in your shoes’”
Before we move on and talk more about the Stipendium Hungaricum, we have also provided some useful information for the self-funded applicants, which you can check out in this post. If you are looking for more details on how to apply for the Stipendium Hungaricum, all the process starts in the program’s official website.
What are the next steps in the student selection process?
In the case any information wasn’t provided up to this stage; you may be set as Conditionally Accepted until all required documents are submitted. The same is valid for the scholarship status (Awarded or Conditionally Awarded).
As two study courses can be indicated in the application on the Stipendium Hungaricum website when submitting your application, the scholarship award process follows their order. Hence, if accepted for both programs, you will initially be considered for your 1st choice, then for the 2nd choice if you were not awarded to the previous one.
Once these initial steps are taken, it is your turn to accept the scholarship offer in the system, after which you will receive both Letter of Acceptance (from Corvinus University of Budapest) and Letter of Award (form Tempus Public Foundation). These letters are sent around August.
As with my point about the last paragprah. Here you can cut straight to saying something like, "By now you have been nominated and been conditionally accepted. Congratulations".
What should you do once you are (conditionally) accepted?
The most important step is to provide the missing information or documents. For instance, if you were required to provide apostilled versions of your documents and didn’t submit them yet — make sure you do it. This is the only way you can move forward and receive the letters, which are essential for your Visa application. Those who don’t submit a required document may be rejected.
Once you are accepted, it is time to take part in the administrative process, which includes two requests: Degree/Diploma Recognition (Bachelor, Master and Ph.D) and Credit Acceptance (Master and Ph.D). We have covered all the details for these two parts in another post here. Once the recognition is done, the student will be officially enrolled at their course.
In the meantime, whilst all of this is happening, you can start the visa application process. Arrange an appointment with the Hungarian Consulate in your home country by visiting https://konzinfoidopont.mfa.gov.hu/home.
How to prepare for the arrival in Hungary?
Before starting your travels, print out the Letter of Acceptance and Letter of Award, and double check if you have all the required documents:
Valid passport
Visa D (if applicable, see requirements for your country)
Travel tickets
Academic certificates (Diploma and Transcript of Records, both original legally recognized/apostilled and translated versions)
Any needed Covid-19 related documents (test or vaccination).
During the Covid-19 pandemic some countries may restrict border control, thus it is necessary to verify where your flight has connection and fill out any necessary forms. In case of doubts, consult your airline company for information on what is required in your specific case.
At the moment, Hungary allows all Stipendium Hungaricum students to enter the country following the same conditions of Hungarian citizens, but you are subject to a ten-day quarantine. There are situations that may exempt you from having to quarantine (check it here). However, it is also important to follow official sources and our Facebook Page for updates, as the situation may change in the coming months.
What to do after you arrive in Budapest?
Foreigners, including international students, who were vaccinated abroad against Coronavirus must present an antigen test and request the Hungarian Immunity Certificate at a Government Office (Kormányablak).
Besides Covid-19 related procedures, you also need to do the following administrative tasks, that we have explained on this page, but you will be contacted with the specific details by email at the appropriate time as well:
Register in your study coordinator’s office
Register in the Stipendium Hungaricum office
Room E. 140.1 for Master and Bachelor students
Room E. 233 for Ph.D. students
Apply for the residence permit at the “Immigration and Asylum Office”
Open a Hungarian bank account
Request a tax number
Get a student ID code.
The good news is that Corvinus University of Budapest provides useful information on our website for these steps after your arrival.
By the way, this official guide was essential for me in my first weeks in Hungary, as it offered support on most of my needs as a Stipendium Hungaricum student. Almost every time I had a doubt, I could find the answer in there.
Tips and advice from someone “who’s been in your shoes”
These are my three top tips:
Be open to encounter cultural diversity
Deal with the Legal aspects of your residency quickly
Try to adapt to the new environment and routine.
Hungarian culture and society may be different in comparison to the place where you are coming from. And that’s one of the richness of living abroad. Open your heart and your mind to see what lays ahead without prejudice. Explore the opportunities and enjoy it as much as possible.
In your first couple of weeks things may be difficult, especially when dealing with the Legal and bureaucratic process. Be patient but start these tasks as soon as you arrive. Once you’ve dealt with them, everything will be easier. In case you get an SH Mentor, they can also help you out.
A smart choice is downloading these seven apps that can make your life easier in Budapest and carrying a smartphone connected to the internet with you in case you need assistance from a translation app.
Your routine will likely be very busy in the first month, as you’ll be doing all the administrative tasks and starting your studies. However, it is equally important to find time for leisure and pleasant activities.
In case you feel homesick or need psychological support from our university, consider contacting the Student Counseling. Once you’re allowed to leave quarantine, go around the city, visit the postcards sights, travel to these beautiful places near Budapest, try local dishes, meet new people and enjoy your stay.
This article has been prepared by Admilson Veloso, Ph.D. Candidate and Assistant Teacher in Communication Science and International Students Recruitment Assistant
Corvinus University of Budapest
