Dear Students,
Welcome to Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences - MATE. Hereunder, the necessary information is shared about your stay and living as well as your studies in Hungary.
Welcome information will be sent via Dream Apply to Stipendium Hungaricum, SCYP students, in an email to DFP, MISP, FAO, DAFM, Erasmus emPLANT+ students and self-financed students soon.
VISA
Students outside EU countries should turn to the relevant authorities (and their websites) at least 2 months before the beginning of their studies.
They should hand in their application for a D-type student visa at the Hungarian Embassy in their home country. With a valid student visa they can apply for a residence permit also from the embassy or when they arrive in Budapest. The student visa may take up to 60 days to obtain.
The regulations for the registration of the place of residence and the residence permit can also be found on the website of Hungarian National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (Immigration Office) and/or of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (http://konzuliszolgalat.kormany.hu/en).
You will need the following items for your visa application if you need visa.
- visa application form
- passport (must be valid for at least 18 months, but preferably valid until the end of your studies.)
- three passport-size photographs
- Letter of Acceptance from the university
- (transit visa if needed)
- bank receipt of transfer of tuition fee payment or a Payment Certificate from the university OR Letter of Admission/ from the donor institution of the scholarship if you are a scholarship holder
- the Embassy may ask for your airplane reservation confirmation or ticket
- the Embassy may ask for the proof of accommodation
ARRIVAL IN HUNGARY
Please note that the academic year starts on 4th September 2023 with our Orientation Week. Classes for 1st year students only start on 11th September.
Updated ACADEMIC CALENDAR: here
ERASMUS and any EXCHANGE STUDENTS info: here
USEFUL CONTACTS at MATE
Stipendium Hungaricum, Diaspora, SCYP and FAO scholars, please note that your insurance is expected to be valid only one month after your arrival, so please take care of the coverage of your first month’s insurance. Similarly, your scholarship for September is expected to be paid at the beginning of October, so please make sure to have enough money for the living costs of the first month.
TRANSPORT FROM AIRPORT
Transport to Budapest
There is a good public transport between Liszt Ferenc Airport and Budapest:
https://www.bud.hu/en/passengers/transport/public_transportation/budapest_public_transportation
We advise - when it is your first time in Budapest- to use the 100E bus for travelling from the airport to the city centre. To use this bus, you need to buy a specific ticket (Airport shuttle bus single ticket) which costs 2200 Ft (around 6 EUR). It is the fastest way to get to the city using public transportation and cheaper than a taxi. You need to purchase a ticket before you get on the bus! Tickets can be bought at the BKK information point at the exit of the airport or on the BKK vending machine (or via the BKK mobile phone application). You can buy it with cash (HUF) or your bank card. For further details, visit: https://bkk.hu/en/travel-information/public-transport/airport-shuttle/
If you choose public transport, plan your trip here: Trip Planner or via Google Maps.
You can also search the schedules of the transportation vehicles here: https://bkk.hu/en/timetables/.
BKK also has an application which is easy to use on mobile phones, and you can buy your tickets via the app as well.
There are also ticket vending machines all over the city: https://bkk.hu/en/tickets-and-passes/ticket-vending-machines-tvm/
In any case, please fill in this ARRIVAL FORM and note if you need help to find your way to your accommodation in Budapest and we'll try to arrange buddies or mentors to help you. If you're having technical problems upon submitting the Arrival Form, let us know through international.buda@uni-mate.hu
Transport to Gödöllő Dormitory
Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences - MATE International Center provides free transport between Budapest and Gödöllő upon arrival to small groups of students (at least 2 people) with the taxi driver contracted by MATE. For individual American, Kazakh, Korean, Japanese, Indian exchange students, Stipendium Hungaricum, SCYP and FAO students it is free. Individual travellers have to pay the transfer fee individually, HUF 12,000 (+ waiting time) cash to the driver.
If you know the date and time of your arrival, please fill in the Arrival Form with the required data. The useful introductory information might help you later on.
Transport to Kaposvár
At the airport, find bus E200, then change to the underground M3 until Népliget.
For the bus E200 and for the underground you have to buy a ticket from a machine. (English language service is available)
Please check timetables for the regular bus service.
Select Budapest – Kaposvár to see the exact time of your departure and arrival.
As you get to the bus station in Kaposvár, you can take bus 8E, 8 or 18.
Please inform the campus coordinator about the exact time of your arrival in Kaposvár so that someone can be arranged to help you get to the University / to the dormitory!
STAYING IN HUNGARY
RESIDENCE PERMIT
You will need a residence permit to stay in Hungary during your studies. For detailed information, please read carefully the webpage of the Hungarian National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (Immigration Office) and the page focusing on Residence Permit for the Purpose of Studies as well as our relevant webpage.
During the first weeks after your arrival, some administration days will be organised so that you can arrange your residence permit as smoothly as possible.
PRACTICAL MATTERS (opening a bank account, insurance etc.)
For more information, please visit and bookmark Practical Matters.
ACCOMMODATION / DORMITORY
Szent István Campus - Gödöllő
Gödöllő Dorm (address: H-2100 Gödöllő, Páter Károly u. 1.)
Coordinator: Ms. Bea Kárpáti (karpati.beata@uni-mate.hu) and Ms. Noémi Budavári (budavari.noemi@uni-mate.hu)
If you are a Stipendium Hungaricum (SH), Scholarship for Christian Young People (SCYP) or FAO scholar, you can be accommodated in the dormitory of Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The dorm offers double, triple and quadruple rooms for newcomers.
Please send the Dormitory application form directly to the dormitory international coordinators, Ms. Bea Karpati or Ms. Noémi Budavári in Gödöllő. DEADLINE: 20th July 2023!
In case you are a Stipendium Hungaricum / SCYP / FAO / Diaspora scholarship holder, your accommodation fee will be covered by the scholarship programme. Please note that FAO scholarship covers accommodation only in the dormitory.
If you have accommodation outside our dormitory, please let us know.
Please, also note that due to the huge overdemand, the dorm maintains its rooms only for students, so if you arrive with your family, you have to find accommodation other than the dormitory. We kindly ask for your understanding.
Please note that since the dormitory has limited places, newcoming scholarship holders have priority. Senior students’ accommodation in dormitory is subject to good behaviour and their academic performance.
Buda Campus - Budapest
Somogyi Imre Dormitory, Budapest
Address: 1118 Budapest, Szüret utca 2–18.,
Phone: +36 1 305 7581
Coordinator: Ms Ildikó Fedor at buda.kollegium@uni-mate.hu
The dorm offers only double rooms for students.
https://buda.uni-mate.hu/hu/hallgatoi-elet/kollegiumok/dormitories-english/
For the first year, rooms are automatically booked for Stipendium Hungaricum, Scholarship for Christian Young People (SCYP) scholars and for two years for FAO scholars in Somogyi Imre Dormitory.
Please send the Dormitory application form directly to the coordinator, Ms. Ildikó Fedor in Budapest. Please note that since the dormitory has limited places, newcoming scholarship holders have priority.
For accommodation in Budapest, please check the site at https://en.uni-mate.hu/accommodation
Kaposvár Campus
New Dormitory and Csukás Zoltán Dormitory
Address: 7400 Kaposvár, Guba Sándor u. 40.
Phone: +36 82 505 832
Kaffka Margit Dormitory
Address: 7400 Kaposvár, Bajcsy-Zsilinszky u. 6.
Phone: +36 82 502 517
http://english.ke.hu/services/student-hostels
Kaposvár Dorm coordinators:
Ms. Kitti Kolber: kolber.kitti@uni-mate.hu
Mr. Péter Csősz: csosz.peter@uni-mate.hu
Please send the Dormitory application form directly to the coordinators in Kaposvár.
Georgikon Campus - Keszthely
Please, note that all incoming first year scholarship holders are accommodated in one of the dormitories automatically. Still, it is necessary to send the Dormitory application form directly to the dorm coordinator in Keszthely.
Pethe Ferenc Dormitory
Address: 8360 Keszthely, Festetich út 5.
Georgikon Student hostel
Address: 8360 Keszthely, Georgikon utca 5.
https://felveteli.georgikon.szie.hu/kollegiumok
Keszthely Dorm coordinator:
Mr. György Pásztor: pasztor.gyorgy@uni-mate.hu
Gyöngyös Campus
Student hostel
Address: 3200 Gyöngyös, Mátrai út 36.
Gyöngyös Dorm coordinators:
Mr. Márk Lakatos: lakatos.mark@uni-mate.hu
Ms. Dóra Póka: poka.dora@uni-mate.hu
Students participating in international incoming mobilities should inform the Campus Coordinator about their request for dormitory accommodation via email by sending the Dormitory application form. All students participating in international incoming mobilities are most probably provided dormitory accommodation.
LIVING IN HUNGARY
SURVIVAL GUIDE compiled by ESN MATE
General Information: Student life
If you are not familiar with our country, please read the Wikipedia page on Hungary
There are a lot of sights to see and things to do in Hungary. Have a look at these pages:
Gödöllő, Budapest, Hungary
FACILITIES
In the dormitory rooms (and most houses in Hungary) you will have clean running water (drinkable without boiling), electricity, central heating, and internet.
You can have a variety of foods and drinks, in grocery stores, market places as well as in restaurants. Vegetarian food is available also in the two restaurants/canteens of the Gödöllő Campus.
Halal food is available in Budapest. Some well-known restaurants that serve Halal food in Budapest include Szeraj, Al-Amir, Cairo Café, and Antalya Kebab. There are a few Halal meat shops in Budapest. More information regarding the best Halal restaurants in Budapest can be found at one of the mosques or Islamic Centers in the city, such as the Budapest Mosque which is located at H-1119 Budapest, Fehérvári út 41.
CLOTHING
Those who come from tropical countries should note that there are colder seasons in Hungary including a winter, so be prepared to bring or buy warmer clothes.
STUDIES
Having a laptop for researching and writing is strongly recommended, although the university campus has computer facilities.
For details of your programme and faculty, visit the various homepages of the institutes.
FACEBOOK
You can follow us on Facebook and there are two main Facebook groups for SZIU international students to share quick info about academic and social events. Please join both of them:
MENTOR SYSTEMS
We provide mentoring to Stipendium Hungaricum and Young Christian sholarship holders in the SH mentor group and all other students in Erasmus Student Network (ESN). See details at https://www.facebook.com/ESNMATE
You should also feel free to seek contact with senior students already here, they can help you a lot. In addition, our Hungarian students will be also eager to help you.
We hope you will have a pleasant time at MATE, and we are looking forward to meeting you soon in Hungary!