Can Hungary be the study abroad solution in a changing eco-political World?

2022 is definitely not making our life easy. As the World is still struggling with the remnants of the pandemic, inflation, higher energy-and food prices are making our everydays a little harder. To many classic study abroad destinations visa procedures can take up to 12 months with no relief in sight. However, many students are still planning to study abroad with the hopes of a better education and more prestigious degree. In these stringent times, the interest for accessible and affordable study abroad destinations is higher then ever, and Hungary most definitely leads the pack.

While Hungary is certainly not immune to these changes, there are many factors that still make the country a desirable study abroad destination.

1. Life in Hungary is still affordable – especially compared to Western Europe
Living costs in Hungary for international students are still around 500-700 EUR per month including housing, food, transportation, telecommunication and so on. This is still very affordable compared to many other countries in Europe.

2. Hungary has traditionally low tuition fees, yet excellent education
Tuition fees in Hungary normally vary between 2000- 3800 EUR per semester, depending on the study program, university, city and educational level. This means that studying in Hungary (tuition fees plus living costs) is one of the most affordable options in the World for fee-paying students. At the same time, higher education and international education has a long history in Hungary, with excellent and reputed study programs.

3. It’s easy to get a student visa
Despite the long waiting list for visa appointments in many European countries, the visa procedure to Hungary is still fairly swift and easy. On average, students have to wait only a couple of weeks for a visa appointment (this varies from country to country, for some embassies the waiting list is 1-2 months, for some it’s only a couple of days in the busies times of the year).

4. Hungary offers a post-study visa for 9 months
After graduation, students can stay in the country with a job-search visa for 9 months. During this time they can look for jobs in Hungary, Europe or (on today’s remote World) basically anywhere in the World.

5. It’s possible to work during your studies
Hungary allows you to work up to 24 hours per week while having a student residence permit. While this alone is not enough to cover your tuition and living expenses, it can certainly help you earn some pocketmoney for travels or your freetime activities.

Taking all this into consideration, Hungary can be an excellent choice for you if you have been planning studies abroad, and you don’t want to give that dream up despite the uncertainties.

7 Sept 2022