Hungary Scholarships for Pakistani Students 2027-28 (HEC Guide)
Hungary Scholarships for Pakistani Students are most commonly available through Stipendium Hungaricum — but if you searched for it and landed on a page showing a deadline that already passed, you’re not doing anything wrong. The Stipendium Hungaricum programme runs on a yearly cycle, and the 2026/2027 round closed its application window on 15 January 2026. The next round, for the 2027/2028 academic year, is expected to open in November 2026, with a deadline projected around mid-January 2027, based on the pattern of the last several cycles. Neither date is officially confirmed yet — Tempus Public Foundation and HEC will publish the exact 2027/28 Call for Applications closer to the opening, and that published version always overrides this estimate.
That gap between “the scholarship exists” and “the scholarship is open” is exactly where most applicants lose time. This guide covers what the programme actually offers, whether Pakistani students qualify, and what to start preparing right now so you’re not scrambling in December.
What Stipendium Hungaricum Actually Covers
Stipendium Hungaricum is the Hungarian Government’s flagship scholarship for international students, run by Tempus Public Foundation on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. It funds bachelor’s, one-tier master’s, master’s, and doctoral studies, plus non-degree preparatory and postgraduate specialist training courses, at around 30 Hungarian universities offering roughly 900 study programmes, most taught in English.
For the 2026/27 cycle, the scholarship covered:
| Provision | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition fees | Fully waived |
| Monthly stipend (bachelor’s, master’s, one-tier master’s, non-degree) | HUF 43,700/month (~EUR 110) |
| Accommodation | Free dormitory (where available) or HUF 40,000/month (~EUR 100) rental contribution |
| Medical insurance | Coverage plus up to HUF 65,000/year (~EUR 165) supplementary insurance |
These are the confirmed 2026/27 figures. Amounts are typically similar year to year but are reset in each new Call for Applications, so treat them as a strong estimate for 2027/28, not a locked-in number.
Are Pakistani Students Eligible?
This is the core question behind most Hungary Scholarships for Pakistani Students: yes, Pakistan (listed officially as the “Islamic Republic of Pakistan”) is one of Stipendium Hungaricum’s Sending Partners for both full-degree and partial (exchange) study programmes, and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan is the designated Sending Partner authority. In practice, this means Pakistani applicants don’t apply to Hungary alone — they go through a dual-application process: once on Tempus Public Foundation’s online portal, and separately through HEC’s own scholarship portal. Missing either half of this means the application doesn’t count.
General eligibility (2026/27 cycle terms, expected to carry over):
- Pakistani or AJ&K national citizenship
- Not a Hungarian citizen or dual national, and not already holding Hungarian residence/refugee status
- Meets Tempus Public Foundation’s age cut-off for the application year (for the 2026/27 cycle, this was: born on or before 31 August 2008; the exact 2027/28 cut-off has not been published yet, but it typically shifts by one year each cycle)
- Academic credentials matching the study level applied for (secondary school certificate for bachelor’s/one-tier master’s, bachelor’s degree for master’s, master’s/MS/MPhil for PhD) — HEC also sets its own academic-completion deadline each cycle (in past cycles this has been separate from, and earlier than, the main application deadline), so confirm the current one on HEC’s Stipendium Hungaricum page once the 2027/28 call is published, rather than assuming a fixed date
- Not a former Stipendium Hungaricum holder re-applying at the same or a lower study level in the same cycle
What Pakistani Applicants Should Know
Because HEC administers the Pakistani side, a few extra steps apply that don’t show up on Tempus Public Foundation’s general documentation:
- Educational documents (certificates, transcripts, and degrees) do not need to be attested at the initial application stage. After HEC nomination, selected applicants must have their documents attested by the relevant authorities, such as IBCC and HEC. O/A-Level equivalence certificates from IBCC are required where applicable. Always follow the latest HEC instructions for the relevant application cycle.
- Passport, medical certificate, and police certificate are also not required at the time of application. HEC has historically asked for these only after an applicant is provisionally selected — applicants without a passport yet can initially upload their CNIC instead.
- Pakistani applicants must provide a valid HAT or USAT test score. For the 2026/27 cycle, HEC required a minimum score of 50%, with HAT valid for two years and USAT for one year from the test date; registration is through HEC’s testing portal (etc.hec.gov.pk). This is a recurring HEC requirement, but confirm the exact score threshold and validity window once the 2027/28 call is published, since these details can change between cycles.
- If you’re applying for a professional degree — medicine, engineering, nursing, architecture, law, veterinary medicine — HEC has previously required students to confirm the programme’s accreditation status with the relevant Pakistani regulatory council (PMC, PEC, PNC, PCATP, PBC, PVMC) before applying, since not every Hungarian university’s professional programme is automatically recognised in Pakistan.
- HEC may conduct its own shortlisting test or interview in addition to the Hungarian side’s institutional entrance exam. Passing the Hungarian side alone doesn’t guarantee nomination — HEC’s recommendation is what makes an application eligible to move forward.
How the Application Process Works
- Choose your programmes. You can apply to up to two study programmes, ranked in order of preference, using Tempus Public Foundation’s Study Finder. Order matters — your first choice is evaluated first, and once submitted, the order can’t be changed.
- Apply on the Tempus Public Foundation portal (apply.stipendiumhungaricum.hu), uploading the required documents by the deadline.
- Apply separately through HEC’s scholarship portal, following whatever instructions HEC publishes for that year’s cycle (this has historically opened alongside or shortly after the Hungarian side’s window).
- Technical check and nomination. Tempus Public Foundation checks basic eligibility, then forwards eligible applications to HEC, which pre-selects and sends a nomination list back.
- Institutional entrance exam. Nominated applicants are evaluated by their chosen Hungarian universities on a 100-point scale; 56 points is the minimum to be considered.
- Results and acceptance. Successful applicants are notified (historically by early-to-mid summer for a September start) and must formally accept the scholarship within a set window.
Required Documents (Based on the 2026/27 Cycle)
- Completed online application form with a recent photo
- Motivation letter (minimum one page, Times New Roman 12pt)
- Proof of language proficiency (English or Hungarian, depending on the programme) with certified translation if needed
- Secondary school certificate, bachelor’s degree, or master’s degree — whichever matches your applied study level — plus translation
- Transcript of records covering all completed academic terms, plus translation
- Passport data page, or national ID if a passport isn’t issued yet
- Signed Statement for Application (submitted electronically through the portal)
- Medical certificate — not required at application, only after being awarded the scholarship
Art and Music applicants also submit a portfolio; self-financed students already studying in Hungary who want to switch to a scholarship have a separate, narrower eligibility path. PhD applicants have additional requirements, typically including a research plan and, where the doctoral school requires it, a Statement of the Supervisor — the exact list is specified in the separate doctoral-level Call for Applications each cycle, so check that document directly rather than the general bachelor’s/master’s requirements.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Stipendium Hungaricum open right now?
Not as of this writing. The 2026/27 cycle’s deadline passed on 15 January 2026. The 2027/28 cycle is expected to open in November 2026.
Can I apply for both a Hungarian-taught and English-taught programme?
You can apply to two programmes total, and they can be in different languages, but each requires meeting that specific programme’s language proficiency requirement — you can’t apply “either language” for the same slot.
Does HEC charge a fee to apply?
No. Tempus Public Foundation explicitly advises against applying through paid agencies, and HEC’s nomination process does not require a fee.
Related Guides
Official Sources
- Stipendium Hungaricum — official programme site — funding, timeline, and Study Finder
- Tempus Public Foundation — online application portal — where the Hungary-side application is submitted
- HEC Pakistan — Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship Programme page — Pakistan-specific deadlines, eligibility, and the HEC application portal link
Scholarship requirements, deadlines, and funding details can change with each new cycle. Always verify current information directly with Tempus Public Foundation and HEC before applying.
Research basis: Prepared using Tempus Public Foundation’s official Call for Applications and HEC Pakistan’s published guidance for prior application cycles.
The Zorvia Editorial Board consists of experienced higher education advisors, academic researchers, and international guidance specialists. Our team is dedicated to researching, verifying, and publishing transparent information on fully funded global scholarships, university admissions, and international student mobility.
