For students and parents
Study at a recognized university in Hungary, with strong programs in design, animation, film, and business. We stay with you the whole way, from picking a program to finding a flat.
Living in Hungary
Budapest is a safe, walkable capital on the Danube, full of thermal baths, cafés, and international students. Earn a recognized European degree here while actually enjoying your student years.
Hungary sits in the middle of Europe. Budapest is a large, well-connected capital, and the rest of the EU is a short train or flight away.
Historic thermal baths, riverside walks, ruin bars, and cafés are affordable ways to unwind between classes.
Rent, food, and transport cost well below most Western European capitals, so a student budget goes further.
Metro, trams, and buses cover the city, with a cheap student season pass, bike lanes, and the MOL Bubi bike share.
Why Hungary
A degree from Budapest Metropolitan University is recognized across the European Union. The university participates in Erasmus+ and EU mobility.
Programs are taught in English across design, animation, film, media, business, and communication. No need to learn Hungarian to study.
METU is Hungary’s largest private university for art and design, with a “Powered by Arizona State University” partnership.
What tuition costs
Tuition is charged per semester, with two semesters per year. Here is the full range so you can plan.
Annual increases are tied to Hungarian National Bank inflation figures. See the full list on the programs page.
What it costs to live
Typical monthly costs for a student in Budapest, as of mid 2026. Planning ranges, not quotes, at roughly HUF 380 to EUR 1.
| Monthly cost | Typical range (HUF) | About (EUR) |
|---|---|---|
| University dormitory room | from 35,000 | from 90 |
| Room in a shared flat | 100,000 – 160,000 | 265 – 420 |
| Studio flat of your own | 190,000 – 260,000 | 500 – 685 |
| Food and groceries | 80,000 – 130,000 | 210 – 340 |
| Utilities and internet (shared) | 15,000 – 25,000 | 40 – 65 |
| Monthly transport pass | about 9,500 | about 25 |
| Mobile plan | 4,000 – 8,000 | 10 – 20 |
Most students plan for roughly EUR 580 to 850 per month all in, on top of tuition. Your first month costs more because of the deposit and setup.
Questions?
A real person answers on WhatsApp, usually within a working day. No forms, no commitment, and any question counts.
Before you arrive
The right path depends on your passport: EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens have a simpler route, most others apply for a student residence permit. This is information, not legal advice; the official sources below take priority.
Non-EU students normally need a residence permit for the purpose of study. You usually start the application at a Hungarian embassy or consulate in your home country, after you have your admission letter. The Hungarian immigration authority decides it.
You do not need a visa or a residence permit to study. For a stay over 90 days you register your residence with the authorities and get a registration certificate. You still arrange health cover.
Expect to show your admission letter, a valid passport, proof you can fund your stay, proof of accommodation, and valid health insurance. Your exact list comes from the consulate and the immigration authority.
Valid health insurance is required. EU citizens can use a European Health Insurance Card for public cover. Others usually take out private student health insurance. Check what your permit and university require.
You may need to show you can cover tuition and living costs for the period of study. Plan this early, because banks and consulates can take time to issue statements and letters.
Start months ahead. Admission, the consulate appointment, and the permit decision each take time. Your counselor and the university’s international office can tell you realistic dates for your intake.
Finding a place to live
Some students use a dormitory or a private student residence. Spaces can be limited and fill early. Ask the university’s international office what is available for your intake.
Many students rent a room in a shared flat or a small private flat. Sharing lowers your rent and bills. Read the contract and understand the deposit before you sign.
Never pay a deposit for a place you have not verified. Avoid wiring money to a landlord you cannot reach. If a deal looks too cheap or too rushed, slow down and ask for help.
A short first booking in verified temporary housing gives you time to view flats in person before you sign a long lease.
How we help you settle in
From the moment your application is moving, our team helps with the practical side of moving to Hungary. This support is part of the service, not an extra you pay us for.
We help you find a place, but we never ask you to pay a deposit to anyone you have not verified, and we will not rush you into a lease. If a landlord wants money wired before you can confirm the home is real, tell us first.
Settling in
Budapest is a central European capital with two METU campuses, at Nagy Lajos király útja and Infopark. Here is what daily life looks like once you arrive.
Cards are widely accepted, but keep some forint for small shops and markets. Many students open a local or online bank account after arrival. You usually need your address and student status to open one.
A local prepaid SIM is cheap and easy to top up. EU roaming rules help if you travel within the EU. Most student housing includes internet, but confirm before you move in.
Budapest has metro, trams, buses, and trolleybuses run by BKK. A student season pass is the cheapest way to travel. Walking and cycling work well in the central districts.
If you stay long term, you register your address with the authorities and receive an address card. You often need it for everyday tasks like banking. Your university can guide you through the steps.
Students on a study residence permit can usually work limited hours during term and more during official breaks. Rules change and limits apply, so confirm the current ones with the immigration authority before you take a job.
You study in English and many young people speak it well. METU has a large international student body, active alumni, and Erasmus+ mobility across Europe. A few Hungarian phrases help with daily life and are appreciated.
Your first weeks
A rough order of tasks for your first weeks. Your university’s international office gives you the exact steps and deadlines for your situation.
Check whether you must collect or finalize your residence permit after arrival, and any reporting deadlines that apply to you.
If you are staying long term, register where you live and get your address card. Keep copies of your key documents.
Get a local SIM, set up a bank account if you need one, and learn where to exchange or withdraw forint without high fees.
Finish university registration, collect your student ID, and set up your student transport pass and library access.
Locate both METU campuses, your nearest transport stops, a doctor or clinic, and the international office for questions.
How to start
Most students start with an approved counselor near them, who they can meet in person. Found us on your own? Then just talk to us directly.
They explain programs, fees, and entry requirements in plain terms.
You pick the program that fits your goals and budget, with honest guidance.
Your counselor helps you prepare documents. We run the checks and manage the university side.
Our counselor network is still growing. If there is no approved partner in your country, or you simply found us first, we take you through admission ourselves. Same honest advice, still free for you.
Whichever way you start: nobody can promise you admission or a visa. The university decides admission, the authorities decide visas, and an honest counselor tells you exactly that.
No hidden costs
Honest costs, in plain terms. If anyone asks you for a fee that is not on this list, stop and ask us first.
The university pays us a commission when you enroll, and we share part of it with the partner who placed you. That is how this stays free for you. If a counselor charges any service fee in your market, it must be stated clearly up front, never tied to a promise of admission or a visa.
Common questions
No. Programs are taught in English. A few Hungarian phrases help with daily life, but you do not need the language to study.
No, and you should not trust anyone who does. The university decides admission. The immigration authority decides the residence permit or visa. An honest counselor helps you apply well, but cannot promise the result.
Students on a study residence permit can usually work limited hours during term and more during breaks. Limits apply and rules change. Confirm the current rules with the immigration authority before you start a job.
It is more affordable than many Western European capitals. As of mid 2026, a room in a shared flat runs about HUF 100,000 to 160,000 a month, and most students budget roughly EUR 580 to EUR 850 all in, on top of tuition. See the cost table above, and treat the figures as a starting point.
Yes. Once your application is moving, we help you find dormitory places or verified rooms and flats in your budget, and we help you check the contract and deposit before you sign. We never ask you to pay a deposit on a home you have not verified.
Two ways. If there is an approved counselor near you, they guide you and apply on your behalf. If there is no partner in your country yet, or you found us on your own, message us on WhatsApp or the contact form and we take you through admission directly. Either way it is free for you.
No. The university pays us a commission when you enroll, so the service is free for you. You pay tuition to the university and your own living costs. If a counselor charges any service fee in your market, it must be stated clearly up front and never tied to a promise of admission or a visa.
Check the source
When details matter, use these instead of forums or word of mouth. They are the authoritative sources for the facts on this page.
The National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing handles residence permits and visas for study.
oif.gov.huBudapest Metropolitan University and its international office for programs, enrollment, and student support.
metropolitan.huStudy in Hungary, run by Tempus Public Foundation, covers studying and scholarships in Hungary.
studyinhungary.huBKK runs Budapest metro, trams, buses, and passes, with route and ticket information in English.
bkk.huTell us your country and we connect you with a counselor near you, or guide you directly.
Contact the teamLinks to outside sites are provided for convenience. We do not control their content, and the official source always takes priority over anything summarized here.
Tell us your country and what you want to study. We connect you with an approved counselor near you, or guide you directly if there is none yet. Free either way.