Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship for African Students

Below: exactly what it covers, which African countries qualify (and which do not), the requirements, the deadline, and the two-step application — explained honestly.

What is Stipendium Hungaricum?

Stipendium Hungaricum is a scholarship programme run by the Hungarian Ministry of Culture and Innovation and managed by the Tempus Public Foundation. It was created to bring international students to Hungary through bilateral agreements with partner countries — including many in Africa.

A few things make it stand out among fully funded scholarships:

• It funds all study levels — bachelor’s, master’s, one-tier (5–6 year) master’s such as medicine, and PhD.
• It opens up 800+ degree programmes across Hungary’s universities, the bulk of them English-taught.
• It runs on country quotas set by bilateral agreement, so you compete mainly with applicants from your own country rather than the entire world.
• It is free to apply — there is no application fee.

Hungary is an EU and Schengen member, so a Hungarian degree is recognised across Europe. If you are weighing Hungary as a destination overall, see our study in Hungary guide for costs, universities and the visa.

Demand is high and rising. The 2024/25 cycle drew a record 66,000+ applications worldwide, and Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya were among the top source countries. Treat it as competitive — a strong application matters.

What does Stipendium Hungaricum cover?

It is a genuinely fully funded scholarship. For bachelor’s, master’s and non-degree students, it covers:

Benefit	What you get
Tuition	Full tuition-free study for the whole programme
Monthly stipend	HUF 43,700/month for non-degree, BA and MA students (PhD students get more — see below)
Accommodation	A free dormitory place, or a HUF 40,000/month housing contribution if you rent privately
Medical insurance	Health insurance cover up to HUF 65,000/year

For PhD students, the stipend is higher: HUF 140,000/month in the first phase and HUF 180,000/month in the second phase, plus the same accommodation and insurance benefits.

Be realistic about the budget. The monthly stipend (about €123 at current rates) is modest against Hungarian living costs of roughly €600–700/month. Many scholarship holders take a free dormitory place to make the numbers work, and Hungary lets students work up to 30 hours a week during term. The scholarship removes tuition and gives you a real cushion — it does not make you rich. Plan your living budget on top of it.

What it does not cover: international flights to and from Hungary. Unlike some scholarships (such as Türkiye Scholarships), Stipendium Hungaricum does not pay for your travel. Budget for your own airfare.

Which African countries are eligible?

Stipendium Hungaricum is open to 30-plus African countries that have a bilateral agreement with Hungary — but not every African country is included. This is where many agency blogs get it wrong: they list “all of Africa” as eligible. That is false, and applying when your country has no quota wastes your time.

Eligible (among the countries we focus on):

• 🇳🇬 Nigeria — eligible
• 🇬🇭 Ghana — eligible
• 🇰🇪 Kenya — eligible
• 🇿🇦 South Africa — eligible
• 🇺🇬 Uganda — eligible
• 🇪🇬 Egypt — eligible

Not eligible:

• 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe — not eligible (no bilateral agreement)
• 🇿🇲 Zambia — not eligible (no bilateral agreement)

If you are in Zimbabwe or Zambia, do not apply for Stipendium Hungaricum — you will be screened out, because there is no quota for your country. Look instead at the Chevening Scholarship (UK, open to both) or other fully funded scholarships for which you do qualify.

The eligible-country list is set by bilateral agreement and can change each cycle. Always confirm your country on the official Stipendium Hungaricum partner page and in the current Call for Applications before you start. Our advisors check this for you as part of the scholarship application service.

Eligibility and requirements

To be a competitive Stipendium Hungaricum applicant you generally need:

1. Citizenship of an eligible partner country (see the list above) — this is the first filter.
2. The right prior qualification for your level — a recognised secondary school-leaving certificate (WASSCE, KCSE, NSC, etc.) for a bachelor’s; a recognised bachelor’s degree for a master’s; a master’s for a PhD.
3. Good academic grades. Selection is competitive and applicants are ranked, so strong grades and transcripts matter.
4. English language proof — usually IELTS or TOEFL (commonly around IELTS 5.5 for bachelor’s, 6.0 for master’s, but it varies by university and programme — confirm on each programme’s page). If your previous education was in English, a Medium of Instruction letter may be accepted instead.
5. Certified English translations of your certificates and transcripts.
6. A clear motivation — a motivation letter, and for many programmes an entrance exam and/or interview (medical and master’s programmes especially).

Note: APS does not apply to Hungary. APS is a German requirement only. Hungary recognises foreign qualifications through its ENIC-NARIC centre and certified translations — there is no APS step for any African applicant.

Medical, dentistry and pharmacy programmes are the most competitive and usually require a written entrance exam (biology + chemistry) plus an interview.

Deadline and timeline

The Stipendium Hungaricum application window is the same every year, for a September start:

• Application window: mid-November to mid-January.
• Deadline (2026/27 cycle): 15 January 2026, 2:00 p.m. (CET) — for studies beginning September 2026. (The deadline falls in mid-January each cycle; re-confirm the exact date for the open round.)
• Results: nominations and final acceptances are typically confirmed by mid-to-late summer, before the September start.

If you are reading this after 15 January, the current cycle has closed. The next round opens around November for a September start the following year — use the months in between to prepare your documents, sit your English test and choose your programmes. Always re-confirm dates on the official Stipendium Hungaricum site, as the deadline is volatile and can shift slightly each year.

How to apply: the two-step process

Stipendium Hungaricum has an unusual two-step application — you apply through the Hungarian online portal and through your own country’s sending agency. Both must be completed by the deadline. Missing the national step is one of the most common reasons strong candidates get rejected.

1. Choose your programme(s) and check your country’s quota. Use the official Study Finder to pick up to two programmes. Confirm your country is an eligible partner and note any field restrictions in your country’s quota.
2. Apply online via the Stipendium Hungaricum portal (apply.stipendiumhungaricum.hu, a DreamApply system). Upload your certificates, transcripts, certified translations, motivation letter, passport copy, English proof and medical certificate.
3. Apply separately to your national sending agency. Each eligible country has a Sending Partner (often the education ministry or a national scholarship body) that runs its own parallel application and nominates candidates. You must complete this national step too — submit whatever your sending agency requires, by their deadline.
4. Sit any entrance exam or interview. Many programmes — especially medicine and master’s degrees — require an online entrance exam and/or interview after the document review.
5. Wait for nomination and acceptance. Your sending agency nominates candidates; Hungarian universities then make admission decisions, and final scholarship acceptances follow.

The single biggest mistake is treating this as one application. It is two — the Tempus/Hungary portal and your national sending agency. Find your sending agency early (your country’s education ministry website lists it) and track both deadlines. Our team helps you manage both steps in our scholarship application service.

Programmes and universities

Stipendium Hungaricum funds study at universities across Hungary, with 800+ degree programmes to choose from, most of them English-taught. The strongest fields are:

• Medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and other health sciences (Hungary’s signature English-taught programmes)
• Engineering and computer science / IT
• Business and economics
• Natural sciences

Well-known host universities include the University of Debrecen, University of Szeged, University of Pécs, Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) and Semmelweis University (medicine). You may name two programme choices on your application, so choose carefully and check the entry requirements for each.

For a fuller picture of Hungary’s universities, tuition and student life, see our study in Hungary guide.

Tips for a strong application

It is competitive — here is how to give yourself the best honest chance:

• Apply early, not on deadline day. The portal gets slow in the final days, and a rushed national-agency step is where people slip up.
• Get certified translations done in advance. Untranslated or uncertified documents are a common rejection reason.
• Write a specific motivation letter. Say why this programme and this university — not a generic “I want to study in Europe.”
• Prepare for the entrance exam/interview if your field requires one (especially medicine and master’s programmes).
• Choose your two programmes strategically — one ambitious, one realistic, both genuinely matched to your background.
• Don’t pay anyone for “guaranteed” selection. No one can guarantee a Stipendium Hungaricum award. Anyone who promises one is a red flag.

How we help

World Study helps eligible African students apply for Stipendium Hungaricum — confirming your country’s quota, choosing the right two programmes, preparing clean documents and certified translations, and managing both the Hungarian portal and your national sending-agency steps. We are honest about your odds: it is competitive, and we will tell you straight whether you are a realistic candidate.

If you are in Zimbabwe or Zambia, we will point you to scholarships you can actually win instead.

Talk to an advisor on WhatsApp or take the free 2-minute eligibility check → to see whether Stipendium Hungaricum — or another fully funded scholarship — fits you.