Health Insurance for Students in Hungary: TAJ Card, NEAK Fee and EHIC

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

In Hungary health cover is a condition of your stay, not an extra. What you need depends on who you are: a scholarship holder, a fee-paying student from outside the EU, or an EU citizen. The answer decides whether you pay a monthly contribution, hold a TAJ card or rely on a European card. This guide uses the immigration authority (OIF) and the instructions of Hungarian universities. Amounts change, so confirm the current figure with NEAK, the National Health Insurance Fund.

What the immigration authority asks for

For a residence permit for study, OIF requires proof of health coverage. You can show one of three things:

that you qualify as a person with health insurance services under social security;
that you have access to Hungarian health services under an international convention or agreement;
that you can pay for your care, which means showing Hungarian funds. The means of subsistence you show must also cover healthcare from legally acquired income and savings.

The documents and fees are in the student visa guide for Hungary. Budapest Business University adds that you need valid cover at all times and cannot renew your permit without it, so plan the cover for the whole length of the permit.

Scholarship holders

If you hold a Hungarian state scholarship such as Stipendium Hungaricum, you are entitled to free public healthcare once you have the TAJ card, the Hungarian social security card. At Semmelweis University, scholarship students do not apply separately, because the university coordinator handles the application. Ask your international office how it works at your university.

Fee-paying students from outside the EU

Self-funded students are not entitled to free healthcare. They conclude an agreement with NEAK and pay a monthly contribution:

for a foreign student in full-time education the contribution is 30 percent of the minimum wage in force on the day the agreement is concluded, so it changes when the minimum wage changes;
at least the first part of it must be paid when you submit the application at NEAK;
if the monthly fee is not paid by the 12th, the agreement ends from the start of the next month, and you can also cancel it in person at the NEAK central office.

Add this to tuition when you budget: English-taught programmes cost non-EU students typically €5,400 a year in our catalogue. See how much it costs to study in Hungary.

What the TAJ card covers

Semmelweis University lists these limits for contribution payers:

only emergency dental care is covered;
the card is valid only in Hungary;
you cannot register on transplant or surgical waiting lists;
examinations and treatment for conditions that existed before you applied are not covered.

For scholarship holders, Budapest Business University describes the TAJ card as covering GPs, specialists and dentists, with some services free and others carrying a supplementary fee, and again typically only emergency dental care. It does not give free healthcare in other EU countries.

How to apply

The application is made in person at the NEAK office at Teve utca 1/a-c in Budapest. Universities such as Semmelweis list these documents:

a valid passport or ID card;
an address card or other proof of residence;
a student status certificate from your university, valid for 30 days;
proof of the scholarship, for scholarship holders;
the TAJ application form, which you download from the NEAK website.

You can only start after you have arrived and have your residence permit. The details on your documents must match your Neptun record, the university study system. Processing at Semmelweis takes about three to four weeks, and the card is usually valid as long as your residence permit, so renew it in good time.

EU and EEA students

An EU, EEA or Swiss student staying more than 90 days must register with the authorities and show comprehensive sickness insurance cover or enough funds for healthcare, according to OIF. In practice a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) covers medically necessary care in Hungary, mostly in contracted public hospitals, and the treating physician decides what is necessary. Budapest Business University notes that EHIC does not cover private services, so separate insurance is advisable. See health insurance for students in Europe.

Private insurance and emergencies

Private plans are sold in Hungary. If you use one to satisfy the permit rules, it must stay valid throughout your stay. In a life-threatening emergency call 112 or go to the nearest hospital emergency unit. For routine care, GPs are assigned by your registered address and usually need an advance appointment, and specialists also need booking.

Looking at programmes? Our catalogue lists 1,381 programmes at 84 institutions, 224 of them taught in English: browse them.

Official sources

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.