Dear Student,
Welcome to BME! We are the International Mentor Team (IMT). Our organisation was founded to help BME international students settle in Budapest. We will help you through some of your mandatory administration steps and organise fun events for you.
The following letter contains important information related to your stay in Hungary:
- Arrival in Hungary
- Accommodation options in Budapest,
- Cost of living in Budapest
- All necessary official steps as a fee-paying student,
- The International Mentor Team (IMT) and other useful contacts.
- Arrival in Hungary
The following steps are needed to enter Hungary.
- Apply for a D-type visa if you need it.
- Buy a traveller’s health insurance to cover any medical costs (very important!)
As the semester begins on the 10th of February 2025, we would advise you to arrive no later than the 3rd of February 2025, to ensure a smooth administrative process and to have time to settle down.
More information about registration, requests and education: https://kth.bme.hu/en/
2. Accommodation
You may apply for placement in the dormitory designated to your faculty among with the Hungarian Students. The dormitory placement is managed by the Faculty Unions (in Hungarian: Kari Hallgatói Képviselet), and the application is via KEFIR system (kefir.bme.hu), where you can register with your EduID. The application forms are usually only in Hungarian language, you can use a website translator app for help, or contact by droping an email to imt.accommodation@bme.hu including your faculty.
Note, that fee-paying students are not eligible for placement in the general international dormitory accommodation in BME, as that is designated for scholarship-holder students.
If you don’t wish to live in a dormitory, or were not accepted to one, we recommend visiting our website, where under accommodation section, you will be able to see numerous articles that help you find housing in Budapest.
On our website you will find various links for Facebook groups and websites where you can search for long-term accommodation. The most affordable options are private dormitories if you can secure a vacant bed in any of them. If you prefer a calmer living environment, you should consider renting an apartment or a room with friends. Our site also has tips about the suggested areas of Budapest, and a video on the topic of how to look for apartments.
Additionally, you can also find guides and a sample contract here to make your accommodation search easier and faster. Moreover, the mentor team regularly organizes flat-searching events for new students at the start of the semester to help them. These events aim to overcome language barriers, so it is expected that you come prepared with options that you would like us to contact on your behalf. Keep an eye out for those events at the BME International Students Facebook group.
3. Cost of living in Budapest
To make your planning easier, we have collected standard costs of living, which may vary depending on your lifestyle:
- Accommodation: from 250 EUR/month for a bed in a shared room, or from 500 EUR/month for a 1-bedroom flat,
- Utilities (water, gas, electricity, common costs): 100 – 150 EUR/person/month,
- Public transportation: 2.5 EUR/month with a student ID, 25 EUR without it,
- Food: 300 EUR/month if you cook for yourself, 600 EUR/month if you live on takeaways and eat out most of the time
4. Compulsory official steps
- If you are traveling with a D-type visa, you are obliged to start the residence permit application process within 30 days of crossing the borders of the Schengen Area. You need to visit the Immigration office in person and submit your documents here. There is a detailed guide about the process on those pages Immigration office.
- If you are travelling without a D-type visa, you are obliged to start the residence permit application process within 90 days of crossing the borders of the Schengen Area. In this case, please register on the website of the Immigration Office and upload all the required documents there. There is a detailed guide about the process on these pages.
- Please be aware that you can only stay in Hungary on legal terms if you have your residence permit, so it is an inevitable bureaucratic step! The residence permit is also necessary for many other official steps. Hence it is crucial to start the application process as soon as you have your accommodation.
- Should you have any questions about the residence permit application, do not hesitate to contact us at imt.documents@bme.hu!
- Private insurance: as a student at the university, it is mandatory for you to have a private health insurance during your stay in Hungary. One option you could go with is the insurer Groupama, who has a contract with the university. You can read more about this on the website of the Directorate of Sales and Services.
- International Mentor Team
The International Mentor Team (IMT) is a student organisation at BME. We offer you a helping hand with your official duties at the beginning of your stay. Furthermore, IMT organises community activities such as game nights, movie nights, hiking trips and so on, to make the best of your stay. If you have any questions or problems, do not hesitate to contact us!
You probably noticed that the links above mostly lead to the same website, which is our official website. It covers practically all aspects of your official duties and many more! We strongly recommend reading through its pages before your arrival and before contacting us. You will probably find suitable answers to your questions, sometimes hidden in the FAQ. You can find useful contact details both for us and for other university officials on this page.
You can also follow us on social media. We have a YouTube channel, an Instagram page and please make sure you join our community on Facebook group to connect with your mates, find relevant up-to-date information and get updated about current events.
Best regards,
BME IMT Mentors