TAJ Card

Renewal – TAJ card expired

(for both fee-paying and scholarship holder students)

To renew your TAJ card, please follow the instructions below:

(1) Make sure that your residence permit is valid!
(The expiration date of your TAJ card is usually the same as that of your residence permit. Also, to renew your residence permit, you must have valid health insurance, so you should start the process by renewing your residence permit before your TAJ card expires!)

(2) Print out all of the listed documents:

• this application form (you can find a guide here)
• A copy of your passport (valid for at least 3 months),
• A copy of your residence permit card (both sides, valid for at least 3 months),
• A copy of your address card (printed version if you received a QR code from the Immigration Office),
• An original student status certificate from the CAO that was issued no longer than 30 days ago,
• Your Letter of Award (a document that proves that you are receiving a monthly stipend),

(3) Visit the NEAK office in person with all the documents listed in (2):
address of the NEAK office: 1139 Budapest, Teve Street, 1/a-c. Google Maps link: http://bit.ly/2vZHcWA).

(4) Bring your NEW TAJ card to the CAO office (BME, building R) during the opening hours (found on their website) to register your new TAJ card in Neptun.

Application for Fee-Paying Students

As a fee-paying student, you are not entitled to free health care in Hungary. NEAK, which is the governmental body responsible for issuing TAJ cards, cannot take your application without a payment for the healthcare services.

In the case of a foreign national studying in Hungary as part of the full-time education of an educational institution, a monthly contribution of 80,040 HUF is payable on the basis of 30% of the minimum wage applicable on the day of the conclusion of the contract, assuming a minimum wage of 266,800 HUF in 2024.

The agreement takes effect from the first day of the month following its conclusion, but only from the first day of the 24th month following the conclusion of the agreement, with 3 exceptions, to benefit from the full range of health services. From the first month after the conclusion of the agreement until the 24th month, the agreement entitles you to emergency care only.

Please note that a separate certificate is used to prove entitlement to emergency care under the agreement, and the so-called TAJ card is issued by the competent government office only after payment of the 24-monthly lump sum contribution.

It is possible to redeem the 24-month waiting period by paying a lump sum of contributions for that period.

If only the one-monthly amount is paid at the time of conclusion of the agreement, the beneficiary of the agreement may use the health insurance services described below from the first day of the 24th month following the conclusion of the agreement, except for emergency care.

If the “grace period” is redeemed at the time of the conclusion of the agreement (24 + 1 months payed), the beneficiary will be entitled to health insurance services from the first day of the month following the conclusion of the agreement.

After paying the whole fee, using the TAJ card still comes with some restrictions:

• You can only use emergency dental care.
• Your TAJ card is only valid in Hungary, you cannot get free treatment in any other country with it (not even EEA member states).
• You cannot sign up for transplantation and surgical waiting lists.
• Any examinations or medications that are related to a medical condition that was present before the application for TAJ card are NOT covered.

Application

You can apply for a TAJ card in NEAK’s central office (address: 1139 Budapest, Teve Street, 1/a-c, Google Maps link: http://bit.ly/2vZHcWA). You need to present the following documents (they may ask for some more, depending on your country of origin):

You need to present the following documents (they may ask for some more, depending on your country of origin):

• Residence permit AND a photocopy of both of its sides
• Passport AND a photocopy of its personal data page
• Address card AND a copy of both of its sides (printed if you have a digital QR code version)
• An original student status certificate (from the CAO)

Be aware that at least the first part of the fee (80,040 HUF) needs to be paid when the application is submitted at the NEAK’s office.

Termination of contract

The agreement is terminated if the contribution is not paid and can also be terminated by giving notice. If the monthly fee is not paid by the 12th of the month, it will be terminated from the start of next month or can be cancelled by visiting the NEAK central office personally.

Be aware that within 3 days of termination the agreement, the physical card TAJ card (if you already received one) must be handed in at the government office.

Print it out, fill it and do not forget to sign it!

What can you do if your card gets destroyed, damaged or lost?

In case of loss, theft, destruction or damage of the TAJ card, you can request a new TAJ card by filling in an application form (downloadable from the homepage of the National Health Insurance Fund Management Company) (TAJ card duplicate).

Once you filled in the application form, it must be filed at the government agency of District XIII., Budapest (address: 1139 Budapest, Teve Street, 1/a-c.,
Google Maps link: http://bit.ly/2vZHcWA).

Please note that the replacement cost of the TAJ card is 3,000 HUF (administrative service charge). In case your card is stolen, you need to report the loss at your local Police station and the replacement will be free of charge.

If the TAJ card issuing office becomes aware of the theft of the TAJ card, it will arrange the replacement of the card without special request. In the event of police accusations, the police will always notify the health insurer of the theft of the TAJ card.

Healthcare in Hungary

Everyone, who is entitled to the Hungarian National Health Insurance, has the right to have access to adequate, permanently accessible (24 hours a day) medical care within the limits set by the law. The health care service must meet the requirements of equal treatment.

There are certain health care benefits which are free of charge, and there are some for which you need to pay a supplementary fee.

Please read our Medical Help guide, it contains a lot of useful information!