Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship 2026–27 Pakistan – HEC Guide

The Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship 2026–27 application cycle for Pakistani students has closed. The Higher Education Commission of Pakistan required candidates to complete applications on both the HEC scholarship portal and the Hungarian Stipendium Hungaricum system by 15 January 2026 at 4:00 PM Pakistan Standard Time.

HEC advertised 400 scholarship places for Pakistani and AJ&K students at Bachelor’s, One-Tier Master’s, Master’s and PhD levels. After the selection process, HEC reported in August 2026 that 209 Pakistani students had received scholarships to study at Hungarian universities.

Students researching the next Stipendium Hungaricum intake should not use the 2026 deadline as a future application date. A new cycle should only be treated as open after HEC and Tempus Public Foundation publish a new call.

Stipendium Hungaricum 2026–27 at a Glance

Is the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship 2026 Still Open?

No. Applications for the 2026–27 Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship are closed.

The official deadline for Pakistani applicants was 15 January 2026. Candidates were required to submit complete applications through both the HEC and Stipendium Hungaricum systems. Submission through only one portal was not sufficient for HEC’s nomination process.

HEC now lists the 2026–27 programme among its inactive scholarship opportunities. This makes Closed or Completed the correct status for a Pakword page covering the 2026 intake.

Who Could Apply From Pakistan?

The programme was available to Pakistani and AJ&K nationals who met the academic, testing and programme-specific requirements.

HEC stated that applicants had to be at least 18 years old on or before 31 August 2026. There was no upper age limit stated for the application process. Pakistani dual nationals were listed among the non-eligible categories for this cycle.

Applicants also had to satisfy the admission requirements of the Hungarian university and programme they selected.

Education Requirements

Eligibility depended on the degree level.

Bachelor’s and One-Tier Master’s

Applicants needed HSSC, Intermediate or an equivalent qualification. Students completing their final year were allowed to apply, but their completed qualification and transcript had to be available and submitted by 1 August 2026.

One-Tier Master’s programmes include long professional programmes such as medicine and dentistry where applicable.

Master’s

Applicants needed a 16-year Bachelor’s degree or equivalent. Final-semester or result-awaiting students could apply, subject to completing and submitting their degree and transcript by 1 August 2026.

PhD

PhD applicants needed a completed Master’s, MS, MPhil or equivalent qualification by the required deadline.

PhD applications could also require additional documents such as a research plan, academic recommendation and, where required by the selected doctoral school, a supervisor’s statement.

HAT and USAT Requirement

Pakistani applicants were required to provide a valid HAT or USAT score.

HEC specified a minimum score of 50% of the total marks. Applications without the required minimum HAT/USAT score were not considered for further processing.

For the 2026–27 cycle, HEC stated that HAT scores were valid for two years while USAT scores were valid for one year, subject to the validity dates specified in the scholarship notice.

Applicants should therefore check the current HEC rules again when applying for a future cycle rather than assuming that the 2026 testing dates and validity conditions still apply.

How Many Scholarships Were Available for Pakistan?

HEC advertised 400 places for Pakistani applicants for the 2026–27 programme.

The 70 One-Tier Master’s places included 20 places for Medicine/General Medicine, 10 for Dentistry and 40 for other eligible disciplines.

These figures describe the available allocation, not the number ultimately awarded.

HEC reported on 12 August 2026 that 209 Pakistani students from the latest cohort had won scholarships and were being sent to Hungarian universities. Around 26,000 applications had been received for the programme.

What Does the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship Cover?

Stipendium Hungaricum provides several major forms of financial support.

For Bachelor’s, Master’s and One-Tier Master’s scholarship holders, the official programme information lists a monthly stipend of HUF 43,700.

Doctoral scholarship holders receive HUF 140,000 per month during the first phase of doctoral education and HUF 180,000 per month during the second phase.

Scholarship holders may also receive a dormitory place or an accommodation contribution of HUF 40,000 per month, along with healthcare coverage and supplementary medical insurance.

Does the Scholarship Cover Every Living Expense?

Not necessarily.

Although Stipendium Hungaricum is generally described as a fully funded scholarship, the programme itself explains that its living and accommodation payments are contributions toward expenses. They may not cover every personal cost, particularly private rent in larger Hungarian cities.

Students should therefore calculate their expected food, transport, accommodation and personal expenses before accepting an offer.

How Pakistani Students Had to Apply

The 2026–27 application required two separate online submissions.

Step 1: Apply Through Stipendium Hungaricum

Applicants first had to complete the Tempus Public Foundation application through the Hungarian online system.

They selected eligible programmes, entered their personal and academic information and uploaded the required supporting documents.

Step 2: Apply Through HEC

Applicants also had to register on the HEC scholarship portal and select the Hungarian Scholarship Program.

HEC clearly stated that submission through both systems was mandatory. An applicant who completed only the Hungarian application or only the HEC application could not be considered through Pakistan’s nomination process.

Applicants were advised to retain copies of their submitted forms and documents.

Can You Apply to More Than One Programme?

The Hungarian application system allows applicants to select up to two study programmes, subject to the programmes available for their sending partner.

Applicants need to choose carefully. HEC also warns Pakistani applicants that a change of subject, discipline or study programme after nomination or final selection is not normally entertained.

Is IELTS Required?

There was no single IELTS rule covering every Hungarian programme.

HEC states that some universities may require IELTS or TOEFL, while other institutions may accept an English proficiency certificate issued by the applicant’s previous college or university. The exact language requirement therefore depends on the selected Hungarian programme and institution.

Applicants should check the admission requirements of the specific programme before submitting an application.

Documents Required for Stipendium Hungaricum

The exact document list depends on the study level and selected programme, but applicants generally had to provide their online application information, academic records and other supporting documents required by the Stipendium Hungaricum system.

Documents that were not issued in the language required by the selected programme or in Hungarian could require translation together with the original document.

PhD applicants had additional requirements, including a research plan and academic recommendation. Some doctoral schools could also require a statement from a proposed supervisor.

Educational document attestation was not required at the initial application stage according to HEC. After nomination, relevant documents could require attestation from authorities such as HEC or IBCC.

Result-Awaiting Students

Result-awaiting candidates were allowed to apply for the 2026–27 cycle.

However, this did not remove the final qualification requirement. Applicants had to obtain their required degree or qualification and upload the final documents by 1 August 2026 where that condition applied.

Students researching a later cycle should check the new call because the document submission deadline may change.

Professional Degrees and Recognition in Pakistan

Students considering medicine, dentistry, engineering, nursing, architecture, law, pharmacy, veterinary medicine or another regulated profession should verify recognition separately before choosing a programme.

HEC specifically places responsibility on applicants to confirm recognition with the relevant Pakistani professional council. This may include PMDC, PEC, PNC, PCATP, Pakistan Bar Council, Pakistan Veterinary Medical Council or other relevant regulators.

A scholarship award does not by itself guarantee professional recognition of every foreign degree in Pakistan.

HEC Nomination Does Not Guarantee the Final Scholarship

HEC acts as Pakistan’s nominating agency for the programme.

Being nominated by HEC does not automatically mean that the applicant has won the scholarship. The host institutions and Tempus Public Foundation remain involved in admission assessment and final scholarship decisions.

The Hungarian programme’s 2026 timeline included sending-partner nominations, university entrance examinations and final results after the institutional evaluation process.

Stipendium Hungaricum 2026 Result for Pakistan

HEC announced in August 2026 that 209 Pakistani students had received scholarships to study at Hungarian universities.

According to HEC, around 26,000 candidates applied during the latest cycle. The 209 scholarship recipients formed Pakistan’s 11th batch under the programme.

Students should not confuse this final cohort figure with the 400 scholarship places originally advertised across the different study levels.

What Should Students Interested in the Next Intake Do?

Do not submit an application using an old 2026 deadline or rely on an unofficial website claiming that applications are open.

For the next cycle, check:

1. HEC’s Learning Opportunities Abroad scholarship section.
2. The official Stipendium Hungaricum application website.
3. The new Call for Applications for the correct academic year.
4. Current HAT or USAT requirements announced by HEC.
5. Your chosen Hungarian programme’s academic and English-language requirements.

The application opening date, test validity period, document deadline and available programmes can change from one cycle to another.

Official Application Sources

Pakistani applicants should rely on the Higher Education Commission Pakistan for Pakistan-specific nomination requirements and on Tempus Public Foundation/Stipendium Hungaricum for the Hungarian application rules.

Pakword is an independent information website and does not accept scholarship applications or make scholarship selections.