If you experience a medical issue or emergency, it’s important to know the necessary steps for assistance. This page provides key information to help you navigate healthcare options in Hungary. 

For minor health problems, pharmacists ('gyógyszertár' in Hungarian) can often provide advice and offer medications, including COVID rapid tests, without a prescription. Many pharmacies are open 24/7. 

For medical treatment, having valid health insurance is essential, as treatments without insurance incur costs: 

• Hungarian state scholarship students (e.g., Stipendium Hungaricum, Hungarian Diaspora Scholarship) should have a TAJ number and card. This allows most treatments at no additional cost. 

• Self-paying and non-European mobility students (without a scholarship) must have private health insurance, either the Union insurance available through ELTE or another private plan. 

• EU students should carry the European Health Insurance Card, which covers emergency and basic treatments. 

For more details, visit ELTE’s health insurance page. If you need assistance or have questions, contact your international coordinator at international@tatk.elte.hu or reach out to your student mentor. In case of a serious medical issue or hospitalization, please notify your coordinator. 

For COVID-related concerns, please check the dedicated COVID information page. 

Emergency medical situations 

Emergency treatment is available for everyone; however, if you do not have a valid health insurance, you will receive the bill of the treatment afterwards. 

• Visit the Emergency (ER) department of the nearest hospital. The ER is 'traumatológia' or 'baleseti' or 'sürgősségi' in Hungarian. 

• Call the ambulance if necessary. 

With what symptoms should I visit the Emergency? 

You should only visit the hospital if experiencing dangerous, life-threatening symptoms! Some of these symptoms could be:  

• broken bone, twisted joints or limbs, severe injuries 

• severe or increased difficulty breathing, suffocation (shortness of breath, bluish lips, pallor)   

• severe or increased chest or abdominal pain   

• fainting, loss of consciousness   

• sudden severe dizziness, or sudden visual disturbances or speech problems 

• severe, sudden movement disorder, paralysis   

• confusion perceived by the environment   

• spitting or vomiting blood, or uncontrollable bleeding   

• persistent, increasing vomiting or diarrhoea 

• unbearable pain 

How long do I have to wait at the Emergency?  

The waiting hours at hospitals are dependent largely on how serious your symptoms are, and how many people are waiting for examinations. If you visit the hospital with symptoms that are not severe or fatal, you could even expect a waiting time of up to 4-6 hours! 

When is it necessary to call an ambulance?  

If the situation is life-threatening, and you or your peer cannot be safely transported to the hospital, please call 112 to ask for an ambulance. Please note that the ambulance must ONLY be called in serious situations. If you call the ambulance for unjustified reasons, you might get a fine! 

Ambulance is 'mentő' in Hungarian. 

Hospitals that operate non-stop emergency rooms 

The word 'kórház' means 'hospital' in Hungarian. 

• Szent Imre Kórház: 1115 Budapest, Tétényi út 12-16. (Building A) 

• Semmelweis Egyetem: 1082 Budapest, Üllői út 78a. (Enter from Szigony utca) 

• Honvéd Kórház: 1134 Budapest, Róbert Károly körút 44. 

• Bajcsy-Zsilinszky Kórház: 1106 Budapest, Maglódi út 89-91. (Building H) 

• Jahn Ferenc Dél-pesti Kórház: 1204 Budapest, Köves út 1. 

• Uzsoki Utcai Kórház: 1145 Budapest, Róna u 196-212. 

Non-emergency medical assistance 

First of all, you need a valid health insurance! (see above) 

If you feel sick or have a non-emergency medical issue, you always have to go to your GP (general practicioner doctor, 'háziorvos' in Hungarian). You can discuss the symptoms and the issue with the GP, he/she examines you, gives you medicine or sends you to further examinations to specialists. In Hungary, most of the specialists can only be visited with a so called 'beutaló' from the GP. The 'beutaló' is a document in which the GP requests further examination from the specialist. 

Since COVID, most of the GPs require to book an appointment in advance. In the case of the specialists, it is possible to visit them only with a booked appointment. Unfortunately, the waiting time to get to the specialist can be up to 2-3 months, sometimes more. Please take into consideration that the mentioned 'beutaló' document is valid only for 3 months. If your appointment is later, you need a new 'beutaló'. 

How to find my GP? 

In Hungary, the GP is related to one's address. You have to find your GP responsible for treatment of your area of residency. 

• If you do not live in Budapest: smaller towns and villages have only one GP. 

• If you live in a bigger city: you have to find the GP responsible for the area of your residency. If you need help with this, turn to your international coordinator. 

• If you live in Budapest: you have to find the GP responsible for the area of your residency. See below. 

Additionally, scholarship holders with a valid TAJ card can use ELTE’s contracted English-speaking general practitioner (GP). Contact information has been sent via Neptun message if eligible. You can receive further information on this option at the Quaestura Office. 

How do I know which district I live in Budapest? 

Check your 4-digit postcode: the two middle digits indicate your district. For example Kőrösi dorm’s postcode is 1118, which means it is located in district 11. 

District is 'kerület' in Hungarian. 

Dentist 

Dentist ('fogorvos' in Hungarian) service is available both on state and private basis. Many times, the private insurances do not cover the non-emergency dental treatments, so always check if your insurance includes them. Private dentists can easily be found all over the country by Google.