Frequently Asked Questions:
1. Where can I find information about the provided discounts?
2. What are the provided documents that I can use for applying the discounts?
3. I am going to stay for shorter than 12 months at ELTE. Can I get a student card?
4. I am going to stay for longer than 12 months at ELTE. Can I get a student card?
5. What should I do in order to request a plastic student card?
6. Does Quaestura have a posting service?
7. I have lost my validated Student Card. What should I do?
8. I found my lost student card. What should I do?
9. Loss of the valid Temporary Student Certificate
10. I study in Szombathely at Savaria Campus. Should I go to Budapest in order to do the above written duties?
1. Where can I find information about the provided discounts?
You can find information about the public transport discounts here.
About the student discounts you find information here.
2. What are the provided documents that I can use for applying the discounts?
2.1 Plastic student card
This student card is a plastic orange-brown card, in size similar to a bank card.
This card contains your data (name, place and date of birth, address, type of student status), name of the university (Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem), and period of validity. The card is only valid with a validation sticker for the actual semester.
You are eligible for a plastic student card, if
- you are a student staying at ELTE longer than 12 months;
- your status for the semester is active and you already have an Education ID registered in Neptun; and
- you started a student card request.
2.2 Temporary student certificate
The temporary student certificate is an A4-sized paper (“Igazolás”). It contains your data (name, place and date of birth, address, type of student status). This document is valid for 60 days and you need to renew it after 60 days. To receive a renewed document, you need to go back to Quaestura Office after each 60 days.
You are eligible for a temporary student certificate, if
- you are a student staying at ELTE shorter than 12 months (e.g., Erasmus students); and
- your status for the semester is active and you already have an Education ID registered in Neptun
Always check the date of expiry on the document, under point 6 (“Az igazolás érvényességének ideje”)!
3. I am going to stay for shorter than 12 months at ELTE. Can I get a student card?
If you are a student staying at ELTE shorter than 12 months (e.g., Erasmus students), your status for the semester is active and you already have an Education ID registered in Neptun, you can receive a temporary student certificate.
(However, you are allowed to request a plastic student card, in case you prefer it.)
To receive a temporary student certificate, you need to go to Quaestura Office and make your request there. When you go to Quaestura, take your ID (EU members) / passport (outside EU) with you. You can also take your Neptun code (this helps the administration). You receive your temporary student certificate right there immediately.
Always check the date of expiry on the document, under point 6 (“Az igazolás érvényességének ideje”)!
4. I am going to stay for longer than 12 months at ELTE. Can I get a student card?
If you are a student staying at ELTE longer than 12 months (e.g. full-time students), you can't have a temporary student certificate without making an application for a permanent student card (a plastic one).
Thus, you are eligible for a plastic student card, if
- you are a student staying at ELTE longer than 12 months;
- your status for the semester is active and you already have an Education ID registered in Neptun; and
- you started a student card request.
To receive a plastic student card, you need to start your request (see Steps 1-4 below).
It takes a few months until you receive this plastic student card. Therefore, we strongly advise you to request also a temporary student certificate (valid for 60 days) at Quaestura Office while your request for the plastic student card is being processed (Steps 1-3).
5. What should I do in order to request a plastic student card?
To receive the plastic card, you need to follow these steps:
Step 1: Go to one of the offices of the Hungarian Integrated Customer Service (Kormányablak in Hungarian) and apply for a so-called NEK document.
1. Select an office nearby from this list and go there with your passport.
2. At the office tell the officer that you would like to apply for a student card and they will help.
3. There they will take a photo of you and have your main data registered. You get a NEK form with a unique code in the top right corner called NEK identifier.
Please double check all your data on the issued NEK-document! The data on the NEK document have to be exatly the same as the data registered in the Neptun system (if not, your student card request will be rejected)!
Step 2: Make an electronic copy of your NEK form (by scanning it or taking a photo of it) and upload it in the Neptun system.
1. In Neptun click on Information / Documents then Upload document.
2. Select the type of the document called NEK-data sheet (NEK-document) from the drop-down menu.
3. Click on Upload file and select the copy of your NEK form from your computer/phone.
4. Click on the Save button.
Step 3: Register your application electronically in the Neptun system.
1. In Neptun click on Administration / Student Card request then Add new.
Here you need to add the data as follows:
(1) Type in your NEK identifier (mandatory) from the top right corner of the NEK form using capital letters and without any hyphens.
(2) Select the demand type (mandatory) from the drop-down menu (e.g. first application, due to data change, lost, new request due to false data).
(3) Select your address (mandatory) from the drop-down menu.
If you only have an Accommodation Reporting Form for Third Country Nationals, but no document called Lakcímet igazoló hatósági igazolvány, do NOT select your Hungarian address but your permanent address in your home country from the drop-down menu. If you do so, the manufactured student card will contain the phrase 'Külföldi cím' ('foreign addres').
(4) If you study at another university besides ELTE, you can add the secondary institution (optional) to your request by selecting the university from the drop-down menu and type in the printing code of the secondary institution.
2. Click on NEK data sheet attachment, find the previously uploaded electronic copy of the NEK sheet, click on '+' at the right end of the line and click on Select.
3. Click on the Save button to finish the process.
Step 4: Wait for your student card to be manufactured.
After you've started the student card request, your card is hopefully ready in 2 months if there are no complications.
Manufactured student cards are sent to the central Quaestura Office. Quaestura will send you a Neptun message when your student card arrives at the office and can be obtained.
Please note: The student card can be used for 9 years after manufacturing, thus it can be last validated with a sticker in the year of expiration. You can find the year of expiration on the back of the student card.
6. Does Quaestura have a posting service?
6.1 In case you need a Temporary Student Certificate, and you would like to receive it by post, you shall submit a case here.
6.2 If you would like to have your student card validated by post, you just need to post your card to us. After we get the card, we will validate and post it back in five days.
Please note that the delivery requires paying a service fee.
The Office cannot post to a foreign address, hence we kindly ask you to register a Hungarian mailing address, or write in the comment section where you would like the card to be sent to.
7. I have lost my validated Student Card. What should I do?
In case you lost your validated student card or somebody stole it, you need to report it in this case category. The date of loss is the date of submission, thus make sure that you report the loss as soon as possible. After processing your case, you will be charged for not returning the card with the validation sticker (3500 HUF).
However, in case you have a police report about the stealth of the student card, please upload it to the submitted case and the Office will delete the charge. In this case, the date of loss will be the issue date of the police report.
The loss of the student card is immediately reported towards the Educational Authority and the lost student card is invalidated so it can't be used any longer. In case the student card is found you have to hand it in at Quaestura Office.
8. I found my lost student card. What should I do?
If you found the card, you need to show it in person. As the card had been registered as invalid, it cannot be used anymore.
9. Loss of the valid Temporary Student Certificate
In case you lost your valid Temporary Student Card, or it is damaged, it has no charges. You can ask for a new copy issued at Quaestura.
10. I study in Szombathely at Savaria Campus. Should I go to Budapest in order to do the above written duties?
The Registration Office of Savaria Campus deals with your student card management.
If you have any other questions, please contact them.
Webpages (only in Hungarian yet): Savaria Campus can help you.
Address: H-9700 Szombathely, Károlyi Gáspár tér 4., A building
E-mail address: tanulmanyi@sek.elte.hu