We welcome applications from students of all nationalities for entry into any year group from 5. évfolyam (age 10) to 11. évfolyam (age 16). Applications for 12. évfolyam are considered on a case-by-case basis.
Prior knowledge of Hungarian is not required. Students who join with limited Hungarian will be supported through our Hungarian Language Integration Programme.
To begin the application process, contact our admissions team:
Admissions:
admissions@szechenyigimnazium.com
Budapest:
budapest@szechenyigimnazium.com
Debrecen:
debrecen@szechenyigimnazium.com
All fees are quoted in euros. Families in Qatar and Türkiye may settle fees in QAR or TRY at the monthly reference rate published by the Hungarian National Bank.
| One-off fees | Amount |
| Application fee (non-refundable) | €250 |
| Entrance assessment (waived if applying before 15 January) | €120 |
| Enrolment deposit — deducted from first tuition instalment | €4,000 |
| Refundable security deposit | €2,000 |
| Annual fees | Amount |
| Tuition (5.–8. évfolyam) | €38,500 |
| Tuition (9.–12. évfolyam) | €42,000 |
| Full boarding — all ages | €20,000 |
| Hungarian Language Integration (HLI), first year only | €2,400 |
| Total — typical Year 10 full boarder | €62,000 |
A limited number of merit-based scholarships are awarded each year, offering a reduction of up to 25% on tuition fees. Scholarships are granted on the basis of academic record, entrance assessment results, and interview. To be considered, indicate your interest on section 6 of the application form.
The Széchenyi Heritage Bursary supports students of Hungarian heritage living abroad, contributing up to 50% of tuition for those whose families have been outside Hungary for more than five years. Priority is given to applicants in the 9.–11. évfolyam bracket.
A need-assessed Hardship Fund, established in 2019 by the Alapítvány, assists current families facing temporary financial difficulty. Applications are confidential and reviewed termly.
Candidates sit a 90-minute assessment (mathematics and English, or Hungarian if preferred) followed by a short interview. Dates below; places are allocated on a first-come basis.
| Date | Campus | Time | Languages offered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 21 Feb 2026 | Budapest | 09:30–12:30 | HU, EN |
| Sat 07 Mar 2026 | Debrecen | 09:30–12:30 | HU, EN |
| Sat 14 Mar 2026 | Doha | 09:00–12:00 AST | EN, AR interpreter available |
| Sat 21 Mar 2026 | Ankara | 10:00–13:00 TRT | EN, TR interpreter available |
| Sat 18 Apr 2026 | Budapest (second sitting) | 09:30–12:30 | HU, EN |
| Sat 23 May 2026 | Online (late round) | By appointment | EN |
No. Roughly 40% of our intake each year arrive with little or no Hungarian. These students join our Hungarian Language Integration (HLI) programme in their first year — an intensive sheltered-immersion course taught by specialists. By the end of the first academic year most HLI students are able to follow mainstream lessons in Hungarian; by the Érettségi year, they sit the examination in Hungarian alongside their peers.
The entrance assessment can be taken in English (or Hungarian, if you prefer).
Yes, and we strongly recommend it. We run two open days per campus each year (spring and autumn). Between open days, individual visits can be arranged by writing to the campus admissions address — we ask for at least two weeks’ notice so that a member of the teaching staff can host you.
The assessment is designed to evaluate potential rather than to test knowledge of the Hungarian curriculum. It consists of two written papers (mathematics and English) of 40 minutes each, followed by a short interview. Past papers are sent to registered applicants on request.
Candidates with specific learning needs are offered access arrangements, including extra time and scribes where appropriate. Please flag any requirements when returning the application form.
Yes. Fees can be paid in one (5% discount), two, or three instalments per academic year. A monthly direct debit option is available through OTP Bank for families resident in Hungary. Details are sent with the offer letter.
Yes. The Hungarian Érettségi is formally recognised as a university-entry qualification across the European Higher Education Area. UK universities assess it against A Levels via UCAS tariff tables, and most accept it as equivalent. For universities in North America, we provide supplementary transcripts in the required format.
Our university counselling office works with each student individually from Year 11 to prepare applications and supporting documents.
For popular year groups — typically 9. and 10. évfolyam — yes. Places become available during the year through relocations; we contact waiting-list families in order of application date when a place opens. There is no fee to remain on the waiting list.
We do not publish a single acceptance figure because it varies significantly by year group and campus. Roughly speaking: for entry into 5. évfolyam and 9. évfolyam we are able to accept around two in every three applicants; for other year groups acceptance rates are higher, limited chiefly by available places.
Every application is read by at least two members of the admissions team, and offers are made on the basis of the full picture — assessment, interview, and school reports — not on a single score.
Széchenyi operates under a written safeguarding policy aligned with Hungarian law (Gyvt. 1997) and the standards of the Council of International Schools. Every staff member is trained annually; boarding houses have 24-hour cover; and each campus has a named Designated Safeguarding Lead. Our school-wide Safeguarding Lead is Eszter Horváth (safeguarding@szechenyigimnazium.com).
