Update of 19 August
Dear Student,
in this e-mail we provide you updated information regarding traveling to Hungary and getting the PCR test in Hungary.
For detailed information on enrolment, online education and semester start, please contact your faculty coordinator directly. At the bottom of this e-mail you can find every e-mail sent out previously.
- We will send out a certificate for you shortly, that you should take with you when you enter Hungary. If you arrive in Hungary before you would receive this certificate, your Letter of Admission, D type visa or residence permit will also provide you entry to Hungary.
- As we stated previously, if you arrive before 31 August, and you are ordered to go to quarantine, you can do it in your rented apartment. Quarantine in dormitory will only be an option from 31 August.
- PCR testing is for free for University of Pécs students.
- If you do the quarantine in the dormitory, the PCR tests will be conducted on sight.
- If you do the quarantine in a rented flat, and would like to be tested, you need to take the following steps:
1. Book an appointment for testing:
- by writing an email to fmk@pte.hu
- The examinations are made at the Centre for Occupational Medicine (7624 Pécs Nyár u. 8.)
2. Send a request for leaving the quarantine for testing purposes to pecs.nepegeszsegugy@baranya.gov.hu They will issue you the certificate which you can use for leaving the quarantine. This certificate costs HUF 3,000, which you can pay by bank transfer to the Chief Medical Officer in Pécs (bank details will be sent to you by them). If you already have a booked appointment for the test, include the time and date in the request.
3. If you receive the certificate, you can go for the test. Please make sure that you use the shortest way possible, and do not use public transportation.
Kind regards,
International Recruitment Office
Update of 17 August
We have one important addition to the e-mail we sent out Yesterday (full e-mail can be found at the bottom of this e-mail):
The International Welcome Desk and the quarantine accommodation will be available from August 31st 2020.
So what happens if you arrive in Pécs earlier than 31 August?
- If you are coming from a ‘green’ country you can enter without any restrictions.
- If you are coming from a ‘yellow’ or ‘red’ country and you have a valid Residence Permit or a D type visa:
- and you have 2 negative SARS-CoV-2 test results, both performed over the last 5 days prior to the entry into Hungary, at least 48 hours apart, indicating that they are healthy.*: you can enter without any restriction and you don’t have to go to quarantine
- if you don’t have 2 negative tests, you will have to be quarantined for 14 day. If you arrive before 31 August, we can not provide you quarantine accommodation.
- If you are coming from a ‘yellow’ or ‘red’ country, and you don’t have a valid Residence Permit or D type visa, please jump to section 3 (“Entry into Hungary for those without Hungarian documents (valid Residence Permits or D type visas)”) of the original letter.
Please note, that we are constantly working on more comfortable solutions for you, so we might send you further updates in the upcoming days.
Stay tuned, stay calm, prepare for the semester opening, and if you have any question, or any uncertainty, don’t hesitate to contact us.
Kind regards,
International Recruitment Office
Original letter
Dear Students and Future Students of the University of Pécs,
In this e-mail, we intend to provide all of you with important news and details regarding the forthcoming academic year. I know it is a long letter, but please, make sure to read it thoroughly as it contains vital information.
Under the pressures of the COVID-19 global pandemic, our main policy has been straightforward, and stays ‘Safety First’, in line with the requisite that we must follow the basic instructions regarding social distancing and personal hygiene. We do everything we can to maintain a safe and healthy environment for all university citizens.
Previously we have sent out a survey to you. If you have not filled it yet, please, do it as soon as possible: Arrival Information - University of Pécs
BASIC RULES OF ENTERING HUNGARY
According to Government Decree 341/2020. (VII. 12.), the Hungarian Government categorized countries and regions into 3 types based on the severity of the COVID situation in each: green, yellow, and red.
- Green stands for safe/lightly affected countries or regions.
- Yellow is for moderately affected countries or regions.
- Red countries or regions are the most affected countries or regions, with the highest counts of the newly infected.
The list of countries is meant to be updated weekly, on Wednesdays. The official list (as it was announced by the government on August 7th, 2020) contains only yellow and red countries. If you do not find your country of interest in the official notice of the Hungarian Government, it belongs to the green category.
1. Enter Hungary without restrictions
Anyone, regardless of nationality or status in Hungary coming from green countries or regions can travel into Hungary without any restrictions.
If you study in the field of medical and health sciences, and you will need to do clinical practice, special rules will apply to you. Please, contact your faculty coordinator for further information.
2. Enter Hungary with a preferential status
Students with valid Residence Permits (non-EU/EEA students) or D type visas, issued by the Hungarian immigration authority may enter Hungary from countries or regions with yellow and red status, and do not require a police clearance but they shall pass a medical examination at their point of entry into Hungary.
- If they are suspected to be infected with SARS-CoV-2, they will be quarantined at a location decided by the authorities (normally their registered address in Hungary or at a state-approved quarantine location).
- If they do not seem infected, they will still be required to stay in self-quarantine for 14 days but the requirement for self-quarantine can be waived:
- If they have 2 negative SARS-CoV-2 test results, both performed over the last 5 days prior to the entry into Hungary, at least 48 hours apart, indicating that they are healthy. The test certificates must be in Hungarian or English.*
- If, after entering Hungary, they are tested for SARS-CoV-2 twice, at least 48 hours apart, with a negative result, the rest of the 14 days is waived.
* All COVID PCR tests result must be in English or Hungarian for the border entry.
3. Entry into Hungary for those without Hungarian documents (valid Residence Permits or D type visas)
Students without Hungarian documents arriving from “yellow” countries, they will have to pass a medical examination at their point of entry into Hungary.
- If they are suspected to be infected with SARS-CoV-2, they will be turned away from the border and refused entry.
- If they do not seem infected, they will still be required to stay in self-quarantine for 14 days but the requirement for self-quarantine can be waived:
- If they have 2 negative SARS-CoV-2 test results, both performed over the last 5 days prior to the entry into Hungary, at least 48 hours apart, indicating that they are healthy. The test certificates must be in Hungarian or English.*
- If, after entering Hungary, they are tested for SARS-CoV-2 twice, at least 48 hours apart, with a negative result, the rest of the 14 days is waived.
* All COVID PCR tests result must be in English or Hungarian for the border entry.
Students without Hungarian documents arriving from “red” countries, are required to fill out a “Leniency Application” in order to cross the border. The leniency application is available on the Police's Electronical Administration portal. This page is in Hungarian, but the form is available in English, so do not worry. Go to the bottom left tile: “Államhatáron történő beutazáshoz méltányossági kérelem”. Then, click on it again on the next page. On the third page, you have the following options:
- COVID-01: entry application with logging in to “ügyfélkapu” (the Hungarian electronic administration system)
- COVID-02: entry application without logging in to “ügyfélkapu”
- COVID-03: appeal if your previous application was refused, with logging in to "ügyfélkapu”
- COVID-04: appeal if your previous application was refused, without logging in to “ügyfélkapu”
You will most probably need the option COVID-02, especially if you are not registered within “ügyfélkapu”.
The first question in the form is the Point of Entry. If you arrive by plane, start typing Liszt Ferenc Nemzetközi Repülőtér and it will show up. You can choose from terminal 2A or 2B, it must be shown on your plane ticket.
If you enter Hungary with a police clearance, the procedures listed above in Section 3 related to COVID-19 testing on the border will be relevant for you.
Meanwhile, please, note that it is important to start with the process of applying for your visa whereas, you will be notified by the Hungarian Consulate in your country if you need to submit a Leniency Application.
HOW TO GET TO PÉCS?
After landing in Hungary, we advise you to take a shuttle which offers you a direct ride to Pécs. This is the safest way to travel and it costs approx. HUF 11,000 (≈ EUR 32). Please note that the University of Pécs does not arrange the shuttle for you. There are two main companies which offer airport shuttle from Budapest to Pécs:
- Travel4You Airport Shuttle
- MECSEK Travel Airport Shuttle
These minibuses are sterilized before every ride, making it the safest option to get to Pécs. We strongly advise to always wear a face mask in any enclosed place, including the vehicles.
If you arrive in Pécs by road, make sure that you make no unnecessary stop and go to your destination on the shortest and quickest way.
ONCE YOU ARE IN PÉCS
Regardless of your departure country, upon arrival in Pécs, you shall go to the International Welcome Desk (address: Szántó Dormitory 7633 Pécs, Szántó-Kovács János utca 1/d). The following things will happen to you there:
1. Your documents (Passport, PCR test result (if available), other medical tests, Letter of Acceptance, dormitory registration, or proof of rented flat) will be checked.
a. If no further steps are required, you are free to move into the dormitory or to your rented flat.
b. If further PCR tests must be taken, the first test will be done there, and if necessary, we provide you with quarantine placement in a specially prepared dormitory building.
INFORMATION ON THE QUARANTINE
Quarantine placement will be available for students who need it in a specially prepared dormitory building. If a second negative test is also necessary, we will provide it for you 48 hours after the first one was taken. If you have been quarantined, we organize you delivered meals, and you will be able to join the classes online.
The University of Pécs provides the students with PCR tests for free, but special charges will apply for the International Welcome Desk service and the quarantine accommodation. More details on the exact fees are expected to come out soon.
PEDAGOGICAL METHODS FOR THE FALL SEMESTER OF ACADEMIC YEAR 2020/21
The University of Pécs is ready for the forthcoming academic year, and we are prepared to deliver high-level education with various methods. Enrolment and course registration is available online, and if you cannot travel to Hungary, or you will be quarantined in Hungary, you will be able to follow classes online.
As you know we have a broad portfolio of study programs and each of them require different pedagogical methods, so for up-to-date information regarding academic matters, please, contact your Faculty coordinator directly.
We collect every information on this website: https://international.pte.hu/admissions_update
If you have any question or need any further assistance, do not hesitate to contact my colleagues at the faculties (https://international.pte.hu/support_contact) or at the international@pte.hu e-mail address.
I wish you a pleasant trip to Hungary and hope to see you soon,
Prof. Attila Miseta
Rector of the University of Pécs