COVID-19 Information

Here, we collect the most recent information you should know about.

Online grocery shopping

COVID-19 guide

COVID-19 vaccination

Immunity certificate

Vaccination registration issues

COVID-19 vaccination

1st, 2nd and 3rd Dose 

Who can get the new dose?  

  • Vaccines are voluntary and free – you do not need to have a TAJ number. 
  • You will need at least two doses to develop immunity. 

 

Where can I sign up?  

  • If you want to get vaccinated, register here first (do not worry, you might not get an email after registration). 
  • After registration, you can book an appointment for the vaccination at this website: https://www.eeszt.gov.hu/hu/covid-vaccination-booking (without a TAJ number) or at this website: https://www.eeszt.gov.hu/hu/covid-oltas-idopontfoglalas (if you registered with your TAJ number) – and even choose the type of vaccine which will be given to you (availability of certain vaccines may change day by day though).  The government made a video guide to help you with appointment booking.
  • Please be aware that you can only receive your 3rd dose if it has been more than 4 months since you got your 2nd dose (or the 1st dose of Janssen).

 

Issues during vaccine registration

Would you like to register for the vaccination system, but something went wrong?  

If you noticed a problem on the registration platform, please send an email to koronavirus@1818.hu.  

Are you already in the system, but still can’t book an appointment?  

If you experience a glitch on the booking page, please ask for help at helpdesk.eeszt@okfo.gov.hu. 

Please be patient, as these email addresses receive lots of attention, so getting a response may take a week. Please include as many details in the email as possible. 

COVID-19 guide

You will find useful information on what to do if you are experiencing the symptoms of COVID-19.

Start home quarantine 

  1. If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, or you have been in contact with an infected person, the most important thing to do is to start a home quarantine. This means you should stay home and avoid all external contact, as well as ordering groceries online and general necessities from home.  
  2. Keep a safe distance from your housemates! Do NOT share food, drinks, or other consumables! Wash your hands regularly with soap, and wipe the toilet, bathroom and kitchen handles, and other utensils several times a day with disinfectant! Wash your used clothes as soon as possible, and change the bedding often!   
  3. Ask for help from a friend or use home delivery for shopping. You can find a detailed guide for online grocery, medicine, and pharmacy services on our website:  https://www.imt.bme.hu/guide-to-online-grocery-shopping-for-students-in-quarantine/  

 

Start self-healing 

  1. To relieve your symptoms, buy some medication! At the pharmacies, trained professionals can recommend strong medication based on the symptoms you are experiencing. Do you need help finding the closest pharmacy? Check out this page:  nyitva.hu
  2. To relieve your symptoms, follow these instructions: 
      • Drink plenty of water and tea.  
      • Put lemon juice in your tea/ water for extra vitamins.  
      • Take vitamin C and D supplements (some say iron can feed the virus so choose individual vitamins instead of multivitamins or other mixes). 
      • Do not drink any alcohol and limit your cigarettes as much as you can. 
      • If you have a fever, manage it with medication. 
      • Measure your temperature regularly. Keeping a record of your body temperature and medication can provide your doctor with useful information. 
      • Manage your headache with medication if you need to.  
      • You can inhale with chamomile tea, other kinds of herbal tea, or an inhalant.  
      • Rest and do not do any strenuous exercise.   
      • Open the window for some fresh air but make sure not to cool down your room too much. 
      • Lying on your stomach has a particularly good effect. This makes it easier for oxygen to reach parts of the lungs that it couldn’t reach otherwise.   
      • If you have difficulty breathing try to relax and breathe slowly (in your nose, out your mouth with half-closed lips as if you were whistling) and lean forward a bit to make breathing easier.  
  3. The most effective way to activate your body’s healing power is resting and sleeping a lot. Your body needs time and rests to be able to take up the fight and develop the right defense strategy against the virus. Fatigue and drowsiness are a sign from your system that your body’s own self-healing mechanisms have been set in motion. Allow yourself a restful sleep so your body can do its thing.  
  4. If your symptoms are still consistent after a week despite taking medication, you can reach out for help to your GP (General Practitioner). If you do not know who your GP is but you would like to contact them, please check out this page. 
  5. This period is now an opportunity to deal with relaxing things that otherwise you would not have time for.  

 

Inform the university and professors 

  1. Inform your teachers and professors individually to let the University know about your situation. 
  2. If you experience difficulty breathing or your condition gets drastically worse, call 112 (Hungarian emergency number).  

Hungarian Immunity certificate

As more people are vaccinated and not many get ill, most of the restrictions are lifted in Hungary.  

How to acquire the immunity certificate? 

  • After getting vaccinated in Hungary 
    • You receive it automatically, free of charge. 
    • There is no expiration date, the first day of immunity is written on it. 
    • The type of vaccine you got is not mentioned. 
    • After recovery  
      • You receive it automatically, free of charge. 
      • The card is valid for 6 months from the first day out of quarantine
    • After having covid without symptoms  
      • It is not free, nor automatic. You have to arrange an antibody test (11 000 Ft) at a private laboratory first and then apply for the certificate (3 000ft). 
      • With the results, you have to request the card at a government office (kormányablak)  in person or through an online form (to be able to do it online, you need to have a customer site (ügyfélkapu) account). 
      • The card is valid for 4 months, starting from the day of the test.
    • After getting vaccinated outside of Hungary  
      • A person is entitled to the Immunity Card for COVID-19 if they are vaccinated with legal and licensed vaccines accepted in the EU or Hungary 
      • If a non-Hungarian resident was vaccinated with a licensed vaccine then they can require the immunity card in person in every Governmental office, or electronically.  
      • The person must attach the original document of the vaccination in Hungarian or English.  

    How to acquire the immunity certificate? 

    If you moved recently or you have multiple addresses on your address card, make sure they didn’t deliver to one of the other addresses.  

    Moreover, the system is overwhelmed, all the cards are sent by mail, and it usually takes around 2-3 weeks. If it doesn’t arrive by then, write an email to vedettsegiigazolvany@1818.hu, or visit a government office. 

    European Immunity certificate

    If you face any problems regarding the EU Immunity Certificate you can ask for help at this email address: helpdesk.eeszt@okfo.gov.hu  

    Who is eligible for the certificate? 

    1. After getting vaccinated

    Those who have been vaccinated at least once and not more than one year have elapsed since the first vaccination. The vaccination certificate is valid for 270 days.   

    If you plan to travel, the host country will determine which vaccines it will accept to justify vaccination. All vaccinated persons can receive a vaccination certificate, regardless of which coronavirus vaccine they have received, but the host country will determine which vaccines are accepted. Please also note that for vaccines, the EU Immunity certificate (both in the application and in the downloadable, printable version) contains the official name of the vaccine and the manufacturer, which is not the same as the names of the vaccine used in everyday life! It is also up to the host country to determine how many vaccinations are required and how many days must elapse after vaccination. 

    1. After recovery

    You are eligible for a certificate after recovery if more than 11 days have elapsed since the last positive PCR test for coronavirus or a positive antigen test, and not more than 180 days have elapsed. The maximum validity of this type of card is 180 days, but countries may set a shorter date. In this case, the card must be issued no earlier than 11 days after the person was first subjected to a positive antigen rapid test or a negative PCR test. 

    1. Having a negative PCR test

    You can also apply for the certificate if you obtained a negative PCR test recently. Please be aware that host countries can determine for themselves the validity of the test that is required to enter that country (this can be 24, 48, or 72 hours).  

     

    Acquiring the European immunity certificate 

    1. Online

    The online option is only available for those who already have a client gate account (ügyfélkapu)! 

    The easiest way to obtain the certificate is to download it in electronic form. For those wishing to travel within the European Union, it is advised to use this method if possible. You need to download the EESZT application first, and then follow the instructions.  

    You also have the option to print out the certificate. Only those who have a TAJ card can download and print the certificate with their client gate by logging in via the EESZT. For this option, you can find the instructions here.  

    1. Personally

    The certificate can also be requested in paper form at government offices (kormányablak) free of charge. You can visit any government office during the opening hours without arranging an appointment. The card will be issued immediately upon request. 

     

    Guide to Online Grocery Shopping for Students in Quarantine

    We urge you to order your groceries from an online vendor such as the ones below if you are in quarantine. You will find several price differences and delivery times so consider the most convenient.  

    Always add your room number to the delivery address! 

    General Tips 

    • Avoid buying perishables. If possible, try to opt for items that last longer even when not refrigerated such as canned goods, legumes and grains. 
    • Buy enough goods for at least 10 days. If possible, schedule another order if your quarantine is longer. 
    • Consider getting online coupons and discount codes. Here are some starting points: https://www.ekuponok.com/ and https://kuplio.hu/kuponok/ 
    • Check your toiletries and hygiene products to see if you have enough before ordering. 
    • Remember to always choose no contact delivery and online payment. 
    • Keep a balanced diet. Remember to keep your immune system strong. Consider buying vitamins and supplements (especially Vitamins C, D, and Zinc). 

       

      Online pharmaceutical services 

      Unfortunately, most of these online services do not have an English translation. Try to use the extension of google translate from your browser. If this does not work, then we will be happy to support you in translation. 

        These are just some of the many online services offering medicines. 

         

        Online grocery shopping and food delivery services 

        These services often offer both household items and food products. They also take different times to deliver. 

          Medicine and Vitamins 

          The medication below could ease some pain and make it easier to cope with the symptoms of Covid. These are products that are popular in Hungary. Please be safe taking them and follow the recommendations on the packaging. Also, make sure that they do not contain allergens that you are aware can cause you a reaction. Lastly, make sure you pay attention to WHO for recommendations. 

            

          • Drug store medication: 
            • Neo Citran: It can be in powder (soluble in warm water) or tablets. Helps with throat pain, fever, headache, etc. It is a popular cold medicine. 
            • Advil: It comes in capsules. There are several lines of the product but they mostly focus on treating pain, fever and inflammation (ibuprofen). It is a popular headache remedy. 
            • Rubofen 
            • Panadol 
            • Algoflex
            • Saridon 
            • Nurofen 
            • Tea: 
              • Camomile tea: You can buy a pack of tea bags in online stores. It is internationally a traditional folk remedy to relieve colds among many other illnesses. 
              • Green Tea: It is loaded with antioxidants and can provide several health benefits. Drinking tea will also help keep you hydrated. 
            • Vitamins: In Hungary, you can get vitamin capsules, hard tablets and effervescent tablets. You can get these from your preferred online supermarket or drugstore. The most recommended Vitamins for this situation: 
              • Vitamin C 
              • Vitamin D 
              • Zinc 

             

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