By: Fatou Krubally
The Honorary Consulate of Hungary in The Gambia has handed over passports bearing Hungarian visas to Gambian beneficiaries of the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship Programme.
The handover took place on Sept. 4, 2026, at the Office of the Honorary Consulate in The Gambia, under the leadership of Honorary Consul Sir Farimang Saho.
This is the second time the Honorary Consulate has supported the passport handover for Gambian beneficiaries of the scholarship programme, bringing the number of recipients assisted by the office since last year to 20.
The students are expected to travel to Hungary shortly to begin their respective academic programmes.
As part of the visa application process, the scholarship recipients travelled to Ghana in two groups during the first week of August to attend visa appointments at the Embassy of Hungary, as there is currently no resident Hungarian embassy in The Gambia.
The process was facilitated by Abubacarr Saho, who coordinated between the students, the Honorary Consulate in The Gambia and the Hungarian Embassy in Ghana.
During their visit to Ghana, the students received information on the Stipendium Hungaricum programme, including its benefits, academic requirements, visa procedures and residence permit requirements.
They also had the opportunity to seek clarification on issues relating to their studies and stay in Hungary.
The students appealed for consideration to be given to providing consular services in The Gambia for future scholarship recipients, saying this would reduce the financial and logistical burden associated with travelling abroad for visa processing.
At the passport handover ceremony, the recipients expressed appreciation to the Government of Hungary, the Honorary Consulate and those who assisted them throughout the visa application process.
“This journey has taught us that with determination, unity and perseverance, challenges can be overcome,” the recipients said collectively.
They also thanked Sir Farimang Saho and Abubacarr Saho for their guidance and support and said they looked forward to making the most of the opportunity while representing The Gambia in Hungary.
The Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship Programme, supported by the Hungarian government, provides international students with opportunities to pursue higher education at Hungarian universities.
The programme also seeks to strengthen educational and people-to-people relations between Hungary and its partner countries.
The Honorary Consulate said it remained committed to supporting Gambian beneficiaries of the programme and promoting educational cooperation between Hungary and The Gambia.