Contents
International Hellenic University (IHU) admission at a glance
A first-year applicant with a Lyceum certificate from outside Greece enters International Hellenic University through a special category handled by the Greek Ministry of Education, not through an IHU application. For 2026-2027, the latest published cycle, registration ran from 11 September to 25 September 2026; the dates for 2027-2028 are not yet published.
The category is called Αλλοδαποί-Αλλογενείς (foreign nationals of non-Greek origin) and covers graduates of Lyceums outside the EU. Graduates of Lyceums or equivalent schools of EU member states have a parallel category, and the same registration window applies to both. The table gives the five facts that matter, as published for 2026-2027.
How big International Hellenic University is
The International Hellenic University home page states that the university consists of 9 schools and 25 departments. The seat is in Thessaloniki, with departments and branches in Serres, Katerini and Kilkis. Other IHU pages give different totals of schools and departments, so treat the home page figures as the university's own headline count rather than an exact inventory.
What catches international applicants out
- The Ministry committee issues the selection results for these categories. International Hellenic University does not run a separate selection for them.
- The registration window is a short slot in September: for 2026-2027 it ran from 11 September to 25 September 2026.
- The Greek language certificate is not a fixed rule on the registration page. Check the instructions published for your cycle before you assume it is optional.
- International Hellenic University publishes no English-taught Bachelor programme. Its University Center of International Programmes of Studies (UCIPS) states on a page dated July 2024 that it is planning the first Bachelor programme taught exclusively in English, with more information to follow. The language of instruction of the departments is not stated on IHU pages.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Route | Special category of foreign nationals of non-Greek origin (Lyceum graduates outside the EU); a parallel category for graduates of Lyceums or equivalent schools of EU member states |
| Who selects | A Ministry committee, constituted by a Ministerial Decision of 3 June 2026, issues the selection results |
| Registration window | 11 September to 25 September 2026 |
| Greek language certificate | Concerns only the special categories of foreigners; listed as optional, with the yearly instructions stating when submission is compulsory |
| Where to register | The secretariat of the school or department, in person, through an authorised representative or by registered post, as the 2026-2027 Ministry decision sets out |
IHU is not Aristotle University: history, schools and campuses
International Hellenic University (IHU, Διεθνές Πανεπιστήμιο της Ελλάδος, ΔΙΠΑΕ) was founded by Law 3391/2005 as a public university that was the first in Greece to offer English-taught master programmes, and it was re-established in 2019 by Law 4610/2019 as a multi-campus university in and around Thessaloniki. The IHU Guide 2026-2027 lists 9 schools and 25 departments in Thessaloniki, Serres, Kilkis and Katerini.
International Hellenic University is a different institution from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, even though both have a presence in Thessaloniki. Admission rules, deadlines and documents in this report are those of International Hellenic University only.
Founding and first mission
The IHU Guide states that the university was founded by Law 3391/2005 and was the first public university in Greece to offer English-taught master programmes for Greek and foreign students. The University Center of International Programmes of Studies (UCIPS) describes the original IHU as Greece's first public university where programmes were taught exclusively in English, with 3 schools and 24 master programmes.
Campuses and cities today
The IHU Guide 2026-2027 places the departments in Thessaloniki (Sindos and Thermi), Serres, Kilkis and Katerini. Kavala and Drama do not appear on that list. IHU's own pages do not agree on the exact totals: the Guide and the Greek home page give 9 schools and 25 departments, while the English UCIPS page says 8 schools and 25 departments. Treat the numbers as the university's own, not as a settled count.
The University Center of International Programmes of Studies
UCIPS is the part of International Hellenic University that teaches in English. Two schools belong to it, the School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Economics and the School of Science and Technology, and their programmes are taught exclusively in English. UCIPS sits on a 16,000 m² campus outside Thessaloniki.
The Greek home page describes UCIPS as running first, second and third cycle programmes in a foreign language. The English-taught programmes that IHU lists for UCIPS are at master level, and its Bachelor page says only that a first Bachelor programme taught exclusively in English is being planned. IHU's pages do not name an English-taught first-cycle programme.
IHU rankings and reputation
International Hellenic University does not list an overall world ranking position from QS, Times Higher Education or ARWU on its pages. The only ranking-style claim IHU makes is national and is about demand: the IHU Guide 2026-2027 says IHU takes 6th place among Greek universities by how fully its places were filled.
That claim comes from the university itself, not from a ranking publisher. The Guide writes it as 3.675 admitted candidates for 3.740 places, which it expresses as a coverage rate of 98,18% (the Guide writes thousands with a dot and decimals with a comma). The sentence does not date the intake. It describes the Panhellenic exams, the Greek national entry route, so it says nothing about how international applicants compare.
Research structure
IHU's home page presents a University Research Centre (ΠΕΚ ΔΙΠΑΕ) with 9 research institutes. One of the institutes it names is the Institute for the Management of Refugee Flows and Crises in Thessaloniki. The page names fewer institutes than it counts, so treat the total as IHU's own headline figure.
International links
IHU describes Erasmus+ mobility for students enrolled in an undergraduate, postgraduate or doctoral programme at International Hellenic University. This is outbound mobility for students who already study at IHU, so it is not an entry route for degree applicants. Students going abroad need adequate knowledge of the host institution's teaching language, level B1-B2.
On its English European and International Programmes page, IHU says it has been developing networks with institutions in South-East Europe, the Black Sea region, the Mediterranean basin and Eastern Europe, and that it aims to strengthen those links. The statement names regions, not partner universities.
IHU acceptance rate and places for foreign nationals
International Hellenic University does not publish an admit rate, an application count or a number of places for the foreign-national category. The only intake figure in the IHU Guide 2026-2027 is a fill rate for the Greek Panhellenic route: 3.675 admitted candidates for 3.740 places, a coverage of 98,18%.
The Guide writes thousands with a dot and decimals with a comma. The figure covers all departments of the university and the candidates who sat the Panhellenic exams, the national route for Greek Lyceum graduates. It measures how many places were filled, not how many applicants were rejected, and it says nothing about places set aside for international applicants.
Who decides admission for foreign certificates
For the special categories, the Greek Ministry of Education decides, not International Hellenic University. Access of graduates in these categories is governed by Ministerial Decision Φ.151/20049/Β6/2007, "Access to tertiary education of secondary-education graduates belonging to the special categories", as amended.
For the 2026-2027 cycle, the latest published, a committee was constituted by Ministerial Decision ΑΠ/1103/Α5/3-6-2026 to issue the selection results for foreign nationals of non-Greek origin (Lyceum graduates outside the EU), graduates of Lyceums or equivalent schools of EU member states, Greeks abroad, children of Greek civil servants abroad and the Muslim minority of Thrace. A Ministry decision of late August 2026 ratified the accompanying lists of successful candidates of the first two categories for 2026-2027. The number of places is also set by Ministry decision each year (two decisions, from May and July 2026, for 2026-2027), and IHU does not publish a share of it for these categories. The decision for 2027-2028 is not yet published.
Student numbers and the share of foreign students
International Hellenic University does not state a total number of students or the share of foreign students on its pages. If either figure matters to you, check with the university directly before you rely on one.
Admission with a foreign school-leaving certificate: the special categories
International Hellenic University admits applicants with a school-leaving certificate from abroad through Ministry-run special categories, and for 2026-2027, the latest published cycle, those were foreign nationals of non-Greek origin with a Lyceum certificate from outside the EU and graduates of Lyceums or equivalent schools of EU member states. A Ministry committee selects them, not IHU, and the rules for 2027-2028 are not yet published.
IHU presents this route on its first-year registration page, where it describes the registration of successful candidates of the 2026 Panhellenic exam cycle in these two categories for the academic year 2026-2027. Registration ran from 11 September to 25 September 2026. IHU's pages treat the route as a Ministry procedure with its own conditions, documents and deadline, separate from the route for Greek Lyceum graduates.
Which categories IHU names
| Category | What IHU's pages say |
|---|---|
| Foreign nationals of non-Greek origin, Lyceum graduates outside the EU (Αλλοδαποί-Αλλογενείς) | Registration 11 September to 25 September 2026; selection results issued by a Ministry committee |
| Graduates of Lyceums or equivalent schools of EU member states | Same registration window as the category above; a Ministry decision ratified the lists of successful candidates of both categories for 2026-2027 |
| Greeks abroad and children of Greek civil servants abroad | Covered by the same Ministry selection committee for 2026-2027 |
| Newly admitted Cypriot students | Named on the registration page; candidates of Cypriot origin who must serve in the Cypriot army may register after discharge, on a certificate of the Republic of Cyprus |
The registration page also names students with serious illnesses and Greek citizens of the Muslim minority of Thrace among the special categories. For all of these categories, it says the Ministry of Education sets additional documents and the procedure for filing them at the departments, so applicants must follow the announcements on the pages of their department as well.
Who decides, and on what legal basis
The selection is made by the Greek Ministry of Education. For 2026-2027 a committee constituted by Ministerial Decision ΑΠ/1103/Α5/3-6-2026 issues the selection results, and a Ministry decision then ratified the accompanying lists of successful candidates of the foreign-national and EU-Lyceum categories.
The legal basis cited in the 2026-2027 decisions is Ministerial Decision Φ.151/20049/Β6/2007, "Access to tertiary education of secondary-education graduates belonging to the special categories", as amended. IHU cites this decision but does not reproduce its selection criteria.
Greek Lyceum graduates and the Panhellenic exams
Greek Lyceum graduates enter through the Panhellenic exams (Πανελλαδικές Εξετάσεις). According to IHU's registration page, successful candidates of the Panhellenic exams of 2026 register electronically, on dates the Ministry of Education announces every year. This is the national route and the context for the special categories, not the route for a foreign certificate.
What IHU does not publish on credentials
International Hellenic University does not publish a minimum grade, a ranking basis or a recognition (DOATAP) rule for the special categories. It also publishes no separate rules for the IB, A-levels, the Abitur, the matura or a US high school diploma. The selection criteria sit in the Ministerial decision, so check the Ministry's yearly announcement for the credential you hold.
Greek language requirement at IHU: the Greek language certificate
International Hellenic University lists a certificate of Greek language knowledge among the first-year registration documents, and only for the special categories of foreigners. The registration page, as of October 2026, marks the certificate optional and adds that the yearly instructions will state when submitting it is compulsory.
The official name on the page is Πιστοποιητικό γνώσης ελληνικής γλώσσας (certificate of Greek language knowledge). The page lists it among the forms that newly admitted students submit, next to the printed registration application, a copy of an identity card or passport, a personal data consent form and a declaration. IHU states that the certificate concerns only the special categories of foreigners.
| Question | What IHU states |
|---|---|
| Who is concerned | The special categories of foreigners only |
| Is it compulsory | Marked optional; the instructions state when submission is compulsory |
| Which level | No level is named |
| Which issuing body | No issuing body is named |
| Preparatory Greek course | No course is described for first-year foreign students |
Who must submit the certificate
The wording leaves the decision to the instructions for each cycle. IHU's own phrase is "optional, but the instructions will clarify when submission is compulsory", and it concerns the special categories of foreigners, not every first-year student. The same page says that, for the special entry categories, the documents are those the Ministry of Education sets every year. Whether you must hand in the certificate therefore depends on the Ministry's instructions for the year of entry. The instructions for 2027-2028 are not yet published.
Level and issuing body
International Hellenic University does not name a level or an issuing body for the Greek certificate. The 2026-2027 Ministry decision on the lists of admitted foreign candidates is copied, for information, to the Modern Greek Language Teaching Centre of the University of Athens and to the School of Modern Greek Language of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. That distribution list is not a certificate rule, and it does not make either institution the issuer of the certificate IHU asks for.
Preparatory Greek course
IHU does not describe a preparatory Greek course for first-year foreign students. The Ministry's instructions for your cycle, published before the registration window opens, state whether the certificate is compulsory.
Teaching languages at IHU: English-taught Masters, a Bachelor in English planned
International Hellenic University names English as the teaching language for the programmes of its University Center of International Programmes of Studies (UCIPS), whose listed programmes are postgraduate, and says only that a first Bachelor programme taught exclusively in English is being planned. IHU does not state the teaching language of its first-cycle departments.
The IHU Guide 2026-2027 says the university was created to strengthen the outward orientation of higher education, mainly with English-language programmes and an international orientation. It also says IHU offers undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes, and that a significant number of them are in English. The sentence does not say which level is taught in English, and it names no undergraduate programme.
| Level | What IHU states |
|---|---|
| First cycle (Bachelor), the 25 departments | No teaching language is stated for the departments; no English-taught undergraduate programme is named |
| First Bachelor in English | UCIPS is planning to launch it; no programme is named and more information is promised (page dated July 2024) |
| Postgraduate (UCIPS) | Programmes are taught exclusively in English |
English-taught programmes at UCIPS
The UCIPS home page states that all its programmes are taught exclusively in English. Two schools belong to UCIPS: the School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Economics and the School of Science and Technology. The school of Humanities, Social Sciences and Economics lists 12 programmes, all postgraduate, among them an Executive MBA by distance learning and an LLM in Transnational and European Commercial Law, Banking Law, Arbitration/Mediation, also by distance learning. Most of the twelve run one year full-time or two years part-time, and several are distance-learning programmes. The school also awards doctoral degrees.
English-language teaching is also part of IHU's history. The original university, founded in 2005, offered 24 master programmes in 3 schools, all taught exclusively in English. That description predates the 2019 re-establishment of the university.
Is any undergraduate programme taught in English?
IHU does not name one. The UCIPS Bachelor programmes page, dated July 2024, says that UCIPS is planning to launch the first Bachelor programme taught exclusively in English and that more information will be available soon. That is a plan, not an offered programme. For an applicant with a foreign certificate, the practical consequence is that the first-cycle route described in the admission chapters does not come with a stated English-taught option. Check the UCIPS Bachelor page and the department page of the programme you want before you plan around a teaching language.
IHU admission tests: Panhellenic exams, no SAT or interview listed
Greek Lyceum graduates enter International Hellenic University through the Panhellenic exams (Πανελλαδικές Εξετάσεις), while IHU names no entrance exam, aptitude test or interview for the special categories used by applicants with a foreign certificate. For those categories a Ministry committee issues the selection results, and IHU mentions no SAT, ACT or other standardised test.
| Route | Test or exam named by IHU | How the candidate registers |
|---|---|---|
| Greek Lyceum graduates | Panhellenic exams | Electronically, through the Ministry's registration system, on dates the Ministry announces every year |
| Special categories (foreign nationals of non-Greek origin, EU-Lyceum graduates) | None named; results come from a Ministry selection committee | At the secretariat of the school or department, in person, through an authorised representative or by registered post |
The Panhellenic exams for Greek Lyceum graduates
The Panhellenic exams are the national exam for Greek Lyceum graduates. IHU's registration page says that successful candidates of the Panhellenic exams of 2026 register electronically, on dates the Ministry of Education announces every year; for 2026 the Ministry announcement set that registration between late August and early September. The electronic system asks for the candidate's 8-digit exam code and the password used in the Mechanografiko Deltio, the programme preference form. These codes belong to candidates of the Panhellenic exams. If you hold a foreign certificate and enter through a special category, this electronic step is not your route; your registration is filed at the department.
Exams and interviews for the foreign-certificate categories
International Hellenic University does not name an entrance exam, an aptitude test or an interview for foreign nationals of non-Greek origin or for graduates of Lyceums of EU member states. The Ministry decision for 2026-2027 constitutes a committee that issues the selection results for these categories, and it names no exam. IHU does not reproduce the selection criteria, which sit in the Ministry's rules for the special categories.
SAT, ACT and other standardised tests
IHU does not mention the SAT, the ACT or any other standardised test as part of admission. If you hold an American or other international credential, do not assume a test score replaces or adds to the Ministry selection; confirm in the Ministry's yearly instructions for your cycle. The instructions for 2027-2028 are not yet published.
IHU registration step by step: the latest published deadlines (2026-2027)
The latest published registration window for foreign nationals of non-Greek origin (Lyceum graduates outside the EU) and graduates of Lyceums or equivalent schools of EU member states at International Hellenic University ran from 11 September to 25 September 2026 for the academic year 2026-2027. The 2027-2028 window is not yet published, so no deadline for autumn 2027 exists yet.
The same window appears on IHU's first-year registration page and in the Ministry decision hosted on the IHU website: 11 September to 25 September 2026. Both dates have passed. They show the time of year, not the deadline for your own entry.
How and where to register
Under the Ministry decision for 2026-2027, admitted candidates register by application with the documents listed in article 3 of Ministerial Decision Φ.151/20049/Β6/2007. The application and documents go to the secretariat of the school or department within the deadline. Three ways are named: in person by the candidate, through a legally authorised representative, or by registered post with acknowledgement of receipt.
IHU's registration page lists a clear copy of the identity card (both sides) or, for a foreign student, of the passport as a compulsory form. For the special categories it says the Ministry sets the other documents every year, so the full list for your entry year depends on the Ministry's announcement. The page also lists the Greek language certificate, which is optional unless the instructions say otherwise.
The three first-year steps
- Step 1: the procedure and deadline for registering new entrants in IHU departments are announced by a Ministry of Education press release.
- Step 2: the required documents are submitted online through IHU's pre-registration service, uniportal.ihu.gr. For the 2026 entrants this ran from 14 September 2026 to 21 September 2026.
- Step 3: once the secretariat confirms by email that the registration application is approved, the student activates the institutional (academic) account.
IHU describes these steps for first-year students in general. For the special categories, the filing channel in the Ministry decision is the secretariat of the school or department, as described above. The electronic registration with the Panhellenic exam code belongs to the Greek Lyceum route, so do not wait for it.
Admitted students of Cypriot origin
Admitted students of Cypriot origin who must serve in the Cypriot army register in the same academic year if they obtain a final or provisional discharge by 15 November of that year. Otherwise they register within the registration deadline of the following academic year.
Academic calendar and the 2027-2028 cycle
IHU published the academic calendar for 2026-2027 on its website. The 2027-2028 calendar and the 2027-2028 registration dates are not yet published.
What to study at IHU: undergraduate departments by school
International Hellenic University states that it consists of 9 schools and 25 departments, and its undergraduate list places departments in Thessaloniki, Serres, Katerini and Kilkis. Programme length is stated on some department pages only: Information and Electronic Engineering, for example, sets its first cycle at ten academic semesters.
IHU's English undergraduate studies page groups the departments under school headings and gives the city of each department. UCIPS, which runs the English-taught postgraduate programmes, is presented separately. Engineering appears twice: a Faculty of Engineering (Πολυτεχνική Σχολή) and a School of Engineering (Σχολή Μηχανικών). The list shows fewer departments than the headline count of 25.
| School | Departments (city) |
|---|---|
| School of Geosciences | Agriculture (Thessaloniki); Food Science and Technology (Thessaloniki) |
| School of Design Sciences | Creative Design and Clothing (Kilkis); Interior Architecture (Serres) |
| School of Health Sciences | Biomedical Sciences; Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics; Midwifery Science; Nursing; Physiotherapy (all Thessaloniki) |
| School of Social Sciences | Early Childhood Education and Care (Thessaloniki); Library, Archive and Information Science (Thessaloniki) |
| School of Economics and Business Administration | Supply Chain Management (Katerini); Organisation Management, Marketing and Tourism (Thessaloniki); Accounting and Information Systems (Thessaloniki); Economic Sciences (Serres); Business Administration (Serres) |
| Faculty of Engineering | Industrial Engineering and Management (Thessaloniki); Environmental Engineering (Thessaloniki); Information and Electronic Engineering (Thessaloniki); Computer, Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering (Serres); Mechanical Engineering (Serres) |
| School of Engineering | Surveying and Geoinformatics Engineering (Serres); Civil Engineering (Serres) |
How long a first-cycle programme lasts
IHU does not publish one length for all first-cycle programmes. The department page of Information and Electronic Engineering sets its first cycle at ten academic semesters, under a Government Gazette decision of 2019, and the residence regulation distinguishes four-year from five-year programmes. The Nursing, Midwifery Science and Economic Sciences pages do not give a length. Its page on the maximum duration of study lists the legal texts instead: Ministerial Decision ΦΕΚ B’ 5629/20.10.2025 and article 76 of law 4957/2022. That page does not give a number of years in its own text.
What department pages say about their programmes
Department pages differ in how much they publish. The Department of Economic Sciences in Serres states that its curriculum contains 60 courses, of which 40 are compulsory and 5 are compulsory electives chosen from 20 offered.
The department that the English list calls Information and Electronic Engineering, in Greek Τμήμα Μηχανικών Πληροφορικής και Ηλεκτρονικών Συστημάτων, was formed in spring 2019 from the merger of the Informatics Engineering and Electronic Engineering departments. Its facilities in Sindos, Thessaloniki, include 9 lecture rooms, 2 amphitheatres and 20 laboratory rooms. The department page sets its first cycle at ten academic semesters, with the current undergraduate programme applying from the academic year 2019-2020.
The Department of Nursing is one of five departments of the School of Health Sciences, with its facilities on the former ATEITH site in Sindos, Thessaloniki. The Department of Midwifery Science states that students enrolled from September 2019 onwards follow a New Curriculum leading to a University Degree.
Cost of study at IHU: fees, free textbooks and free meals
International Hellenic University does not state a tuition fee, or a free-tuition rule, for first-cycle study on its pages for any route. What IHU does state is a set of support measures: free textbooks in all departments through the EUDOXUS service, free meals by application, and a Ministry housing allowance that only Greek and EU nationals can claim.
| Item | What IHU states | Who it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition fees | No fee and no free-tuition rule is stated | Not stated for any route |
| Textbooks | Provided free of charge through the EUDOXUS service | Students of all IHU departments |
| Meals | Free meals by application on sitisi.ihu.gr; the 2026-2027 window runs from 31 August 2026 to 30 November 2026 | IHU students who apply |
| Housing allowance | 1.500 euros a year; 2.000 euros for students at a university outside Attica or the Thessaloniki regional unit | Undergraduates who are Greek or EU nationals |
Tuition fees
IHU does not publish a tuition fee for undergraduate study, and it does not publish a rule that undergraduate study is free of charge, for any route. The same is true of its postgraduate programmes: no fee is stated. Do not assume either a fee or a waiver from other Greek universities. For a foreign-certificate applicant, ask the department or the Ministry's yearly instructions before you budget.
Textbooks, meals and the housing allowance
The IHU Guide states that teaching in all IHU departments is supported by textbooks given to students free of charge through the EUDOXUS electronic textbook service. Free meals are a separate benefit: IHU's call for 2026-2027 says students can apply in the online application at sitisi.ihu.gr from 31 August 2026 to 30 November 2026. The call does not state the eligibility criteria in the text published here.
The student housing allowance and who may apply
The housing allowance is a Greek state measure that IHU describes in its Guide and a Ministry FAQ. The FAQ hosted on ihu.gr covers the 2025-2026 allowance, for which applications reopened in September 2026. It is granted to undergraduates of universities who are Greek nationals or nationals of other EU countries: 1.500 euros a year, or 2.000 euros exclusively for those studying outside the Region of Attica or the Thessaloniki regional unit. A higher amount applies to a student who shares a rented home with another first-degree undergraduate in the same city or regional unit. The Ministry writes thousands with a dot. IHU's departments in Serres, Katerini and Kilkis are outside the Thessaloniki regional unit; its Thessaloniki departments are inside it.
To apply, the student must be a Greek national or a national of another EU country, hold a valid academic ID and a Greek tax number, and be a tax resident in Greece. The condition refers to the student's own nationality, not the parents'. Applications are filed on the Ministry of Education website, in the dedicated housing-allowance application. On this wording, a student from outside the EU is not eligible.
Scholarships and financial aid at IHU
International Hellenic University announces no scholarship of its own for international first-cycle students; its scholarship page relays calls from outside bodies, among them 2 undergraduate scholarships from the Diplareios School. Eligibility sits in the call of each provider, not on the IHU page.
| Call | Level and size | Provider |
|---|---|---|
| Diplareios School scholarships | Undergraduate studies, 2 scholarships | Ε.Β.Ε. - Diplareios School, from its bequest; applications on the Diplareios website |
| Dionysios Angelopoulos scholarships | 5 scholarships in Greece; level not stated in the list | Donation named after Dionysios Angelopoulos |
| IKY undergraduate scholarships | Undergraduate, academic year 2023-2024 | State Scholarships Foundation (IKY) |
| Mexican government scholarships | Academic year 2026 | Government of Mexico |
Scholarships for undergraduates
The Diplareios School, one of the historic schools in Greece, announced that it would award 2 scholarships for undergraduate studies from the income of its bequest. IHU does not state who may apply in the text it relays. The Dionysios Angelopoulos donation called for 5 scholarships in Greece, again without level or eligibility in the list.
IHU also relays an IKY call for undergraduate scholarships for the academic year 2023-2024. That year is not the 2027-2028 cycle, so treat the item as an example of what IHU relays, not as aid you can claim for autumn 2027.
Is there a scholarship for international students?
International Hellenic University does not announce a scholarship for international students entering a first-cycle programme. The awards relayed from foreign governments, such as the Mexican government scholarships for the academic year 2026, are third-party calls relayed on IHU's announcements page. They are not IHU aid for foreign students who enrol, and the list also contains postgraduate awards.
External programmes IHU relays
The announcements page is a notice board. It carries calls from the State Scholarships Foundation (IKY), the Diplareios School, the Angelopoulos donation, foreign governments and universities, and it also lists awards at postgraduate level. Read each call at its provider before you plan around it, because the IHU page does not reproduce eligibility, amounts or deadlines.
Housing and meals at IHU: residences and free meals
International Hellenic University runs student residences on its Alexandreia campus in Thessaloniki, with 287 available beds, of which 18 go to foreign or expatriate undergraduates who enrolled through the entry system of their category. For 2026-2027, the latest published cycle, residence applications ran only online from 03/09/2026 to 27/09/2026.
Student residences and how to apply
The residence regulation covers the student residences of the Alexandreia campus, which International Hellenic University operates. Their purpose is to cover the housing needs of IHU undergraduates, with priority to those facing financial difficulties. Rooms are allocated by public draw at a set place and time, run by the Residence Board. The regulation covers the Alexandreia residences only, not other sites.
Applications for 2026-2027 were accepted only online through the stegasi.ihu.gr platform, from 03 September 2026 until 27 September 2026. IHU states that documents sent by email or on paper are not accepted. The window for 2027-2028 is not yet published.
The regulation sets conditions that apply to Greek and foreign applicants alike. The applicant must be an active IHU student, the permanent residence or any home owned by the parents must lie beyond a set distance from the residences in Sindos, and the applicant must be under an age limit when the application is judged. Annual family income must stay under a ceiling that rises with each child after the first. The rule that a student must have passed half of the previous year's courses does not apply to first-year students. The regulation was published in the Government Gazette in May 2026, and the exact distance, age and income limits are in its text.
Documents foreign students submit for residences
- Foreign students bring a passport, a residence permit and a family-status certificate.
- They also bring a certificate from the competent tax office of their country of origin stating the net family income of the last financial year. It must be certified by a competent state authority, officially translated, and the amount converted from local currency into euros at the applicable exchange rate. A certificate of the place of origin is also required.
- Ethnic-Greek (ομογενείς) students submit the same documents as Greek students, plus a certificate of Greek origin from the competent Greek authority of their country (Embassy or Consulate).
- All documents issued by foreign authorities must be certified for authenticity by a Greek diplomatic authority abroad or carry the APOSTILLE, and be officially translated into Greek.
These documents are listed in the residence regulation. IHU's pages do not list a separate set of documents for the meal application.
Free meals
Students of International Hellenic University can apply for free meals in the online application at sitisi.ihu.gr. For 2026-2027 the window runs from 31 August 2026 to 30 November 2026, and documents sent by email or any other way are not accepted. IHU does not publish the eligibility criteria in the call, so check the call itself before you apply.
Support for foreign students
IHU lists a Support Unit for Foreign Students in Thessaloniki (Μονάδα Υποστήριξης Αλλοδαπών Φοιτητών Θεσσαλονίκης) on its Student Welfare Directorate page, with the contact email isso@ihu.gr. Undergraduate and postgraduate students, and PhD candidates, who have no other medical and hospital cover are entitled to full care in the national health system (ΕΣΥ), with costs covered through ΕΟΠΥΥ. Uninsured students receive these services on showing their AMKA, the Greek social security number.
IHU has appointed two Student Ombudsmen: one at the Thessaloniki campus and one at the Serres campus.
Who is IHU for? Summary and next steps
International Hellenic University suits an applicant with a Lyceum certificate from outside the EU, or from an EU member state, who can enter through the Ministry-run special categories and who confirms the language of the chosen department directly with IHU. It does not suit someone who needs a stated English-taught Bachelor, which UCIPS has only planned, or who expects IHU itself to judge the file.
Three facts decide the fit. A Ministry committee, not IHU, issues the selection results for these categories. The Greek language certificate concerns only the special categories of foreigners and is marked optional, with the yearly instructions stating when it is compulsory. And IHU does not state the teaching language of its first-cycle departments, while the first Bachelor taught exclusively in English is still a plan: UCIPS says it is planning to launch the first Bachelor program in English, on a page dated July 2024.
| Step | Latest published dates | Status in October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Special-category registration (foreign nationals of non-Greek origin, EU-Lyceum graduates) | 11 September to 25 September 2026 | Closed |
| Residence applications, Alexandreia campus (online only) | 03/09/2026 to 27/09/2026 | Closed |
| Free-meals applications (online) | 31 August 2026 to 30 November 2026 | Open until the last date |
| Entry in autumn 2027 | The Ministry announces the procedure and deadline of registration by press release | Not yet published |
What to check first
- The special-category rules. They sit in Ministerial Decision Φ.151/20049/Β6/2007, as amended, which IHU cites but does not reproduce, and in the Ministry's yearly instructions.
- The Greek language certificate. Check whether the instructions for your year make it compulsory.
- The September registration window. The latest published one ran from 11 September to 25 September 2026, for the academic year 2026-2027, and the 2027-2028 window is not yet published.
Next steps for autumn 2027
IHU says the procedure and deadline of registration for new entrants are announced by a press release of the Ministry of Education. No such announcement for 2027-2028 is published yet, so there are no autumn 2027 dates to plan around. Use the 2026-2027 dates only to see the time of year, and return to the IHU first-year registration page when the Ministry announces the new cycle.
International Hellenic University: frequently asked questions
What is the International Hellenic University acceptance rate?
International Hellenic University does not publish an admit rate or a number of places for applicants with a foreign certificate. The only intake figure is for the Greek Panhellenic route: 3.675 candidates admitted for 3.740 places, a coverage of 98,18%. That measures how many places were filled, not how many applicants were turned away.
How do international applicants apply to International Hellenic University?
Applicants with a Lyceum certificate from outside the EU, and graduates of Lyceums or equivalent schools of EU member states, enter through Ministry-run special categories. A Ministry committee issues the selection results, and admitted candidates register at the secretariat of the school or department. For 2026-2027, the latest published cycle, registration ran from 11 September to 25 September 2026.
When is the deadline for autumn 2027 entry at International Hellenic University?
No registration window for 2027-2028 is published yet. IHU says the Ministry of Education announces the procedure and deadline of registration by press release. The latest published window, for 2026-2027, ran from 11 September to 25 September 2026.
Does International Hellenic University require the SAT, an entrance exam or an interview?
International Hellenic University names no entrance exam, aptitude test or interview for foreign nationals of non-Greek origin or for EU-Lyceum graduates, and it does not mention the SAT or ACT. A Ministry committee issues the selection results under Ministerial Decision Φ.151/20049/Β6/2007. The Panhellenic exams are the route for Greek Lyceum graduates.
Does International Hellenic University teach Bachelor programmes in English?
IHU does not name an English-taught Bachelor programme. Its University Center of International Programmes of Studies (UCIPS) states that all programmes are taught exclusively in English, but the programmes it lists are postgraduate. A UCIPS page dated July 2024 says the first Bachelor programme taught exclusively in English is being planned, and the teaching language of the first-cycle departments is not stated.
Do I need to speak Greek to study at International Hellenic University?
IHU does not state the teaching language of its first-cycle departments. For the special categories of foreigners the registration forms include a certificate of Greek language knowledge, marked optional, and the yearly instructions state when submitting it is compulsory. IHU names no level or issuing body for the certificate.
How much does International Hellenic University cost for international students?
IHU states no tuition fee and no free-tuition rule for first-cycle study on any route. Textbooks are provided free through the EUDOXUS service, and students can apply for free meals from 31 August 2026 to 30 November 2026. The Ministry housing allowance of 1.500 euros a year is for Greek and EU nationals only.
Are there scholarships for international students at International Hellenic University?
IHU announces no scholarship of its own for international first-cycle students. Its scholarship page relays calls from outside bodies, for example 2 undergraduate scholarships from the Diplareios School, and each provider sets its own eligibility.
Can foreign students live in International Hellenic University housing?
The Alexandreia campus residences have 287 available beds, of which 18 go to foreign or expatriate undergraduates who enrolled through the entry system of their category. For 2026-2027 applications ran only online from 03 September 2026 to 27 September 2026. Foreign students submit a passport, a residence permit and a family-status certificate, among other documents.
Is International Hellenic University the same as Aristotle University of Thessaloniki?
No. International Hellenic University is a separate public university, founded by Law 3391/2005 and merged with three technological institutes by Law 4610/2019. The IHU Guide 2026-2027 lists 9 schools and 25 departments in Thessaloniki, Serres, Kilkis and Katerini.
Where these numbers come from
Official pages of International Hellenic University, UCAS, gov.uk and the ranking publishers. Applicant reports, where shown, are self-reported and labelled.
ΠΕΡΙΕΧΟΜΕΝΑ · Εγγραφές Πρωτοετών – Διεθνές Πανεπιστήμιο της Ελλάδος · ΑΔΑ: Ψ7ΛΘ46ΝΚΠΔ-Ζ51 · 04.05.2026 19:11:01 · Διεθνές Πανεπιστήμιο της Ελλάδος – Έδρα στη Θεσσαλονίκη, παρουσία σε 8 πόλεις · University Center of International Programmes of Studies – IHU UCIPS · School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Economics – University Center of International Programmes of Studies · Ενημέρωση για την Ανώτατη Διάρκεια Φοίτησης – Διεθνές Πανεπιστήμιο της Ελλάδος · Τμήμα Οικονομικών Επιστημών – Διεθνές Πανεπιστήμιο της Ελλάδος · Τμήμα Μηχανικών Πληροφορικής και Ηλεκτρονικών Συστημάτων – Διεθνές Πανεπιστήμιο της Ελλάδος · Υποβολή αιτήσεων για παροχή δωρεάν σίτισης ακαδημαϊκού έτους 2026-2027 Ενημερώνουμε τους φοιτητές και τις φοιτήτριες του · ΣΥΧΝΕΣ ΕΡΩΤΗΣΕΙΣ · Ε.Β.Ε. ΔΙΠΛΑΡΕΙΟΣ ΣΧΟΛΗ: ΥΠΟΤΡΟΦΙΕΣ ΓΙΑ ΠΡΟΠΤΥΧΙΑΚΕΣ ΣΠΟΥΔΕΣ – Διεθνές Πανεπιστήμιο της Ελλάδος · Ανακοινώσεις υποτροφιών – Διεθνές Πανεπιστήμιο της Ελλάδος · Αιτήσεις εισδοχής στις Φοιτητικές Εστίες της Αλεξάνδρειας Πανεπιστημιούπολης για το ακαδημαϊκό έτος 2026-2027. – Διεθνές · Bachelor programmes – University Center of International Programmes of Studies
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