Home / AKF Scholarships / Eligible Countries

AKF ◆ Eligible Countries

Which Countries Are Eligible for AKF Scholarships

Country eligibility is the first thing to verify — and also where the most confusion lives. This page covers the 13 home countries, what diaspora eligibility actually means, which countries are frequently asked about but not on the list, and which study destinations AKF will not fund.

The 13 Eligible Home Countries

These are the only home nationalities that qualify. Confirm yours before investing time in the application.

Afghanistan

Central/South Asia

Physical form submission via local AKF office. Conflict-affected applicant status is acknowledged — contact the office directly to confirm the current process for your situation.

Bangladesh

South Asia

Apply through the local AKF Bangladesh office. Confirm the current-year internal deadline directly with the office in January of the application year.

Egypt

Middle East/N. Africa

Apply through the AKF Egypt office. Verify the local internal deadline — it may fall before the global March 31 cutoff.

India

South Asia

Physical application form only — no online portal. Form must be obtained in person or by mail from: AKF New Delhi, Sarojini House, 2nd Floor, 6 Bhagwan Dass Road, New Delhi 110001.

Forms available from January. The India internal deadline is typically earlier than March 31. See the detailed country notes below.

Detailed notes below ↓

Kenya

East Africa

Internal deadline typically falls before March 31. Apply through the local AKES or AKF Kenya office. Contact in January to confirm the exact date for the current cycle.

Kyrgyz Republic

Central Asia

Apply through the local AKF office in the Kyrgyz Republic. AKF has strong institutional presence in Central Asia. Contact the office directly in January to confirm current-year procedures.

Madagascar

Southern Africa

Apply through AKF Madagascar. Internal deadline applies and typically precedes March 31. Contact the office in January to confirm.

Mozambique

Southern Africa

Apply through the local AKF office. Internal deadlines apply and typically fall in February or early March. Missing the local deadline means missing the cycle entirely.

Pakistan

South Asia

Apply through AKF Pakistan. Given the volume of Pakistani applicants, the internal deadline may arrive in late February. Pakistan historically produces significant numbers of AKF scholars. See country notes below.

Syria

Middle East

Eligible despite ongoing conflict. Contact AKF directly to confirm the current application process for Syrian nationals, as logistics may vary based on where you are currently located.

Tajikistan

Central Asia

Apply through the AKF Tajikistan office. AKF maintains strong operations in Tajikistan. Contact the local office in January to verify the current-year process and deadline.

Tanzania

East Africa

Apply through AKES or AKF Tanzania. Internal deadline typically precedes March 31. Confirm with the local office in January — do not rely on the global date.

Uganda

East Africa

Apply through the AKF Uganda office. Confirm the internal deadline in January. As with other African countries, the local deadline precedes the global date.

Diaspora Eligibility — Canada, USA, Portugal

This route has additional requirements that applicants from home countries do not face.

Nationals of the 13 eligible countries who currently reside in Canada, the United States, or Portugal may also apply for the AKF International Scholarship Programme. This diaspora route is explicitly provided for — but it carries conditions that do not apply to applicants submitting through their home country offices.

What the Diaspora Route Requires

  • ◆ You must be a citizen (national) of one of the 13 eligible countries. Permanent residents from those countries do not qualify through this route.
  • ◆ You must be currently residing in Canada, USA, or Portugal at the time of application.
  • ◆ Your intended programme of study must be development-related. This requirement is explicit for diaspora applicants and is not a preference — it is a condition.
  • ◆ You apply through the AKF office or designated agency in Canada, USA, or Portugal — not through the home country office.

Common Mistakes on the Diaspora Route

  • ✕ Applying as a permanent resident (PR) of one of the 13 countries who lives in the USA. Nationality, not PR status, is what counts.
  • ✕ Applying for a programme that is not clearly development-related — this is a hard requirement for diaspora applicants, not a soft preference.
  • ✕ Applying through the home country office when residing in the USA, Canada, or Portugal. The process is different and goes through the residence country.

Note on France and Portugal

Some sources mention France alongside Portugal as a diaspora-eligible residence country. The situation may vary by year, and France's inclusion has not been consistent across all recent sources. If you are residing in France and are a national of one of the 13 countries, contact the AKF office directly to confirm your eligibility before beginning the application.

Countries People Ask About (But Are NOT Eligible)

AKDN presence does not equal scholarship eligibility. These countries come up often.

Country Why People Think It's Eligible
Nigeria AKDN has a presence in Nigeria; significant Ismaili community members are based there. Presence does not equal ISP eligibility.
Ghana Same reason as Nigeria — AKDN operational presence without scholarship programme eligibility.
Sri Lanka Regional proximity to South Asian eligible countries (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan) leads to confusion. Sri Lanka is not on the list.
Nepal Often mentally grouped with the South Asian eligible countries. Not eligible.
Ethiopia AKDN operates programmes in Ethiopia. The ISP does not extend to Ethiopian nationals.
South Africa Large AKF presence, large community base. Not an eligible home country for the ISP.
Iran Cultural and historical proximity to AKF's origins in the Ismaili community creates an association. Iran is not an eligible country.
Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Turkey None of these are eligible home countries, regardless of community ties or AKDN activity in the region.

The ISP eligible country list reflects where AKF has determined its development impact and local office infrastructure can support both the selection process and the follow-through after scholars return. AKDN doing development work in a country does not automatically mean that country's nationals are eligible for ISP funding. When in doubt, check directly with an AKF office rather than relying on secondhand accounts online.

Study Destination Exclusions

Your home country determines eligibility to apply. Your study destination determines whether the award can be used.

✕

United Kingdom

NOT an eligible study destination. This exclusion has been in place for several recent cycles. Students who are nationals of AKF-eligible countries and have been admitted to UK universities cannot use AKF funding for those programmes, regardless of the programme quality or the institution's reputation.

This is one of the most common traps: applicants spend months pursuing admission at Oxford, UCL, LSE, or Edinburgh, then realize after acceptance that AKF will not fund those programmes. If AKF is part of your funding strategy, do not apply exclusively to UK universities.

✕

Russia

NOT an eligible study destination. Russian universities are excluded from AKF funding, regardless of programme relevance or institutional standing.

Some Central Asian and South Asian applicants consider Russian universities due to lower costs and historical ties. If AKF funding is on your radar, factor this exclusion into your university shortlist from the start.

All Other Destinations

There is no other official exclusion list. All study destinations beyond the UK and Russia are eligible — subject to the university being "reputable" in AKF's assessment. No specific ranking threshold or accreditation standard is published.

Study destinations that have been common among AKF scholars based on observable patterns include: USA, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, and others. The relevant question is not "which country is best?" but rather "does this specific university and programme credibly serve the development purpose stated in my application?"

USA Canada Australia Germany France Japan Netherlands Sweden Switzerland and others

Country-Specific Application Notes

Details that matter and are rarely surfaced in the official materials.

India

Highest complexity

There is no online application portal for India. This is not a technical gap — it is how the programme operates for Indian applicants. The physical form is the only way to apply.

1.

The application form must be obtained in person or by mail from: AKF New Delhi, Sarojini House, 2nd Floor, 6 Bhagwan Dass Road, New Delhi 110001. Forms are available from January of the application year.

2.

The completed application must be submitted back to the same New Delhi office. There is no online submission option.

3.

The India internal deadline is typically earlier than the global March 31 date. Contact the office in January to confirm the exact deadline for the current cycle. Do not assume March 31 is your deadline.

4.

Shortlisted Indian applicants typically face an interview in New Delhi as part of the selection process. AKF India alumni on LinkedIn are a practical resource for current-cycle insights and interview preparation.

5.

If you are outside Delhi, account for travel time and postal delays when planning your submission. Receiving the form by mail and then submitting it by mail requires starting the process early in January.

Africa — Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Mozambique, Madagascar

All African country applications go through local AKF, AKES (Aga Khan Education Services), or AKEB offices. The institutional contact varies by country — check which entity handles ISP applications in your specific country.

Internal country deadlines for African countries typically fall in February or early March — before the global March 31 date. Missing the internal deadline is equivalent to missing the cycle entirely. The global March 31 date is not a safety net for African applicants.

Contact the local office in January to confirm the current year's internal deadline. Do not wait until February to start this enquiry — the offices can be slow to respond during busy periods, and you need confirmed dates before you can plan your application timeline.

Pakistan

AKF Pakistan handles all applications from Pakistani nationals. Given the historically high volume of Pakistani applicants — Pakistan has produced significant numbers of AKF ISP scholars over the decades — the internal deadline may arrive in late February.

Pakistani applicants should contact AKF Pakistan directly in January to confirm the current-year deadline and application form availability. Competition from Pakistan is intense; your profile needs to be genuinely strong across all criteria — academic, development focus, financial need, and return plan.

Central Asia — Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan

AKF has a strong and well-established presence in both the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan. Applications go through the local AKF offices in each country. The infrastructure in both countries means the process tends to be more organized than in some other eligible countries.

Contact the local offices directly in January to verify the current year's process, deadline, and any documentation requirements that may have changed. Year-to-year consistency is generally good, but confirming directly is always better than assuming last year's information applies.

Next: Eligibility Criteria

Once you've confirmed your country, check if you meet the full eligibility requirements.

Full Eligibility →