Croatian Government Scholarship FAQ 2027/28

Only if you're currently studying Croatian language or Slavic Studies (or taking Croatian classes) at a university outside Croatia. That puts you in Pool 2 — but Pool 2 only gives you access to type A1 (one-semester language study in Croatia) and type F (Dubrovnik summer seminar). Full degree programmes, PhD scholarships and postdoctoral types are all restricted to Pool 1, which means bilateral countries only.

If you're not from a bilateral country and not studying Croatian language or Slavic Studies, there is no pathway.

Croatia has a separate agreement with Bavaria, and that's where almost all German places are: semester study (A1, A2), PhD research and postdoc stays (C2, D) and the summer seminar (F), nominated through BAYHOST. If you're at a Bavarian institution (LMU Munich, TU Munich, University of Augsburg, FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg, University of Passau, University of Würzburg and others), that is your route.

For the rest of Germany — Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Cologne and anywhere outside Bavaria — the 2026/2027 call offered only one postdoctoral place (type D, 1–3 months) through the DAAD. Students outside Bavaria should check Pool 2 if they're studying Croatian or Slavic Studies.

Yes. Previous recipients are not permanently excluded. But the call explicitly gives applicants who have already held a bilateral scholarship lower priority, with precedence for first-time applicants. Your application is reviewed, but it ranks below first-time applicants when selections are made. This is part of the official selection criteria.

No — the official call calls the stipend “a contribution to the living costs.” Tuition is waived and subsidised housing is available, but:

• Travel to and from Croatia is not covered
• July and August stipend payments don't exist
• The extra cost of private accommodation is not compensated
• Health insurance for many non-EU students is not included

Many third-party scholarship listing sites describe this as “fully funded.” That description is misleading. Budget accordingly.

No. There's no travel allowance, no flight reimbursement and no transport stipend from Croatia. You book and pay for your own travel. If you're coming from China, Israel or Türkiye, round-trip flights typically cost EUR 300–600. Factor that into your budget before accepting the scholarship. The call does point out that in bilateral programmes the sending country often covers its citizens' travel, so ask your nominating institution.

No. July and August are excluded from stipend payments. Mobility runs from October to September, but the summer months are excluded. If your scholarship covers 10 months of study, you receive payments for the months you're in academic session — not the summer break. If you're staying in Croatia over summer, you're covering those two months from your own savings (or, for A2 and B holders, part-time work income).

The iksica (also called X-card or student e-card) is Croatia's national student benefit card issued to enrolled students. Subsidised meals at student restaurants are part of the scholarship package for most types.

Main benefit: subsidised meals at student cafeterias (EUR 1–3 per meal), plus occasional discounts on cultural events. Three meals a day from student cafeterias costs roughly EUR 100–150/month — significantly less than eating at regular restaurants. In Zagreb, the ZET student monthly transport coupon costs EUR 13.27.

Only if you hold an A2 or B scholarship and are enrolled as a full-time student. Those holders can work through Croatia's Student Service (Studentski servis), the national student employment network; the minimum rate for 2026 is EUR 6.56 per hour (net). At the minimum rate, 10–15 hours per week brings roughly EUR 280–430 a month on top of your stipend. Holders of A1, C1, C2, D, E and F cannot be employed through the Student Service.

EU/EEA students: get your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before arrival; it's valid in Croatia. No separate insurance needed.

Citizens of North Macedonia, Montenegro and Türkiye are covered by social security agreements with Croatia — get a patient's certificate from your public health insurer before you travel. More at hzzo.hr (Croatian Health Insurance Fund).

All others: arrange private health insurance before arrival. Basic international student coverage typically costs EUR 30–80 per month. AMPEU does not arrange this for you unless your country's bilateral programme specifically provides for it.

Your home country's designated nominating authority. This is usually a ministry of education, national scholarship agency or another officially designated body — for example the China Scholarship Council, NAWA in Poland, Tempus Public Foundation in Hungary, BAYHOST for Bavaria. You contact them to be nominated — they conduct their own internal selection — and then the official Nomination Letter goes from them to AMPEU.

The nominating authority for your country may have an earlier internal deadline than AMPEU's cutoff (10 April in 2026; expected around 10 April 2027, to be confirmed). Contact them well in advance.

No. The nomination is an institution-level process. You cannot write your own Nomination Letter or submit one yourself. Without a valid Nomination Letter from the appropriate national authority sent directly to AMPEU, a Pool 1 application is not processed.

Independently — the same way you'd approach any international research collaboration. Search faculty pages at the University of Zagreb, University of Rijeka, University of Split, University of Osijek and University of Dubrovnik. Use Google Scholar to find Croatian researchers publishing in your area. Email them directly explaining your research background and interest in a collaboration.

Expect a low response rate — contact 10–20 people and start in October or November, not March. Once a professor agrees, they issue a Letter of Invitation, which becomes a required document for your application.

June or July — 2–3 months after the April deadline (10 April in 2026; expected around 10 April 2027). Summer seminar applicants hear from the Zagreb School of Slavic Studies in May. Successful applicants get the Letter of Award, Letter of Acceptance and General Info Package by e-mail. AMPEU doesn't provide status updates during the review period. Checking in repeatedly in May won't speed anything up.

The Croatian host institution's acceptance is the final step — if they decline, the scholarship doesn't proceed for that cycle, and the call says appeals against the selection decision are not accepted. AMPEU doesn't publish an official fallback for this scenario. Having a Letter of Invitation from your host before applying significantly reduces this risk.

It depends on your scholarship type. A1, A2, B, C1 and F are delivered in Croatian, and full-degree scholarships only cover programmes taught in Croatian (holders with weak Croatian get a preparatory language year first). Type F requires at least B1 Croatian. Research types C2, D and E can run in English or Croatian, as stated in your Letter of Invitation.

Applications to AMPEU can be submitted in English or Croatian, so you don't need Croatian just to apply.

AMPEU doesn't mandate a specific test like IELTS or TOEFL by name. For most types you need proof of proficiency in English or Croatian, matching the working language of your programme or research — this can be a university language certificate, a recognised standardised test result, or documentation from your home institution. For type F, B1 Croatian proficiency is required.

Only public Croatian higher education institutions and research institutes. The main options:

• University of Zagreb (largest; home to the Croaticum language centre)
• University of Rijeka (hosts the Rijeka School of Croatian Studies)
• University of Split
• University of Osijek
• University of Dubrovnik

Private institutions are explicitly excluded.

No. Private Croatian institutions are explicitly excluded. Applications referencing a private institution as the host will not be accepted.

Type F is a two-week seminar of Croatian language, literature and culture held each August in Dubrovnik, organised by the Zagreb School of Slavic Studies (in 2026 it ran from 16 to 29 August). It covers tuition, accommodation, meals and a cultural programme — no monthly stipend is paid. It's available to Pool 2 language students of any nationality and to Pool 1 applicants from countries offered type F, who get priority. Lecturers teaching Croatian abroad can also apply. You need at least B1 Croatian, places are limited, and there's no age limit for this type.

It's the most accessible entry point to this scholarship for international language students: free, short, and in one of Croatia's most famous cities.

CEEPUS (Central European Exchange Program for University Studies) is a separate multilateral mobility programme covering Central and Eastern European countries, including Croatia. Its grant rates depend on the type and length of the mobility, and AMPEU points to the CEEPUS website for the current Croatian rates.

CEEPUS has different eligibility criteria and is available to a broader range of Central European countries. Whether it's “better” depends on your situation: it can be less bureaucratic and may suit short research visits. The Croatian Government Scholarship offers more scholarship types, including full degrees for some applicants. You can't hold both for the same stay: the call allows only one scholarship funded from the Croatian state budget (CEEPUS included) for a mobility.