How to Apply for the Croatian Government Scholarship 2027/28

Key dates for the 2027/2028 cycle

AMPEU has not yet published the 2027/2028 call. The last call (2026/2027) was published on 20 February 2026 and closed on 10 April 2026, and AMPEU says calls are usually open during March and April. Based on that, expect:

• Call published: around February 2027 (expected)
• Deadline for applications and nomination letters: around 10 April 2027 (expected; confirm on the official site)
• Summer seminar (F) results: May 2027, from the Zagreb School of Slavic Studies
• Results for all other types: June and/or July 2027
• Mobility period: October 2027 to September 2028, with July and August excluded

Pool 1 — step by step

1. 1
   Find your home country's nominating authority

   Before you open the AMPEU portal, find out who handles Croatian scholarship nominations in your country. This is usually your ministry of education, national higher education agency or a designated scholarship office (the eligibility page lists them). Contact them directly — they'll tell you their internal timeline and any pre-selection criteria, and which scholarship types your country is offered.

   Why this matters: your nominating authority may have an earlier internal deadline than AMPEU's (which fell on 10 April in 2026; the 2027 date is expected around the same time). Some may close their nominations in February or March. If you miss their deadline, you miss the scholarship.

2. 2
   Your national body pre-selects candidates

   The nominating authority reviews applicants internally. They may have their own criteria — academic performance, language skills, research fit. You may need to interview, submit documents to them, or compete against other applicants from your country for a limited number of places. This is not administered by AMPEU, and the candidates they rank take priority.

3. 3
   Line up your Croatian host institution

   For A2, B, C1, C2, D and E you need a Letter of Invitation from a public Croatian host institution, so contact the faculty or professor early. For full degrees (B, C1) you also need a provisional enrolment certificate, and you register separately on the Postani student! central application system — admission and the scholarship are two parallel procedures.

4. 4
   Complete the AMPEU online application

   Fill in the application form in the AMPEU online application system. Documents must be in English or Croatian. The system collects your personal details, the scholarship type requested, your preferred mobility period and your document uploads. A PDF copy of the completed form downloads automatically — if you don't get it, your application did not go through. If you submit more than once, only the last application before the deadline counts.

5. 5
   Upload all required documents

   Typically: passport/ID copy, CV (Europass preferred), Letter of Interest or work plan, proof of enrolment, transcripts from the last 2 semesters, recommendation letters, Letter of Invitation and language proficiency proof — the exact list depends on the type. See the Documents page for the full breakdown.

6. 6
   Your nominating authority sends the Nomination Letter to AMPEU

   The Nomination Letter is sent by your home country's nominating institution to AMPEU — directly, institution-to-institution, by e-mail (preferred) or post to bilaterala@ampeu.hr. You do not submit it. You do not upload it. If you've been asked to submit your own Nomination Letter, something is confused in the process.

   AMPEU must receive this letter by the same deadline as your application (10 April in 2026; expected around 10 April 2027). Confirm with your nominating authority well in advance that they know the submission process.

7. 7
   AMPEU and the Ministry review; the host institution decides

   AMPEU and the Ministry check the application formally and assess your academic profile, proposal and motivation. The Croatian host institution (university or research institute) makes the final decision on whether to accept you. For research types (C2, D, E), this is where having a pre-confirmed host professor is critical.

8. Wait for June/July results

   Results are announced in June or July — 2–3 months after the April deadline. Successful applicants receive an information package by e-mail with the Letter of Award, the Letter of Acceptance, the General Info Package and a link for the Final Report. Contacting AMPEU in May asking about your application status won't speed anything up.

Pool 2 — step by step

Pool 2 is simpler — no government nomination is required, because your professor's Recommendation Letter counts as your nomination. But you still need to move early, because that letter takes time.

1. 1
   Contact your Croatian language or Slavic Studies professor

   The professor who currently teaches you Croatian at your home institution needs to agree to write a Recommendation Letter for the scholarship (for A1 it must be co-signed by the Head of Department). Don't wait until March to ask — professors have their own timelines. Approach them in January or February.

2. 2
   Confirm the letter arrangement

   Unlike Pool 1's Nomination Letter, the Pool 2 Recommendation Letter is uploaded by you in the AMPEU application system; neither you nor the professor sends anything separately by e-mail or post. Confirm with your professor how they'll get the letter to you, for example as a PDF.

3. 3
   Complete the AMPEU online application

   Go to ampeu.hr/scholarship_application and fill out the online form. Select A1 or F as your scholarship type. For A1, choose the winter semester (October–February, 5 months) or summer semester (March–June, 4 months), and Croaticum at the University of Zagreb (more intensive, usually 14 ECTS) or the Rijeka School of Croatian Studies (lighter, usually 4 ECTS). Documents in English or Croatian.

4. 4
   Upload your documents

   Pool 2 needs: passport/ID, CV, Letter of Interest, proof of enrolment, your transcript (for A1) or B1 Croatian proof (for F), and the Recommendation Letter from your professor. See the Documents page for details.

5. Wait for results

   Same timeline as Pool 1 for A1: results in June/July, with the academic year starting in October. Summer seminar (F) applicants hear first from the Zagreb School of Slavic Studies in May.

Research types (C2, D, E) — the extra step

You need a Croatian host professor before applying

For types C2 (partial PhD/research), D (postdoctoral research) and E (short postdoctoral visit), the application requires a Letter of Invitation from the Croatian host institution or professor. This is not something AMPEU arranges for you.

You need to independently contact Croatian academics at public universities and research institutes whose research overlaps with yours. This means identifying relevant professors, emailing them directly, explaining your research, and asking if they'll host you. Expect to contact 10–20 people before getting a positive response. You should be fluent in English or Croatian for a research visit.

What happens after the deadline

1. 1
   ~10 April 2027 (expected)

   Deadline closes

   AMPEU stops accepting applications. Nomination letters from partner countries must also be received by this date.

2. 2
   April–June 2027

   AMPEU processes applications

   Applications are checked and assessed, and Croatian host institutions decide on candidates. AMPEU may ask for extra documents but doesn't publish status updates during this period.

3. 3
   June/July 2027

   Results announced

   Successful applicants receive the Letter of Award, Letter of Acceptance and General Info Package by e-mail, with host institution, housing and enrolment instructions. There is no appeal against the selection decision. Return the signed Letter of Acceptance at least one month before your mobility starts.

4. October 2027

   Academic year begins

   The scholarship officially starts (in the last cycle, mobilities could begin from 28 September). Stipend payments begin for October; July and August are excluded. Arrange your visa if needed, a residence permit for stays over 90 days, and a criminal record certificate from home if you're a non-EEA national.