MIS Recipient Countries: Is Your Nationality on the List?
MIS is not open to every nationality. The 2026 guidelines list three groups: ASEAN, the Commonwealth and 39 named countries and territories. Here is the full list, and how to check whether you are covered.
ScholarshipUnion Editorial
3 min read
Updated Oct 6, 2026
The list below is copied from the MIS 2026 guidelines, under “Recipient countries of MIS 2026”. MOHE reissues the list with each cycle. The 2025 and 2026 lists were the same, but check the 2027 edition when it comes out.
Group 1: ASEAN
The guidelines name nine ASEAN countries:
- Brunei Darussalam
- Cambodia
- Indonesia
- Lao PDR
- Myanmar
- Philippines
- Singapore
- Thailand
- Vietnam
Malaysia is also an ASEAN member, but Malaysian citizens cannot apply, because MIS is for international students.
Group 2: Commonwealth countries
The guidelines do not list Commonwealth countries one by one. They describe them by the regions of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA): Africa; Asia; Australia; British Islands & Mediterranean; Canada; the Caribbean, Americas & the Atlantic; India; and the Pacific. If your country is a Commonwealth member, you are covered. The Commonwealth Secretariat lists its 56 member countries.
Members include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Cameroon, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Zambia, Fiji and Papua New Guinea. Note that some Commonwealth members, such as Brunei and Singapore, also appear under ASEAN.
The guidelines use the phrase “Commonwealth countries (CPA regions …)”. We take that to mean every Commonwealth member country. If your country joined the Commonwealth recently, or you are unsure, email international@mohe.gov.my before you put time into an application.
Group 3: 39 named countries and territories
These are listed by name in the 2026 guidelines, in alphabetical order:
| Afghanistan – Iraq | Japan – Saudi Arabia | Senegal – Yemen |
|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Iraq | Senegal |
| Albania | Japan | Serbia |
| Algeria | Jordan | South Korea |
| Azerbaijan | Kazakhstan | Sudan |
| Bahrain | Kosovo | Syria |
| Brazil | Kuwait | Tajikistan |
| Chile | Kyrgyzstan | Timor-Leste |
| China | Libya | Tunisia |
| Egypt | Morocco | Türkiye |
| Georgia | Palestine | Turkmenistan |
| Hong Kong | Qatar | United Arab Emirates |
| Hungary | Russia | Uzbekistan |
| Iran | Saudi Arabia | Yemen |
The list includes non-Commonwealth countries in the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia and East Asia. It also includes Hong Kong, Kosovo and Palestine, and three European countries: Albania, Hungary and Serbia.
Not on the list?
If your country is not in ASEAN, not in the Commonwealth and not one of the 39 named, MIS 2026 did not cover you. For example, Ethiopia, Somalia, Nepal, Mongolia, Lebanon and Oman do not appear in any of the three groups. All six are, however, on the list of countries eligible for the separate MTCP scholarship, which is for Master’s study only. See Alternatives.
Some countries in the Americas and Europe that are not in the Commonwealth also do not appear, including the United States, Mexico, Germany and France. Citizens of those countries cannot apply under the 2026 rules.
Dual nationals and residents
The guidelines say you must be a citizen of a recipient country, and the first required document is a certified copy of your passport “as evidence of nationality”. Living in a recipient country is not enough on its own. If you hold two nationalities, apply with the passport of the eligible one. The guidelines do not say how dual nationals are treated beyond that, so ask MOHE if you are unsure.
Practical points
- Your passport must be valid for at least six months when you apply (MIS rule).
- If you win, the student pass needs a passport valid for 18 months or more (EMGS required documents). Renew early if yours runs out sooner.
- EMGS asks students from Libya, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen to upload every passport page for the student pass, not just the bio page.
Source for groups 1–3: MIS 2026 guidelines, page 1–2. Commonwealth membership: thecommonwealth.org.