The single most important rule
The Romanian MFA scholarship is exclusively for citizens of non-EU countries. If you hold citizenship from any EU member state, you are not eligible — regardless of where you currently live, work, or study.
The restriction is based on citizenship, not residence. A Pakistani citizen living in Germany can apply. A German citizen living in Pakistan cannot. This distinction matters because some third-party sites describe the scholarship as being for "non-European" students, which is imprecise. A citizen of a non-EU European country — Serbia, Ukraine, Albania, Georgia, for example — is eligible.
Minimum academic requirements
A minimum academic average of 7 out of 10 (or an equivalent "Good" grade in your country's grading system) from your most recently completed level of education.
For bachelor's: you must have completed secondary education (high school diploma or equivalent).
For master's: you must hold a bachelor's degree or equivalent.
For PhD: you must hold a master's degree (or equivalent), and you must have a written agreement from a doctoral tutor who is a member of your chosen Romanian doctoral school.
A valid passport must be in your possession when you apply. Applications submitted without passport copies are automatically disqualified.
Who is excluded
Beyond the basic EU citizenship rule, the programme explicitly excludes several categories of applicants. Read each one — several are not obvious and catch applicants by surprise each year.
Persons of Romanian origin
Citizens of Romanian ethnic origin (ethnic Romanians or members of "historical Romanian communities") are excluded from this programme. They are entitled to a separate, dedicated scholarship from the Romanian state. This exclusion particularly affects applicants from Moldova, Ukraine (Bucovina region), Serbia, and some other neighbouring areas. If you or your ancestors were Romanian citizens, check whether you qualify for the separate ethnic scholarship before applying here.
Persons who have sought protection in Romania
Anyone who has applied for asylum or international protection in Romania, or who holds Romanian residence as a result of protection status, is excluded.
Diplomatic and consular personnel
Members of diplomatic and consular missions accredited in Romania, and their immediate family members, are excluded. Staff of international organizations headquartered in Romania are also excluded.
Current Romanian state scholarship holders
If you are already receiving a Romanian government scholarship for the same cycle and same level of study, you cannot apply again. This prevents double-dipping within the same academic year.
Medicine, Dental Medicine, and Pharmacy
These fields are excluded at all levels — bachelor's, master's, and PhD. This is one of the most commonly overlooked restrictions. If you want to study medicine in Romania, this scholarship is not the right route. You would need to apply and pay tuition privately.
The age limit question — what's actually true
Numerous scholarship aggregator websites claim the Romanian MFA scholarship has an age cap of 35 years for bachelor's and master's applicants and 45 years for PhD applicants. This figure circulates widely and creates a lot of unnecessary anxiety — especially for career-changers and mature students.
The official scholarship FAQ explicitly states there is no age limit for this programme. The MFA has also noted that posts claiming otherwise are based on outdated information. No current official document published on the Study in Romania portal specifies any age restriction.
If you encounter a source claiming a 35 or 45 year age cap, it is repeating an old or inaccurate claim. The programme does not impose one. You should still verify this directly on the official FAQ before applying, in case this changes in a future cycle.
Language requirements
This is where several students get an unpleasant surprise after arriving in Romania. The language of instruction for bachelor's and master's programmes is Romanian — exclusively. There are no English-taught bachelor's or master's programmes under this scholarship.
The good news is that you don't need to speak Romanian to apply or to win the scholarship. If you don't already speak the language, you'll be enrolled in a free one-year preparatory Romanian language course before your degree programme starts. The preparatory year is fully covered by the scholarship: tuition, dormitory availability, and the standard stipend all apply during that year.
Romanian only. One-year preparatory course provided if needed. No English-medium option exists at these levels under this scholarship.
Romanian or another language (typically English), depending on the specific doctoral school's approved language policy. Varies by institution and programme — confirm with the doctoral school directly before applying.
You can skip the preparatory year if you hold a B1-level Romanian language certificate or if you have 4 or more years of documented prior Romanian-language education. In that case, you enter your degree programme directly.
Available study levels and duration
Quick eligibility check
Before spending time on the application, confirm each of these points: