Who Can Apply for the SI Scholarship 2027/28

The eligibility rules are clear — but several catch people off guard. They are summarised from SI's 2026/27 call; the 2027/28 call is expected in mid-November 2026, so re-check the official SI page when it appears.

Basic Eligibility Requirements

Five core requirements. If any one of these doesn't apply to you, the scholarship isn't open to you.

1. 1
   Citizenship in one of 34 eligible countries

   This is about citizenship, not where you currently live.

2. 2
   Admission to an SI-eligible master's programme

   You must be liable to pay tuition fees, have followed the University Admissions steps and paid the application fee on time, and be admitted (or conditionally admitted) on the day of admissions results.

3. 3
   Work experience

   3,000 hours from a maximum of three employers for most countries; any documented experience for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. Internships do not count.

4. 4
   Leadership experience

   Demonstrated from a current or previous employer, or from civil society engagement. No minimum hours, but leadership from employment is prioritised.

5. 5
   No prior Swedish study, long Sweden residence or SI scholarship

   You must not be enrolled at or hold a degree from a Swedish university, must not have lived in Sweden for two years or more in total before the scholarship period, and must not have held an SI scholarship before.

The eligible countries

Work experience in short

Only employment, freelancing, and self-employment count — full-time or part-time. Internships are explicitly excluded. See the work experience guide for the full breakdown.

Who Is Automatically Disqualified

Check this list before spending time on an application. Any single item below means you are not eligible.

• You hold EU, EEA, or Swedish citizenship — even if you also hold citizenship from an eligible country (see the exceptions below).
• You hold a Swedish permanent residence permit, or a temporary work and residence permit based on work or on family ties with a Swedish/EU/EEA citizen living in Sweden.
• You have already received an SI scholarship for studies in Sweden. This is a one-time opportunity.
• You are currently enrolled at a Swedish university, or you already have a Swedish degree.
• You have lived in Sweden for 2 or more years cumulatively before the scholarship period starts.
• You hold dual citizenship where one country is not on the OECD DAC list of ODA recipients (i.e., a developed country).
• Your only work experience is from internships. Internships do not count toward the 3,000-hour requirement.
• Your work experience documents use someone else's template or a previous year's SI template.
• Your 3,000 hours need more than 3 employers to add up.
• You are only on the university reserve list or waiting list (not admitted) on admissions results day.

The Dual Citizenship Question

This causes more confusion than almost any other eligibility issue. Here's how it actually works.

The reference list is the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) list of ODA recipients. If your second citizenship is from a country on that list, you're likely fine. If it's not, you're not eligible regardless of your other citizenship.

Residency — Where You Live Doesn't Matter

A lot of people assume they need to be living in their home country to apply. They don't. The only residency restriction is that you must not have lived in Sweden for 2 or more cumulative years before the scholarship period begins. That's it.

• You're a Nigerian citizen living in the UK for work. You can apply.
• You're a Brazilian citizen currently working in Canada. You can apply.
• You're a Vietnamese citizen living in Thailand. You can apply.
• You've lived in Sweden for 2+ cumulative years, regardless of your citizenship. You cannot apply.

• Internships — explicitly excluded, even paid ones.
• Volunteer work — doesn't count toward hours (it can count as leadership).
• University research assistantships — this guide treats them as academic rather than professional work.
• Must be documented with SI's official template, signed and stamped by each employer or a notary office.
• Eastern European countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine) — any documented work experience qualifies.

Field and Programme Eligibility

Your intended master's programme must appear on SI's published list of eligible programmes. This list is released each November — for 2027/28, expected in mid-November 2026.

The 2026/27 list contained roughly 400 English-taught programmes across Swedish universities. If the specific programme you want isn't on SI's list, your application won't qualify — even if everything else is perfect. Check the current list before you apply.

Age Requirement

No limit. There is no age requirement for this scholarship. Applicants of any age can apply, as long as all other eligibility conditions are met. SI also sets no GPA or language requirement of its own — those are handled by the universities.

Previous Scholarship Holders

If you have previously been awarded a Swedish Institute scholarship for studies in Sweden — not just SISGP — you cannot apply again. This is a one-time opportunity per person, no exceptions.

What If You're on a University Waitlist?

This is a common source of confusion. Here's exactly how it works:

• If you are only on the reserve list for a programme (not admitted), you do not qualify for the scholarship for that specific programme.
• If you are admitted or conditionally admitted to a different eligible programme on results day, you may still qualify for the scholarship under that programme.
• This is why applying to several eligible programmes (up to 4 through University Admissions) increases your options. More admitted programmes means more chances at scholarship eligibility.

Quick Self-Check

Go through this before you start your application. All items should be ticked.