SI Scholarship FAQ 2027/28

Yes. The scholarship only requires that you hold citizenship in one of the 34 eligible countries; SI states you do not need to reside there when you apply. The only location restriction is if you've lived in Sweden for 2 or more cumulative years before the scholarship period starts — and that's Sweden specifically, not your home country.

It depends. If both citizenships are eligible, you can apply — just pick one citizenship to apply with. If one of your citizenships is EU/EEA, Swedish, or from a country not on the OECD DAC list of ODA recipients (for example the UK or USA), you're not eligible. Exceptions: Moldovans who also hold Romanian citizenship may apply as Moldovans. Also: if you submit multiple applications using different citizenships, SI disqualifies all of them.

No. Internships are excluded, regardless of duration or whether they were paid. Full-time and part-time employment, freelancing, and self-employment count.

No, but it can count as leadership experience — documented in the leadership part of the form. If you led a volunteer team, ran a community project, or held a leadership position in a civil society organisation, that belongs in the leadership section.

No. SI has no minimum or maximum age requirement for SISGP.

No. The scholarship only covers full-time, one- or two-year master's programmes on SI's eligible list. Exchange programmes, short courses, and PhD programmes are not eligible.

No. If you have previously been awarded a Swedish Institute scholarship for studies in Sweden, you're not eligible.

Yes, if your country appears on the current year's eligible country list, you can apply. Check si.se each year — the list can change.

No. Current enrolment at a Swedish university disqualifies you, including if you want funding for your second year. You also cannot already hold a Swedish degree.

The threshold doesn't change based on cultural context. The only exception is the Eastern European group (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine), which only needs documented experience. For all other countries, the 3,000-hour minimum applies without exceptions — SI says it makes no exceptions for missing proof.

Not for SI itself. SI sets no language or GPA requirement on master's level; those are assessed by the universities and University Admissions.

No. SI issues new templates for each cycle (the 2026/27 versions were labelled "2026/2027"). Using an old template leads to disqualification. Download the current templates from si.se when they're published, expected mid-November 2026.

No. A CV in any other format, including Europass, is disqualified. You must use SI's own CV template, maximum three pages.

No. The maximum is 3 work experience forms (from a maximum of 3 employers) and 2 leadership forms. If you've worked at more than 3 places, pick the 3 most relevant and most hour-rich.

SI requires official stamps on experience forms and reference letters. SI accepts the stamp of a notary office, and its FAQ says you can explore a digital signature or stamp if a traditional stamp isn't possible. Letterhead with a signature is not mentioned by SI — contact SI's helpdesk if you're uncertain rather than assuming.

You must complete your application in English. Documents in other languages need a translation by a notarised translator with the notary office's stamp — self-translation is not accepted. Upload the original and translation together as one PDF.

Log into your account at universityadmissions.se after you've submitted your programme applications — it's a seven- or eight-digit number. Entering the wrong number gets your SI application disqualified. SSE and Konstfack applicants don't receive one; SI's FAQ says to enter zeros (00000000) instead.

You can change rankings until the application deadline (15 January 2027), and ranking affects your admission results. For SI, what matters is being admitted to an eligible programme on results day (1 April 2027) and not changing your admission results afterwards.

No. SI considers only the requested documents. Additional pages beyond the template maximums are disregarded.

Assume not. SI's call describes no way to change a submitted application, and it accepts nothing after the deadline. Review everything carefully before hitting submit.

Yes, up to 4 through University Admissions, and your one SI application can include up to four eligible programmes. You can only be awarded the scholarship for the programme you're admitted to on the first admissions day.

Very. For 2026/27, SI received 12,922 applications across its two master's scholarships (up more than 50% on the year before) and awarded 232: 189 Global Professionals and 43 Pioneering Women in STEM — roughly 1.8% overall (SI).

No. SI does not provide individual feedback, and applicants who are not offered a scholarship are not notified individually — if you're not on the published list, you weren't selected.

No interview stage, unlike Chevening or Rhodes. Selection is based on your submitted application, although SI says applicants might be randomly selected to record a short video presentation, and it may contact your referees.

Not directly with SI. But grades matter for getting admitted to your chosen master's programme, which is a prerequisite. At the SI level, what matters more is the quality of your leadership experience, the coherence of your professional story, and how specific and credible your post-graduation plans are.

No quotas exist, but SI aims to include as many eligible countries as possible when quality allows, alongside gender balance. This doesn't disadvantage large-country applicants — it means exceptional candidates from any country can succeed.

Experience leading colleagues or organisations, a mandate to influence your organisation's development strategy, allocating tasks to colleagues, and/or familiarity with decision-making. It can come from employment or civil society involvement. No formal "manager" title is required, but evidence of real impact is, and leadership from employment is prioritised.

Yes. Scholars do decline, and reserve-list candidates receive offers by email during May and June. There's no public ranking. If no email arrives, you haven't received a scholarship that year.

Yes. There's no limit on how many times you can apply, as long as you've never received an SI scholarship. SI invites unsuccessful applicants to re-apply in the next round.

There's no binding contractual obligation to return in SI's publicly stated terms. However, the scholarship is explicitly designed for professionals who will contribute to their home country's development — and your application must demonstrate this intent. Sweden also offers a job-seeker permit after graduation.

The SEK 12,000 monthly allowance runs through the study period, which starts in August. The travel grant (SEK 15,000, or SEK 10,000 for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine) is a one-time payment and isn't paid to students already living in Sweden.

SI's FAQ says deferral can only be granted once you have started your studies. There is no pre-start deferral, and SI doesn't allow extensions or changes to the scholarship period or programme.

Yes, as family members with their own residence permits, but the scholarship does not cover them. For 2026 applications the Migration Agency requires an extra SEK 4,440/month for a spouse or partner and SEK 2,664/month per child. The 2027 amounts are not yet published.

After accepting your scholarship, apply through Migrationsverket. Your SI scholarship letter serves as proof of financial support, and SI scholars are exempt from the SEK 1,500 application fee. Migrationsverket says 75% of recent cases were decided within 3 months, so apply as soon as you have your offer. See the Visa Guide.

The SI Network for Global Professionals is SI's scholar community; you're automatically included during your studies. It offers a self-leadership programme, online career sessions, a kick-off and a diploma ceremony. After graduation you join the alumni network for life.

No. SI's FAQ states its scholarships do not include insurance and recommends asking your university what cover it provides for international students (SI FAQ). Many universities arrange emergency cover through Kammarkollegiet, but check yours.

Contact SI immediately. Terms around cancellation and withdrawal are in your scholarship agreement. Don't assume anything — communicate with SI directly.

It depends on the city. In Stockholm, you'll be at or near the edge — rent alone can be SEK 5,000–7,500. In Gothenburg, Malmö, Uppsala, or Lund it's more comfortable. It is designed for student living, not saving.

Genuinely challenging, especially in Stockholm. Public housing queues are years long and university housing for international students is limited. Many scholars end up in the private market, which requires a deposit the scholarship doesn't cover. Start the moment you accept the scholarship.

No. All SISGP-eligible programmes are taught in English, and most Swedes speak English fluently. Learning some Swedish helps socially; Swedish for Immigrants (SFI) is free for registered residents.

Yes — a Swedish study residence permit lets you work without a separate work permit. But the scholarship is meant to fund full-time study; part-time work shouldn't be your Plan A for covering costs.