The Two-Process Overview
Getting the SI scholarship requires completing two entirely separate applications with two different systems. Many applicants don't realize this until it's too late.
Dates on this page are expected, not yet confirmed. Official 2027/2028 (Feb 2027) dates have not been published by the Swedish Institute. The dates shown follow the program's established recurring pattern and are for planning only — confirm the exact figures on the official SI website once announced.
Apply to Master's Programs
universityadmissions.se
You apply for admission to one or more Swedish master's programs. This is handled through Sweden's national admissions portal, not SI.
Deadline: ~January 15 (expected)
Apply for the SI Scholarship
si.se
You apply for scholarship funding through SI's own portal. This happens after your university application, with a separate set of documents and questions.
Window: ~February 9–25 (expected, TBC)
These are not the same thing
Applying to a university does not apply you for the scholarship. Applying for the scholarship does not enroll you in a program. You must do both. If you only complete one, you'll have either a program without funding or a scholarship application attached to no admitted program.
Apply for Master's Programs
This is where you choose which Swedish master's programs you want to study and formally apply for admission.
Create an account on universityadmissions.se
You'll need this account throughout the process. Use an email address you check regularly.
Check SI's eligible programs list
You can only apply for the SI scholarship if your program is on SI's approved list. This list is published at si.se each November. Applying to programs not on the list means your scholarship application will be ineligible.
Apply to up to 4 programs and rank them
You can apply to up to 4 programs in one application cycle. Rank them 1 to 4, with your top choice as number 1. Changing your ranking after submission may delay your admission notification.
Pay the application fee (~SEK 900)
The fee covers multiple programs in one cycle — you don't pay per program. There is no refund if you're not admitted.
Upload your academic documents
universityadmissions.se has its own document requirements (transcripts, degree certificates, English test scores). Upload these directly to the University Admissions portal — they are separate from your SI scholarship documents.
SSE and Konstfack applicants
If you apply to Stockholm School of Economics (SSE) or Konstfack, those schools use their own application systems. When SI asks for your University Admissions application number, enter eight zeros: 00000000
Between the Deadlines (January–February)
After submitting your university application and before the SI portal opens, you have roughly 3–4 weeks. Use them.
Download SI's document templates
They're released each November at si.se. If you're applying in January–February, the current year's templates should already be available.
Contact your referees immediately
Give them the template, explain the stamp requirement, and set a hard deadline for yourself of at least one week before the SI portal closes.
Prepare your work experience and leadership forms
Get them signed and stamped. Combine them into a single PDF in reverse chronological order.
Draft your motivation statement
Write both answers in a plain text editor. Count characters carefully — 1,000 max for question 1, 800 max for question 2, spaces included.
Confirm your passport is valid
It must be valid through your study period. If it expires soon, renew it before the SI portal opens.
Apply for the SI Scholarship
The SI portal is only open for about 16 days. The link appears on si.se in early February. Do not wait until the final day.
Log in or create an account on si.se
Create your account before the portal opens — don't try to create it for the first time on the last day.
Enter your University Admissions application number
This is the number you received after applying to universityadmissions.se. Double-check it — entering the wrong number is a common error that delays or invalidates your application. SSE/Konstfack applicants use 00000000.
Upload all required documents
CV, combined work experience and leadership forms, both reference letters, and passport copy — all as PDFs. See the Documents Required guide for every rule.
Complete the motivation statement in the portal
Paste your pre-written plain text answers into the portal. Do not try to write them from scratch in the browser.
Submit before the closing deadline (expected ~late February, 14:59 CET)
Technical problems near the deadline will not result in extensions. You cannot edit your application after submitting. Review everything carefully before you click submit.
One application, all programs
You submit one SI application. It applies to whichever eligible program you're admitted to. You don't need to submit a separate SI application per program.
After You Submit (February–April)
SI screens all submitted applications for formal eligibility. Applications with disqualifying errors (wrong templates, missing stamps, expired passport) are filtered out here.
University Admissions announces which programs you've been accepted to. If you're not admitted to any eligible program, your SI application ends here — even if your documents were perfect.
SI evaluates only those applicants who were admitted to an eligible program. This is when your CV, work experience, reference letters, and motivation statement are assessed for leadership and contribution potential.
SI notifies scholarship recipients by email. Keep your inbox active and check your spam folder. You don't need to tell SI which program you were admitted to — they have that information.
If You're on the Reserve List
Some applicants receive a reserve list notification in late April or May. This means you were not selected in the first round, but you may be offered a scholarship if a selected candidate declines.
If You Don't Get It
Many current SI scholars applied two or three times before winning. A rejected application isn't the end of the process — it's information.
What SI doesn't provide
SI does not give individual feedback on unsuccessful applications. You won't know which part of your application cost you the scholarship.
What to examine yourself
- • Work experience documentation and hour count
- • Leadership narrative coherence
- • Motivation statement specificity
- • Quality and specificity of reference letters
The next application window opens in October. Use the gap year to build your profile: take on additional leadership roles, deepen field experience, and sharpen the story you're telling about your work and goals.
Common Application Errors
Most of these are avoidable with proper preparation. Most of them also can't be fixed after the submission deadline.
Uploading wrong-year SI templates
Always download fresh templates from si.se. Even one-year-old templates are rejected.
Uploading work experience forms as separate files
All work experience and leadership forms must be merged into one PDF before uploading.
Submitting reference letters without stamps
Referees often don't realize a stamp is required. Confirm this with them explicitly.
Entering the wrong University Admissions application number
Find your number in your universityadmissions.se account before opening the SI portal, and enter it exactly.
Motivation statement exceeding character limits
Count characters in a plain text editor before pasting. The portal will block submission if you exceed the limit.
Applying to programs not on SI's eligible list
Check the eligible programs list at si.se before submitting your university application.
Missing or expired passport copy
Check your passport's expiry date well in advance. A scan of an expired document is not accepted.