Swiss Excellence 2027/28 Planning Checklist
One tracker for the 2027–28 file: cutoffs, documents, GO ESKAS steps, supervisor search and a September arrival list. A planning tool, not an official SBFI decision.
ScholarshipUnion Editorial
2 min read
Updated Oct 6, 2026
Opened 20 August 2026. Start 1 September 2027. Decisions by the end of May 2027. Country windows differ and close between 6 October and 30 November 2026 (India 10 November, Pakistan 31 October, Nigeria 27 November). Postdocs are discontinued for 2027/28. Confirm every cutoff on SBFI.
Documents, GO ESKAS steps, supervisor search and post-selection, all in one count.
1. Eligibility checks
Yes means you pass that published cutoff. Full notes: eligibility page.
1. Will your Master's (or, for art, your Bachelor's) be completed by 31 July 2027 (30 June 2027 if your host is ETH Zurich)?
2. Were you born after 31 December 1991?
3. Research or PhD: will a Swiss supervisor write you a letter of support? (Art Master's applicants who are not doing research can answer Yes.)
4. Will you have spent 13 months or less in Switzerland before 1 September 2027?
5. Have you never received this FCS/ESKAS scholarship before?
6. Is this your first, second or third attempt for this type (not a fourth)?
7. Are you applying for a research stay, a PhD or an Art Master's — not a postdoc?
Next: your country type and window on SBFI, then the GO ESKAS file.
One or more published exclusions may apply. Postdocs are discontinued for 2027/28.
2. Documents
Download current FCS forms inside GO ESKAS. Detail: documents page.
3. GO ESKAS steps
Detail: how to apply.
4. Supervisor-search readiness
Research and PhD files need a letter of support. Detail: find a supervisor.
5. Post-selection
A May award is not a permit. Detail: after selection.
6. Funding estimate
CHF 2,450 × months. Detail: funding page.
- Research stay: 6–12 months. No extension.
- Art Master's: 12–21 months depending on the programme and ECTS.
- PhD: up to 36 months if first-year progress is acceptable.
The official published rate is CHF 2,450/month living costs for one person. Not a salary. Not tuition. Zurich and Geneva cost more. This calculator does not add unpublished allowances.