VLIR-UOS Scholarships 2027–28: The Complete Guide
Fully funded ICP Connect degrees at Flemish universities for students from VLIR-UOS scholarship countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The 2027–28 call is expected to open in mid-November 2026.
ScholarshipUnion Editorial
6 min read
Updated Oct 6, 2026
What VLIR-UOS Is
VLIR-UOS (Flemish Interuniversity Council – University Development Cooperation) is the body through which Flemish universities and university colleges work with partners in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Its money comes from Belgian development cooperation, and every year it funds full scholarships for ICP Connect programmes: English-taught professional bachelor's, master's and advanced master's degrees at Flemish institutions.
The rules are simple to state and easy to trip over. One application per year, for one programme. You must hold the nationality of a VLIR-UOS scholarship country and live in one of those countries when you apply. You must never have received a Belgian government study scholarship or enrolled at a Belgian higher education institution before 1 January of the intake year. And you cannot hold another scholarship at the same time.
The 2026–27 call is closed. VLIR-UOS says the 2027–28 call is expected to open in mid-November 2026, and the programme list and each programme's deadline will be published then. In the last cycle, deadlines ran from 30 November 2025 (TROPIMUNDO) to 28 February 2026, with most programmes closing on 1 February 2026. Treat those as history, not as 2027 dates. Results come by mid-May and programmes start in September 2027.
Two other changes are coming with VLIR-UOS's new five-year programme (2027–2031). Its call to programmes, updated 19 May 2026, lists 25 scholarship countries instead of 29: Cambodia, Haiti, Mali and Nicaragua are no longer on it. And that call was open only to the 15 programmes whose current phase ends in 2027: at most six of them can continue, each with six (or seven) scholarships a year. So the 2027–28 programme list is likely to be shorter than the 20 programmes of 2026–27. Check the official list when the call opens.
Two Types of VLIR-UOS Scholarships
Country lists →These are different programmes. Getting them confused is the most common mistake people make with this scholarship.
What most people mean when they search for “VLIR-UOS scholarship”: a full degree — professional bachelor's, master's or advanced master's — at a Flemish university or university college, funded for the whole programme (12, 24 or 36 months).
- Countries: 29 in 2026–27; 25 announced for the 2027–31 programme
- Covers: a €1,400 monthly allowance that also pays tuition, insurance and housing, plus an economy return flight
- Programmes: 20 in 2026–27, across 5 Flemish universities and 2 university colleges
- Apply: through the host institution's own application portal, ticking the scholarship option
International Training Programmes are short, practice-oriented courses for working professionals — not degrees. VLIR-UOS funds ITP projects run by Flemish institutions, and each course edition carries its own scholarships.
- Duration: 7 days to 6 months per training module
- Where: in Belgium, in a partner country, or hybrid/online
- Allowance in Belgium: €100 a day for 7–14 days, €1,500 a month for longer stays
- Who: ITP scholarships follow the same scholarship country list as ICP Connect (the 2024 ITP call: nationals and residents of the 29 scholarship countries), with rare exceptions for staff of partner organisations; each course runs its own timeline and application
Why the distinction matters
Many people in countries such as Nigeria, India and Ghana find the scholarship through search results and start an application, only to discover their country is not on the list. ICP Connect is the degree scholarship. ITP is short professional training. They have different durations, benefits and application routes, but ITP scholarships are also limited to the VLIR-UOS scholarship countries.
The Rules That Catch People Out
All rules →Read these before you do anything else. Each one disqualifies a meaningful number of applicants every cycle.
- 1One application per year
Apply for more than one ICP Connect scholarship in the same year and you are excluded — every application, not just the extras. Choose one programme and apply to that one only.
- 2You must live in an eligible country now
You cannot apply from abroad. If you are studying or working outside the eligible countries when you apply, you are not eligible — even with an eligible passport.
- 3No earlier Belgian study or Belgian scholarship
You must not have enrolled in a study programme at a Belgian higher education institution before 1 January of the intake year, nor received a Belgian government scholarship for a study programme.
- 4No other scholarship at the same time
You cannot receive any other scholarship or grant for this or another programme alongside VLIR-UOS. Doing so leads to exclusion.
Is This the Right Scholarship for You?
Four common profiles, and an honest answer for each.
You work in government, an NGO, a university or a research institution in an eligible country, and you want a master's whose content tackles a development challenge you face at work. You are 35 or under on 1 January of the intake year (45 or under for an advanced master's). The scholarship was designed for your profile.
You hold a bachelor's degree, you live in an eligible country, and you want to move into a development-related field. If you can make a compelling case for how the programme will serve your home country, you are eligible — though experienced professionals get preference.
Your country is not on the VLIR-UOS scholarship country list, and ITP training scholarships use the same list, so VLIR-UOS is not a realistic route for you. For degree funding, look at other Belgian routes or other scholarship programmes.
If you are studying or living outside the eligible countries, you cannot apply right now. Residence in an eligible country at the time of application is required; citizenship alone is not enough. Apply once you are back.
Quick Facts
The essential numbers and rules at a glance.
| Funder | VLIR-UOS, with Belgian development cooperation funding |
| Main scholarship type | ICP Connect (degree scholarship) |
| 2027–28 call | Expected to open mid-November 2026; each programme sets its own deadline (not yet published) |
| Last cycle's deadlines | 30 November 2025 (TROPIMUNDO) to 28 February 2026; most on 1 February 2026 |
| Results | By email, no later than mid-May |
| Programme start | September (September 2027 for this cycle) |
| Programmes | 20 in 2026–27; the 2027–28 list may be shorter |
| Scholarships awarded | Set per programme; from 2027, 6–7 a year per programme continuing in the new phase |
| Eligible countries | 29 in 2026–27; 25 announced for 2027–2031 |
| Monthly allowance | €1,400, covering living costs, tuition, insurance and housing |
| Prior Belgian study or scholarship | Not permitted |
| Multiple applications | Not permitted (one per year) |
| Concurrent scholarships | Not permitted |
| Language of instruction | English (no Dutch required) |
| Age limit (bachelor's and initial master's) | 35 on 1 January of the intake year; bachelor's applicants at least 19 |
| Age limit (advanced master's) | 45 on 1 January of the intake year |
What’s in These 10 Pages
The complete guide, section by section.
The ICP Connect country list, the 2027 changes, and why ITP training is no way around it.
All 20 programmes with hosts, durations, last cycle's deadlines and who each one suits.
Age limits, nationality and residence, prior study, other scholarships — all of them.
What the €1,400 allowance covers, the flight, visa costs, and what you pay yourself.
Choosing a programme, where to apply, documents and the full timeline.
What committees read for and how to write the development-impact case.
The university ranking, the VLIR-UOS screening, balance criteria and the waiting list.
Cities, visa, housing, transport, Dutch and your first month.
Straight answers to the questions applicants ask most.