Czech Government Scholarships 2027/2028 Fully Funded

Czech Government Scholarships 2027/2028: Apply by 30 September 2026

Applications are open for the Czech Government Scholarships 2027/2028. This is a fully funded programme for students from selected developing countries who want to study a follow-up Master's or a PhD at a public university in the Czech Republic.

The Government of the Czech Republic funds the scholarship. It runs under the country's Foreign Development Cooperation programme, managed by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the Ministry of Health involved on the medical side. It is governed by Government Resolution No. 870 of 27 November 2024.

It is not a new or experimental programme. Since the late 1950s, more than 20,000 international students have finished a degree in the Czech Republic on this scholarship.

The application window runs from 21 August 2026 to 30 September 2026. Successful applicants begin their studies in the academic year 2027/2028.

Which countries are eligible in 2027/2028

This is the part most applicants get wrong, so read it carefully. The eligible country list changes from one cycle to the next. For the academic year 2027/2028, the scholarship is offered only to citizens of these thirteen countries:

Europe and Central Asia: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus (democratic forces)
Africa: Ethiopia, Gabon, Mauritania, Zambia
Asia: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Palestine
Latin America: Guatemala, Honduras

If your country is not on this list, you are not eligible for this particular call. Lists like this one do get revised, so it is worth checking the official page again next year rather than assuming it is closed forever.

Also note who cannot apply, even if they hold one of the passports above. Czech citizens, EU citizens, and anyone holding a permanent residence permit in the Czech Republic are excluded. And there is no legal claim to an award, meaning that meeting every requirement does not automatically get you a place.

What the scholarship covers

Full tuition at a Czech public higher education institution
A monthly stipend for living costs, at the rate set in the official Guidelines for the relevant year, with a higher rate for doctoral students than for Master's students
A fully funded one-year Czech language and preparatory course, for those admitted to Czech-taught programmes
Standard health service coverage under the conditions set out in the scholarship rules
An initial medical examination on arrival where urgent care is needed in the first 60 days
Scholarship documentation you can use when applying for your long-term visa or residence permit
No application fee and no participation fee

A few honest caveats. The scholarship covers the standard length of your programme and nothing beyond it, so if you repeat a year, that year is on you. Living costs come out of the monthly stipend, and Prague is not a cheap city. Study must be full-time and on campus.

Study programmes on offer

There are two separate tracks, and which one you can use depends on your nationality.

Programmes taught in Czech

Open only to applicants from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Ukraine and Belarus.

You take a one-year Czech language and preparatory course first, run by the Institute for Language and Preparatory Studies at Charles University. The course is part of the scholarship. After that, you enter a two-year follow-up Master's programme in a selected field, taught in Czech.

Programmes taught in English

Open to applicants from all eligible countries.

Selected follow-up Master's programmes, two years
Selected doctoral programmes, three to four years

Check the list of participating universities and eligible fields of study before you settle on a programme. Individual universities set their own admission requirements, and some run an entrance examination on top of the scholarship application.

Entry requirements

For a follow-up Master's, you must have completed a Bachelor's degree
For a doctoral programme, you must have completed a Master's degree
You must meet the academic and language requirements of the specific university and programme you pick
You must pass the university entrance examination where one is required
Master's applicants need a solid academic record; PhD applicants need to show genuine research potential

The tests inside the application

Your application is not complete until you finish the mandatory online tests. This catches people out, so plan for it.

Every applicant sits a general study prerequisites test. Applicants going for English-taught programmes also sit an online English language test during the submission process, which is how the programme confirms your command of English. There is no way to skip it.

One more rule that matters: you can register only once and submit only one application. Pick your programme carefully, because you do not get a second attempt in the same cycle.

Getting ready for an English entrance test? Join our English test coaching class and go in prepared.

Documents you need to prepare

Start collecting these early. Legalization and certified Czech translation take weeks, not days, and the medical certificate has a short shelf life.

For follow-up Master's applicants

Motivation letter, roughly one A4 page
CV covering your education and work experience
Copy of your passport, if you have one
Signed Declaration of Acceptance of Scholarship Terms
Signed Declaration on Health Services
Signed Affirmation to Return to the Country of Origin
Legalized birth certificate with certified Czech translation
Medical certificate issued no more than two months before submission
Legalized Bachelor's degree or diploma plus Diploma Supplement or equivalent, with the required authentication and certified Czech translation
Academic transcript listing subjects, examinations and grades, where applicable
Any additional information about your previous university education, where required

For doctoral applicants

Motivation letter, roughly two A4 pages
Academic and professional CV
Copy of your passport, if you have one
The three signed declarations listed above
Legalized birth certificate with certified Czech translation
Medical certificate issued no more than two months before submission
Legalized Master's diploma plus Diploma Supplement or equivalent, with the required authentication and translation
Academic records, where applicable
Overview of your publications
A dissertation proposal of three to five pages setting out your research focus
Two recommendation letters from professors
Any other documents showing academic or scientific achievement

Requirements can differ slightly by country and programme, so confirm your own list against the official Guidelines document before you send anything.

How to apply, step by step

Register on the official Czech Government scholarship application portal, under the relevant Foreign Development Cooperation call
Choose your scholarship type and study programme
Fill in the electronic application form, using the Roman alphabet wherever possible, in English or Czech
Enter your assigned application identification number where the form asks for it
Upload your photograph and all supporting documents
Write and upload your motivation letter, explaining clearly why this programme and why you
Complete the general study prerequisites test, and the English test if you are applying for an English-taught programme
Review everything before you submit, since you only get one applicationPrint and sign the completed application where a signature is required
Send the signed printout and your supporting documents by post, following the official submission instructions

The deadline for the electronic form is 30 September 2026. Do not leave it to the final week, because the document legalization is the slow part and it is outside your control.

Before you apply, read the official documents

The binding rules live in the Guidelines for Granting Scholarships of the Government of the Czech Republic, published in both Czech and English on the Ministry's website, alongside an FAQ document. If anything in this article and the Guidelines disagree, the Guidelines win.

Questions the Guidelines and FAQ do not answer can go to registr@dzs.cz.

Official page: Government Scholarships, Developing Countries, MŠMT

Application deadline: 30 September 2026

Found this useful? Share it with someone from an eligible country who is looking for a fully funded Master's or PhD. More scholarship openings are posted on our website every week.

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