Swedish Institute Scholarships 2027–2028 Process Started Online: Are You Eligible?
The Swedish Institute Scholarship for Global Professionals 2027–2028 will open in February 2027, but your application journey starts now. Sweden’s master’s admissions round is already open, and you must apply for a suitable degree before submitting your separate scholarship application.
This fully funded opportunity supports professionals from 34 eligible countries pursuing one- or two-year master’s degrees in governance, public health, entrepreneurship and innovation, or STEM. It combines academic study with professional networks and a focus on sustainable development in your home country.
Do you need an acceptance letter first? Which documents should you start arranging before SI releases its new forms? This guide takes you from those questions to a practical preparation and submission plan.
Build your SI application before the portal opens
01 Who should PREPARE for the SI Scholarship 2027–2028?
Start with citizenship, fee status and professional experience: academic admission alone will not make you eligible.
- Work experience: Applicants from these six countries—Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine—need documented experience without a minimum-hour threshold. Applicants from the other 28 countries need at least 3,000 hours before 8 February 2027, accumulated across no more than three employers.
- Leadership: You must also demonstrate leadership through employment, entrepreneurship or civil society. There is no minimum leadership-hour requirement; explain a real responsibility, decision or initiative you can substantiate.
- Additional exclusions: Public-sector employees in Belarus and Georgia cannot apply. SI also excludes anyone currently enrolled at, or holding a degree from, a Swedish university, previous recipients of an SI scholarship for study in Sweden, and generally those with at least two years’ cumulative residence in Sweden before the scholarship period.
Swedish/EU/EEA citizenship, specified Swedish residence permits and some dual citizenships can also exclude applicants. SI provides exceptions for Ukrainians covered by Sweden’s Temporary Protection Directive and Moldovans with Romanian dual citizenship. Review these conditions through the official call linked in the application steps before paying admission costs.
If your citizenship falls outside this scheme, our guide to Swedish university scholarships for 2027 offers other routes to explore.
Back to your SI preparation plan
02 What does SI fund, and which Master’s should you Choose?
SI covers full tuition and provides SEK 12,000 per month for living expenses. Its one-time travel grant is SEK 15,000, reduced to SEK 10,000 for scholars from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. The travel grant is unavailable to students already living in Sweden. Scholars also join SI’s professional network and, afterward, the Sweden Alumni Network.
The package excludes insurance, additional family grants and the University Admissions application fee. Arrange insurance information with your university and budget for admission costs rather than assuming “fully funded” pays every expense.
Choose an English-taught master’s within SI’s eligible subjects. Admission normally requires a recognised bachelor’s degree equivalent to a Swedish bachelor’s, plus programme-specific prerequisites; final-year applicants must follow the university’s conditional-admission requirements. The 2027–2028 eligible-programme list is still forthcoming; a programme being available in Sweden does not automatically mean SI will fund it.
My recommendation is to shortlist by academic fit now, then finalise your choices against SI’s new list. Prioritise programmes that develop a specific skill you need for work or a credible contribution at home.
English evidence belongs to the university admission stage. Most master’s programmes require English 6/Level 2, commonly met with IELTS Academic 6.5 overall and no section below 5.5. Accepted tests and qualifying previous studies provide alternatives; an ordinary medium-of-instruction letter is not a universal waiver. SI sets no separate English-test or GPA threshold.
Back to your SI preparation plan
03 Which SI Documents can You Prepare before February 2027?
Gather evidence and contact referees now; complete mandatory SI forms when the 2027–2028 versions are released. Use this checklist to keep university admission evidence separate from your scholarship file.
| Application item | Prepare now | Final submission requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Academic records | Request degree certificates, transcripts and required translations. | Submit admission documents and English evidence under your country-of-study instructions; add programme-specific items. |
| SI CV | Select relevant roles, achievements and education. | Use SI’s 2027–2028 CV template; maximum three pages. |
| Work and leadership proof | Record dates, hours and responsibilities; identify authorized certifiers. | Use SI’s forms, obtain required signatures/stamps and merge the evidence into one PDF. |
| Two references | Contact two different referees; at least one reference must concern work. | Use SI’s reference template and authentication instructions; combine both letters into one PDF. |
| Identification | Ensure your passport or national ID will be valid when applying. | Upload a clear copy showing your name, citizenship and photograph. |
| Motivation | Note what you have done, what you need to learn and how you will apply it. | Answer SI’s motivation questions in its portal, in English; a randomly selected applicant may also need a short video. |
I would contact your certifiers before polishing your motivation. A supervisor can help validate dates and responsibilities; your own draft cannot replace their certification. For your planning notes, calculate actual eligible hours as hours per week × weeks worked per year × years, adjusting for changes in workload.
Our motivation-letter guide can help you connect experience, study plans and future contribution. Use it for organizing ideas; SI’s portal questions and limits govern the final response. SI’s listed scholarship documents do not include a standalone research proposal or professor’s acceptance letter, although individual master’s programmes may require additional material.
Back to your SI preparation plan
04 Do you need an Acceptance Letter before Applying to SI?
No university offer is required before the February scholarship submission, but you must apply for master’s admission first. SI receives admission results directly from University Admissions later. Follow this sequence:
- Verify SI eligibility and programme choices. Read the official SI Scholarship for Global Professionals call, including residence/citizenship exclusions, and use the new eligible-programme list when published.
- Submit your master’s application. Apply through University Admissions for up to four programmes. Rank your selections carefully: an offer deletes lower-ranked choices. Copy your application number exactly from your account for SI.
- Complete the admission file. Follow the document instructions and English-evidence rules. The admission application fee is SEK 900 per semester, regardless of the number of programmes; SI does not reimburse it.
- Submit one SI scholarship application. Use the portal linked from SI’s call during its application window. Include eligible programme choices and the required English-language documents. There is no SI scholarship application fee. Stockholm School of Economics and Konstfack use separate admissions routes; applicants using them should follow SI’s application-number and document guidance.
- Protect your admission result. You must be admitted or conditionally admitted to an eligible programme at the first admission announcement. A reserve/waiting-list place is insufficient. Changing your original result, such as declining the offer, can remove you from SI consideration; admission itself does not guarantee scholarship selection.
Back to your SI preparation plan
Your SI Scholarship 2027 Application Process Workflow
Follow the cards in order: university admission comes first, the SI scholarship application follows, and the two decisions arrive later.
- STEP 01 · ELIGIBILITY
Check that SI is your routeEstablish citizenship and fee-status eligibility, then document your qualifying work and leadership experience before preparing the scholarship file.
- STEP 02 · PROGRAMME FIT
Choose eligible master’s programmesShortlist academically suitable degrees now. Finalise your choices against SI’s eligible-programme list when it is published on 13 November 2026.
- STEP 03 · UNIVERSITY APPLICATION
Apply and rank your choicesSubmit up to four master’s choices through University Admissions by 15 January 2027. Save your application number for SI; follow the separate route described above if applicable.
- STEP 04 · COMPLETE ADMISSION
Send documents and pay the feeUniversity Admissions must receive your required supporting documents and SEK 900 application fee by 1 February 2027. Include the required English evidence.
- STEP 05 · SEPARATE SI APPLICATION
Submit your scholarship fileApply to SI during 8–24 February 2027 using its required forms and documents. The portal closes at 14:59 CET on the final day. You can submit while admission results are pending.
- STEP 06 · ADMISSION RESULT
Meet SI’s admission conditionOn 1 April 2027, you must be admitted or conditionally admitted to an eligible master’s programme. A waiting-list place is insufficient; protect your original admission result.
- STEP 07 · SCHOLARSHIP DECISION
Receive and accept your SI offerSI scholarship results are scheduled for 22 April 2027. If selected, accept the scholarship by the deadline stated in your individual offer.
05 SI preparation questions that can change your application
With the two submissions mapped out, resolve these evidence and admission complications before finalizing your file.
Can internships count towards the 3,000 work hours?
No. SI excludes internships from employment for this requirement. Use qualifying employment, freelancing or entrepreneurship, and provide the required proof.
Can a lecturer provide my second reference?
Yes, SI’s FAQ permits a second reference based on academic performance. At least one reference must concern work; relevant civil-society or network involvement strengthens the second reference.
What if my former employer cannot provide a traditional stamp?
SI requires authenticated evidence, and its FAQ says applicants unable to obtain a traditional reference stamp may explore a digital signature or stamp. Follow the new template’s instructions; an unsigned generic employment letter is not a substitute.
Does conditional admission rule me out?
No, conditional admission can qualify. Follow the university’s instructions to finalise it; being only on a reserve or waiting list does not meet SI’s admission requirement.
Back to your SI preparation plan
06 SI Scholarship 2027–2028 deadlines: admission comes first
The last date to apply for Swedish master’s admission for the SI Scholarship 2027–2028 route is 15 January 2027. The admission round opened on 16 October 2026. University Admissions must receive the application fee and supporting documents by 1 February 2027, under its official autumn admission calendar.
SI will publish the 2027–2028 eligible master’s list and application documents on 13 November 2026. The SI Scholarship for Global Professionals application period is 8–24 February 2027, closing at 14:59 CET (UTC+1) on the final day.
University admission results are scheduled for 1 April 2027, followed by SI scholarship results on 22 April 2027. Successful applicants must accept the scholarship by the deadline in their individual offer.
My recommendation is to finish this week with a programme shortlist, a work-hours record and two referee requests. Those steps give you something useful to build on while you wait for SI’s new forms.
