Swedish Institute Scholarships for Global Professionals (SISGP)

What the Swedish Institute Scholarship for Global Professionals gives you

You will receive fully funded place on an English-taught master's degree in Sweden. Your tuition fees will be paid in full directly to your university. You will also receive a living allowance of SEK 12,000 per month (about 1,070 EUR) for the entire duration of your studies. In addition, there is a one-off travel allowance of 15,000 SEK (approximately 1,340 EUR). For people from certain neighbouring countries, this amount is reduced to SEK 10,000 (approximately 890 EUR) and is not paid at all if you already live in Sweden. The funding covers the standard duration of your Master’s programme, i.e. one or two years of full-time study. During your studies, you will become part of a network of scholarship holders and, afterwards, an alumni network. The programme is run by the Swedish Institute, a Swedish government agency.

Who can apply

• Nationality: You are a national of one of the countries listed in 34 in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe (such as Kenya, Vietnam, Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia and Ukraine). You no longer need to live in your country of origin.
• Degree level: You are applying for a full-time Master’s programme in Sweden which is included on the list of eligible programmes for scholarships.
• Field of study: The eligible degree programmes are primarily in the fields of governance, public health, entrepreneurship and innovation, as well as in the STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
• Tuition status: You are one of the people who have to pay tuition fees in Sweden. This usually means that you are not a citizen of the EU, the EEA or Switzerland.
• Work experience: In most countries, you must provide evidence of at least 3,000 hours of paid work with a maximum of three employers prior to February 2026. This may be full-time, part-time or self-employed work, or a role as an employer. For a small group of countries neighbouring Sweden, you only need to provide evidence of work experience; there is no minimum number of hours required.
• Leadership experience: You can demonstrate leadership qualities, whether at work or through voluntary work and civic engagement.
• No strong prior ties to Sweden: You are not currently studying at a Swedish higher education institution, do not hold a degree from a Swedish higher education institution, have not resided in Sweden for two years or more, and have not previously received a scholarship from the Swedish Institute.

How to apply

First, apply via ‘University Admissions’ for the Master’s programmes of your choice between 16 October 2025 and 15 January 2026. You should then submit your scholarship application via the Swedish Institute’s online portal during the two-week window ending on 25 February 2026 at 14:59 CET. The successful applicants will be announced on 23 April 2026.

How realistic are your chances?

This is a well-known, generous full scholarship open to nationals of 34 countries, meaning that competition is very fierce. What narrows down the pool of applicants is the requirement to demonstrate substantial professional and leadership experience, in addition to having been admitted to an eligible degree programme. As a result, the applicant pool is smaller than for open student scholarships. If you clearly meet the working hours requirement, can demonstrate genuine leadership qualities and write a focused personal statement linking your degree programme to the changes taking place in your home country, a well-suited applicant has a genuine chance of success.