The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships pay early-career researchers from more than 180 countries CHF 2,450 a month to do a PhD or a one-year research stay at a Swiss university, plus health insurance for non-EU and non-EFTA holders and a one-off CHF 600 housing grant. A smaller art scholarship funds a first master’s at Swiss arts universities for students from selected countries. The awards come from the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS, or ESKAS in German), and you apply online through the Swiss embassy that covers your country. Applying is free.
The 2027-2028 round opened on 20 August 2026, and the country deadlines are close: Pakistan closes on 31 October 2026, and the calls I checked for Ethiopia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Vietnam, Uruguay and Turkey close between 13 and 30 November 2026. You need a Master’s by 31 July 2027, a birth date after 31 December 1991, and a support letter from a professor in Switzerland. Here is the full picture, checked on the SBFI site and Swiss embassy pages on 25 October 2026.
What changed for the 2027-2028 Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships
In November 2025 the Federal Council changed the rules. Many guides still show the old figures, so check this list against anything you read elsewhere.
| Item | Before | From 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly scholarship | CHF 1,920 (unchanged since 2006) | CHF 2,450 from 1 January 2026 |
| One-off housing allowance | CHF 300 | CHF 600 |
| Number of scholarships | About 350 a year (new and ongoing) | 200 to 250 a year |
| Postdoctoral scholarships | Offered | Not awarded from 2027-2028 |
| Maximum PhD scholarship length | 3 years | Up to 4 years from 1 January 2028 |
| How to apply | Paper sets at the embassy | Online only through GO ESKAS |
The fewer places matter as much as the higher stipend. With 100 or more scholarships cut, competition in each country is stiffer than in earlier years, and a strong research proposal and supervisor letter count for more.
Types of Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships
| Type | For whom | Length | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research fellowship | Doctoral candidates enrolled in a PhD at home who want a research stay in Switzerland; open to all disciplines, including medical doctors | Up to 12 months | Cantonal universities, universities of applied sciences, ETH Zurich, EPFL and four research institutes (PSI, WSL, Empa, Eawag) |
| PhD scholarship | Master’s graduates who want to do a full doctorate in Switzerland | Up to 36 months of supervision (up to 4 years from 2028) | The same institutions |
| Art scholarship | Students seeking a first master’s in an artistic field | Length of the master’s | Swiss conservatories and universities of the arts; selected countries only |
Not every type is offered in every country. Pakistan’s 2027-2028 call lists only the 1-year research scholarship and the 3-year PhD scholarship, and the Bosnia and Herzegovina call says bachelor’s, master’s and arts programmes are not eligible there. The FCS publishes which types each country gets on its country list.
Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships deadlines by country
| Country | Deadline | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pakistan | 31 October 2026 | Research scholarship (1 year) and PhD scholarship (3 years) |
| Ethiopia | 13 November 2026 | Swiss Embassy in Addis Ababa |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 20 November 2026 | PhD and research fellowships only; questions to the embassy in Sarajevo |
| Vietnam | 24 November 2026, 23:59 Swiss time (CET) | About 05:59 on 25 November in Vietnam |
| Uruguay | 26 November 2026 | Research fellowship |
| Turkey | 30 November 2026 | Embassy in Ankara |
Most countries close between September and December, and each Swiss embassy sets its own date. Find yours on the SBFI country list, which shows the deadline, the scholarship types and the embassy contact for every eligible country. If your country’s date is earlier than the ones above, it may already have passed; in that case, the 2028-2029 round will be advertised from August 2027.
Scam warning
The FCS says applying is free and warns about fake scholarship offers that ask for money for visas or insurance. Do not reply to such emails or pay anyone. Real communication comes from your Swiss embassy or sgs@sbfi.admin.ch.
What the scholarship covers
| Covered | Not covered |
|---|---|
| CHF 2,450 a month for one person (a stipend, not a salary) | Tuition and semester fees |
| Health and accident insurance premiums for non-EU and non-EFTA holders | Conference fees |
| One-off CHF 600 grant toward a rental deposit | Field research costs |
| Half-fare public transport card and organised activities | Family allowances or dependants’ costs |
Some country fact sheets and summaries have also listed a return flight allowance for non-EU and non-EFTA holders, paid at the end of the scholarship. Confirm it on your own country sheet before you count on it. Budget for semester fees, which Swiss institutions charge at different rates, and for rent: CHF 2,450 is tight in Zurich, Geneva or Lausanne.
Eligibility for the 2027-2028 round
- Degree: a Master’s or equivalent completed by 31 July 2027, or by 30 June 2027 if you are going to ETH Zurich.
- Age: born after 31 December 1991 (the SBFI gives a maximum age of 35).
- Supervisor: a support letter from a professor at a Swiss institution, on official letterhead, with the professor’s short CV. Applications without it are rejected without review.
- Research proposal: a detailed plan with a timeline.
- Time in Switzerland: you are not eligible if you have been in Switzerland for more than a year when the scholarship starts in September.
- Nationality: a citizen of one of the 183 countries on the FCS list.
Eligibility edge cases
- Already in Switzerland: for the PhD scholarship, your arrival date must be no earlier than 1 August 2026, shown with a registration certificate or residence permit.
- Doctoral schools: if your PhD runs through a doctoral school with no assigned supervisor in year one, you must already be admitted and send the admission letter with the supervisor’s support letter. If the school forbids contact with supervisors before admission, you cannot apply this round.
- Repeat applications: you can apply at most three times for the same type of scholarship.
- Postdocs: no postdoctoral scholarships are awarded from 2027-2028, so a PhD holder cannot use this programme for a postdoc.
- Medical doctors: eligible for the research fellowship in any discipline, but the stay is research, not clinical training.
How to find a Swiss supervisor
This is the step that sinks most applications. The FCS says neither it nor the universities will find a supervisor for you, and the search can take weeks or months. Start as soon as you decide to apply.
- Shortlist professors: search the Swiss institutions for people publishing in your exact area, and confirm you meet their university’s Master’s requirements.
- Prepare a short pack: the FCS suggests a short CV, a motivation letter, two or three recommendation letters and a research plan of two to three pages.
- Email a few at a time: say why their work fits your project and what you would add to their group. Supervisors are advised to back only one or two candidates a year, so contact several.
- Agree the project: the supervisor must know and agree with your research plan, because their letter has to describe it, your relationship and future collaboration.
How to apply for the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships
- Check your country: open the SBFI country list for your deadline, the types offered and your embassy.
- Register on GO ESKAS: the FCS online portal (Grants Online ESKAS). Paper applications are no longer accepted.
- Upload your CV and motivation letter: a full CV with publications and awards, and a motivation letter of no more than two pages.
- Upload the research proposal: no more than five pages, with a clear timeline.
- Add the supervisor’s letter and CV: on the institution’s letterhead.
- Upload degrees, transcripts and passport: scans of certificates and transcripts and your passport data page, plus a Swiss residence permit if you already live there.
- Enter two academic referees: the system emails them a reference request, so warn them first.
- Submit before your embassy’s deadline: note the time zone; Vietnam’s call, for example, uses 23:59 Swiss time.
Writing the research proposal and motivation letter
The FCS selects on three criteria: your profile, the quality of the research project, and the potential for future research cooperation between Switzerland and your country. Build both documents around those three.
- Proposal structure: research question, why it matters, what is known, your method and data, a month-by-month timeline, expected outputs, and why the Swiss host is the right place.
- Feasibility: a one-year research fellowship needs a project you can finish in twelve months; keep the scope tight.
- Cooperation: name what continues after the scholarship, such as a joint paper, a dataset shared with your home university, or a co-supervised student.
- Motivation letter: two pages on your path into the topic, your strongest research results so far, and your career plan.
A sample proposal opening: “Wheat rust cost farmers in my region an estimated third of their 2025 harvest, yet no local breeding programme screens for the newest strains. With Professor X’s group, I will test 120 local varieties against two strains over eleven months and share the resistant lines with my home institute.” It states the problem, the plan and the link back home in two sentences. Replace the details with your own field.
What happens after you apply
- Selection: your application goes through your Swiss embassy to the FCS, which assesses your profile, project and cooperation potential. Questions during this stage go to your embassy.
- Results: the FCS announces awards by the end of May 2027 at the latest.
- Start: scholarships begin in September 2027; you then apply for a Swiss visa and residence permit and move to Switzerland for the grant.
Common mistakes
- Applying without a supervisor letter: the file is rejected unread.
- Using old guides: CHF 1,920, CHF 300, postdoc awards and paper sets are all out of date.
- Getting the degree date wrong: for 2027-2028 it is 31 July 2027 (30 June for ETH Zurich).
- Exceeding page limits: two pages for the motivation letter, five for the proposal.
- Applying for a type your country does not offer: check the country list first.
Swiss scholarships compared with similar European awards
| Scholarship | Country | Level | Monthly amount | Our guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships | Switzerland | PhD, research stay, arts master’s | CHF 2,450 | This page |
| DAAD scholarships | Germany | Master’s, PhD | €992 (master’s) or €1,400 (doctoral) | How to apply for DAAD |
| KWI International Fellowships | Germany | Postdoc (humanities, social sciences) | €3,000 for 6 months | KWI fellowships |
| Country-by-country options | Across Europe | All levels | Varies | Scholarships in Europe |
Who should apply and who should not
Apply if you hold or will hold a Master’s by July 2027, were born in 1992 or later, have a research idea you can explain in five pages, and can get a Swiss professor to back it in the next few weeks. The research fellowship suits PhD students at home who want a year in a strong Swiss lab; the PhD scholarship suits those ready to move for a full doctorate.
Skip this round if you only have a bachelor’s and want a taught master’s (outside the arts it is not offered), if you already hold a PhD, or if you have no supervisor contact yet and your country closes in early November. Start on supervisors now for the 2028-2029 round, which opens in August 2027, and look at the other European scholarships in the meantime.
FAQ on Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships
How much is the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship per month?
CHF 2,450 a month since 1 January 2026, up from CHF 1,920. Non-EU and non-EFTA holders also get health insurance, and all holders get a one-off CHF 600 housing grant.
Can I get the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship for a master’s degree?
Only in the arts, through the art scholarship for students from selected countries. Research fellowships and PhD scholarships require a completed Master’s.
When is the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship deadline for 2027?
Each Swiss embassy sets its own date. Pakistan’s is 31 October 2026, and others close in November 2026, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina on 20 November and Turkey on 30 November.
What is the age limit for the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship?
For 2027-2028 you must be born after 31 December 1991. The SBFI states a maximum age of 35.
Sources and updates
The 2027-2028 overview, stipend, selection criteria and timeline come from the SBFI’s Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships page, and supervisor, doctoral school and residence rules from the FCS FAQ. The November 2025 rule changes come from the SERI press release of 19 November 2025. Country deadlines come from the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan’s notice, the Swiss Embassy in Ethiopia, the Swiss Embassy in Sarajevo’s call (via the University of Mostar), the Vietnam call republished by Pham Ngoc Thach University, Universidad ORT Uruguay, and the Swiss Embassy in Turkey. Eligibility dates, documents and exclusions come from those country calls. Checked on 25 October 2026; this post will be updated as more country deadlines are confirmed.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
