Estonia Government Scholarships 2026-2027 Now Open — Study, Research, and Train in One of Europe's Most Innovative Countries

If you are a student, researcher, or academic professional looking to gain world-class experience in Europe without the burden of heavy tuition costs, the Republic of Estonia Government Scholarship Programme for 2026-2027 is now accepting applications. Offered jointly by the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research and the Education and Youth Board (Harno), this programme provides funded opportunities across three distinct tracks — summer school participation, degree and exchange studies, and research grants for academic staff — all at Estonia's leading universities. With some deadlines as early as 1 May 2026, now is the time to act.

🎓 Scholarship Summary

• Location: Estonia (Tallinn, Tartu, and other university cities)

• Host Institutions: University of Tartu, Tallinn University, Tallinn University of Technology, Estonian Business School, and other approved Estonian higher education institutions

• Study Level: Bachelor's (limited fields), Master's, PhD, Research/Academic Staff, Summer School participants

• Target Group: International students, researchers, and academic staff from eligible countries with bilateral agreements with Estonia

• Fields of Study: All fields at Master's and PhD level; Estonian language and culture at Bachelor's level; STEM, IT, social sciences, arts, media, and more at summer schools; any academic discipline for researchers

• Value and Coverage: Varies by track — course fees up to €700 + accommodation for summer schools; €350/month for BA/Master's; €660/month for PhD; €45/day or €660/month for researchers

• Duration: 1–4 weeks (summer schools); up to 10–12 months (degree/exchange); 1 day–10 calendar months (research grants)

• Application Deadline: 1 May 2026 for summer schools and research grants; September–October 2026 for degree/exchange scholarships (2026/27 academic year)

• Start Date: Academic year 2026/2027

• Eligible Countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Egypt, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Moldova, People's Republic of China, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United States of America

• Note: Applications from citizens of the Russian Federation or Belarus will not be accepted for the 2026/2027 academic year.

📚 Scholarship Overview

The Estonian Ministry of Education and Research and the Education and Youth Board offer scholarships to foreign nationals pursuant to bilateral intergovernmental or inter-ministerial agreements concluded with other countries. The programme is administered through the Estonian Scholarship Programme framework, which has been in place since 2016, and covers a broad spectrum of academic activity — from short intensive summer courses to full doctoral-level degree support.

Estonia has rapidly established itself as one of Europe's most forward-thinking academic environments, earning a strong reputation for digital innovation, research excellence, and an open, internationally oriented university culture. The Education and Youth Board (Harno) is a government agency of the Ministry of Education and Research that facilitates the implementation of Estonian education and youth policy and directly administers all scholarship payments and agreements under this programme.

🧩 Scholarship Types, Benefits, and Deadlines

The Estonian Government Scholarship Programme is structured into three distinct tracks. Each has its own eligibility requirements, funding scope, and application timeline. Applicants may only apply to one track per cycle.

Track 1 — Scholarships for Summer School Participation

This track supports international students in attending short, intensive summer courses at Estonian universities. It is designed for those who want a taste of the Estonian academic environment without committing to a full degree programme.

Who can apply:

• Bachelor's, Master's, and PhD students currently enrolled at a foreign university

• Must have completed at least one year of study at their home institution by the time of applying

• Must be pre-registered to a specific eligible course before applying for the scholarship

  
  

What is covered:

• Course fee reimbursement of up to €700 per applicant (one course per application cycle)

• Accommodation costs of up to €25 per night, for a maximum of 4 weeks, paid directly to the organising university

  
  

Available Summer School Courses (2026):

At the University of Tartu: Strengthening Democracies: Building Resilience and Resistance to Information Disorders; The Science of Influence: Applied Neuromarketing Research; Entrepreneurship in Arts and Creative Industries; Gentle Introduction to R; Genetic Variants to Risk Prediction: Methods in Genetic Epidemiology; Hands-On Data Engineering; Synthetic Biology and Its Applications; Designing Social Robots Summer School 2026; Atomic Layer Deposition; Who Are You? Persons, Brains, and the Selves; Tales, Legends, and Demons in Contemporary Culture and Ukrainian Folklore; and Estonian Language Summer Courses.

At Tallinn University: Gamification Workshop; Design of Serious Games; Basics of Game Development; Design of Digital Services for Health Behaviour Change; Experimental Interaction Design; The Formation of Global Norms in a Changing World Order; Innovate and Educate; Storytelling in Marketing; and Estonian Language.

At Tallinn University of Technology: AI Summer School; Digital Innovation.

At Estonian Business School: Digitalisation and Sustainability.

Application Deadline: 1 May 2026 (23:59 Estonian time)

Results announced: June 2026

Track 2 — Grant for Researchers and Academic Staff

This grant supports foreign researchers and teaching staff who wish to carry out academic work — research, teaching, or collaboration — at an Estonian higher education institution.

Who can apply:

• Researchers and teaching staff currently holding an active academic position at a foreign university or research institution

• Eligible academic positions include professor, associate professor, reader, teacher, research fellow, lecturer, and assistant

• PhD students are not eligible under this track (they must apply under the student scholarship track)

• Postdoctoral grants are not offered under this programme

  
  

What is covered:

Researchers can receive a short-term grant (1–9 days) at a subsistence rate of €45 per day, or a long-term grant (10 days to 10 calendar months) at a rate of €660 per month.  Payments are made monthly directly to the grantee's bank account. The grantee must remain in Estonia throughout the payment period.

Application Deadline: 1 May 2026 (23:59 Estonian time)

Track 3 — Scholarship for Degree and Exchange Study in Estonia

This is the flagship track of the Estonian Government Scholarship Programme, supporting foreign students who wish to pursue full degree programmes or semester exchange studies at Estonian universities for the 2026/2027 academic year.

Who can apply:

• Foreign students wishing to study at an Estonian higher education institution as a degree or exchange student

• Master's and PhD studies are supported in all academic fields

• At Bachelor's level, the scholarship is available only for fields related to Estonian language and culture

• Doctoral students with an active junior researcher employment contract at an Estonian institution are not eligible

• Applicants must hold citizenship of one of the listed eligible countries

  
  

What is covered:

• Bachelor's and Master's students: €350 per month

• Doctoral students: €660 per month

• Exchange students receive the scholarship for the duration of their approved study period in Estonia, up to a maximum of 10 calendar months

• Undergraduate students receive scholarships for 12 months of the academic year, except for the final nominal year when the scholarship is paid for 10 months

Application Deadline: September 2 – October 1, 2026 (23:59 Estonian time)

Results announced: By 1 December 2026, personally via email

✅ Eligibility Criteria (All Tracks — General)

• Must hold citizenship of one of the countries listed in the eligible countries list above

• Must meet the academic requirements of the chosen host institution

• Must have an admission or confirmation letter from an Estonian higher education institution before the scholarship decision can be finalised

• All submitted documents must be in English or Estonian; documents in other languages must be submitted with a certified translation

• Applications must be complete, accurate, and submitted before the stated deadline — late or incomplete applications are not assessed

📝 Application Procedure and Documents Required

All three tracks follow an email-based application process. Applications must be submitted to: rvo.dokumendid@harno.ee

Each track has a dedicated application form in Word format that must be submitted unchanged. The form must not be converted to PDF. It does not need to be signed.

For Summer School Scholarships, submit:

• Completed application form (Appendix 1) including a motivation letter

• Confirmation letter from your home university (confirming your level of study, normal study duration, and progress toward the degree)

• Confirmation letter from the course-organising Estonian university specifying the exact course for which you are applying

• Copy of passport or ID card

  
  

For Research and Academic Staff Grants, submit:

• Completed application form (Appendix 2)

• Academic CV (EUROPASS format preferred)

• Confirmation letter from the Estonian host institution confirming hosting and the period of activity in Estonia

  
  

For Degree and Exchange Study Scholarships, submit:

• Completed application form (Word format)

• Copy of passport or ID card

• Confirmation letter from the Estonian higher education institution confirming degree or exchange student status, level of study, curriculum, and start and end dates of study

• PhD applicants must also include confirmation that they do not hold an active junior researcher employment contract with their Estonian host institution

• For students already enrolled before 2026/27: confirmation of full-time enrolment

All additional documents may be submitted in PDF or other standard formats. Documents signed on paper must be scanned before submission.

✍🏻 Extra Tips for a Strong Application

• Pre-register for your chosen summer school course before submitting your scholarship application — the confirmation letter from the organising university is mandatory and cannot be obtained after the deadline

• Being awarded a scholarship does not guarantee admission to the institution — you must apply directly to your chosen Estonian university and secure admission before the scholarship decision is finalised

• The research grant pays the scholar directly each month — ensure your Estonian bank details or transfer arrangements are arranged in advance of the grant period beginning

• Changes to scholarship or grant periods after confirmation are only possible with the written consent of the Education and Youth Board, and the total amount will not be increased

📨 Apply Now

Submit all applications by email to: rvo.dokumendid@harno.ee

For further enquiries, contact:

Liis Uulman, Senior Specialist, Scholarships and Grants Office

Education and Youth Board

+372 5917 2251 | liis.uulman@harno.ee

🔗 Official Website

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