Slovak Government Scholarship 2026 in Slovakia | Fully Funded

Omran Aburayya
1 hour ago
4 min read

If you are an international student from a developing country looking to pursue a fully funded Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD degree in the heart of Europe, the Slovak Government Scholarship 2026–2027 is now open for applications. Offered by the Government of the Slovak Republic through the Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth, this programme provides up to 70 scholarships annually to students from Official Development Assistance (ODA) priority countries — covering tuition, a monthly stipend, and a preparatory Slovak language course, making it one of Central Europe's most accessible and comprehensive government-funded education opportunities.

🎓 Scholarship at a Glance

Host Country: Slovakia, Central Europe
Host Institutions: Public universities across the Slovak Republic
Administering Body: Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic
Study Level: Bachelor's | Master's | PhD
Target Group: Citizens of ODA-priority developing countries (see eligibility section)
Fields of Study: Agriculture, Environmental Sciences, General Medicine, Healthcare Sciences, Engineering, Information Technology, Economics and Management, Political Science (International Relations), Security Sciences (Forensic Engineering only), and other country-specific disciplines. Fields are tailored per eligible country — excluded disciplines include dental medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy.
Award Value: Monthly stipend of approximately €700 (Bachelor's/Master's) and €1,100 (PhD); tuition coverage; Slovak language preparatory course; public university fee supplement of €80/month
Award Duration: Standard full programme length — Bachelor's: 3–4 years; Master's: 1–2 years; PhD: up to 4 years
Number of Awards: Up to 70 scholarships (allocations per country are specified individually)
Application Deadline: 25 May 2026
Academic Year Start: 2026–2027
Eligible Nationalities: Citizens of ODA-designated developing countries including Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Cuba, Ethiopia, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Palestine, Serbia, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and others — check the official portal to confirm your country's eligibility

📚 Scholarship Overview

The Slovak Republic Government Scholarship programme is a cornerstone of Slovakia's long-term development cooperation, offering fully funded opportunities for international students from ODA countries to pursue Bachelor's, Master's, or doctoral studies at public universities across Slovakia, administered under the Medium-Term Development Cooperation Strategy for 2025–2030. The fields of study and number of available places are distinctly specified for each eligible country, meaning applicants should carefully review the country-specific allocation list before applying.

📙 Language of Instruction and Preparatory Course

All university study under this scholarship programme is conducted exclusively in the Slovak language. Applicants who do not speak Slovak will, upon selection, attend a Slovak language and academic preparatory course starting in September, lasting 10 months, after which they may enrol at university. The cost of this language preparation year is fully covered by the scholarship. Applicants who already speak Slovak at a sufficient level must demonstrate this by passing a Slovak language test or by submitting a recognised language certificate confirming at least a B1 level.

🎁 Scholarship Benefits

The Slovak Government Scholarship provides a comprehensive package designed to eliminate financial barriers to study:

Tuition fees: Fully covered for the entire duration of the approved study programme
Monthly stipend: Approximately €700 per month for Bachelor's and Master's students; approximately €1,100 per month for PhD students
Public university fee supplement: An additional €80 per month
Slovak language preparatory course: Fully funded 10-month course for students who do not yet speak Slovak
Performance bonuses: Students with excellent academic performance (GPA of 1.3) receive an additional bonus of €50 per month; PhD students who pass their exams by the set deadline receive an annual bonus of approximately €170
Accommodation assistance: Scholarship holders may apply for assistance with accommodation arrangements through their host institution or the Slovak embassy in their home country
Entry and residence support: Assistance with formalities related to entering and residing in Slovakia

✅ Eligibility Criteria

To be considered for the Slovak Government Scholarship 2026–2027, applicants must meet all of the following conditions:

Be a citizen of one of the Slovak Republic's ODA-designated partner countries (verify via the official portal at vladnestipendia.sk)
Meet the age requirements: 18–26 years of age by 1 September for Bachelor's and Master's applicants; 23–35 years of age by 1 September for PhD applicants
Meet the academic entry requirements for the chosen study level and programme
Demonstrate academic excellence, motivation to develop their home country, and preparedness for Slovak-language study
Not have previously held a Slovak Government Scholarship for the same level of study
Submit a complete and correctly formatted application by the deadline

📁 Required Documents

All documents must be submitted in or translated into Slovak, Czech, English, French, or Spanish. Certified translations are required for any document issued in another language.

The complete application file must include:

Signed online application form (printed as PDF, signed, and uploaded as scan)
Record of highest level of education — school leaving certificate (for Bachelor's applicants) or university transcript (for Master's/PhD applicants), authenticated by the relevant state authority with certified translation
Birth certificate — with certified translation if not in an accepted language
Curriculum Vitae — signed
Motivation letter — signed, stating reasons for choosing Slovakia, the selected field of study, and future career perspective
Two recommendation letters — from secondary school teachers (Bachelor's applicants) or university teachers (Master's/PhD applicants)
Passport — copy of the page containing personal details
Recent photograph measuring 3.5 cm x 4 cm, showing the full face with no dark-lens glasses, minimum resolution of 350 x 400 pixels for digital submissions
Letter of acceptance from a Slovak public university — required only from applicants who already speak Slovak and have already been admitted; all others may submit this by 31 August
Publications list (optional, for PhD applicants only)

📝 How to Apply

The application process is conducted entirely online through the official government portal. Follow these steps:

Visit vladnestipendia.sk and use the eligibility wizard to confirm your country is listed as eligible
Review the country-specific list of available scholarships, allocated places, and approved fields of study — download the full file from the Ministry of Education website at minedu.sk
Register for an account on vladnestipendia.sk; you will receive an email confirmation with an activation link — keep your login credentials safe
Complete all sections of the online application form and upload all required documents
Print the completed application form as a PDF, sign the "Confirmation" section, scan it, and upload the signed copy to your account
Submit your application before 25 May 2026 — late submissions are not accepted under any circumstances
Results are typically announced by mid-July, after which selected candidates will be notified by the Ministry