Swedish Institute Scholarship for Global Professionals: Fully Funded Master’s in Sweden

The Swedish Institute Scholarship for Global Professionals is one of the strongest fully funded master’s awards in Europe. It is run by the Swedish Institute, a Swedish government agency, and it pays full tuition, a monthly living allowance of SEK 12,000, and a one-time travel grant for one- or two-year master’s studies in Sweden. The award is open to citizens of 34 named countries, and it is aimed at working professionals who want to use their Swedish education to drive change back home.

Read this part carefully before you plan anything else. Pakistan is not on the list of 34 eligible countries. If you are a Pakistani citizen, you cannot apply for this scholarship, and no exception or workaround changes that. This guide states that fact up front because the award is often shared on Pakistani scholarship pages without the country list, and students lose time and an application fee chasing it. The guide is written for readers from the eligible countries, and it points Pakistani readers to the Study in Sweden scholarship database, where other Swedish awards are listed.

1. Introduction

The Swedish Institute, known as SI, is a public agency under the Swedish government. It promotes Sweden abroad, and one of its main tools is this scholarship. The SI Scholarship for Global Professionals supports citizens of 34 countries who want to study a full-time master’s degree in Sweden and then return home to lead development work in their own countries and regions. Sweden funds the award as an investment in global talent and in long-term partnerships, not as a recruitment route into the Swedish labor market.

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Quick Facts

Scholarship Name	Swedish Institute Scholarship for Global Professionals
Host Country	Sweden
Host University	Any participating Swedish university
Study Level	Full-time one- or two-year master’s
Funding Type	Fully funded: full tuition, SEK 12,000 per month, one-time travel grant SEK 15,000
Eligible Nationalities	34 eligible countries; Pakistan is not on the list
Study Duration	1-2 years
Application Deadline	SI scholarship portal: 8-24 February 2027, closes 14:59 CET on 24 February. University Admissions deadline: 15 January 2027.
Scholarship Year	2027
Official Website	si.se Global Professionals page

The award covers a one- or two-year master’s degree at a Swedish university. You study in English, and you join the SI Network for Global Professionals, a platform for career development and contact with other scholars. After your scholarship ends, you become a member of the Sweden Alumni Network. The program looks for people with work experience and leadership experience who can show a clear link between their chosen master’s program and the needs of their home country.

The application has two separate steps, and the order matters. First you apply to Swedish master’s programs through University Admissions, the national portal run by the Swedish Council for Higher Education. Then, in February, you apply for the scholarship itself through the SI portal. You must be admitted to an eligible program before SI can award you the scholarship. If you miss the University Admissions deadline in January, the February scholarship window cannot help you, because there will be no admission for SI to fund.

2. Types of Swedish Institute Scholarship

There is one award under this name: the SI Scholarship for Global Professionals. It funds a full-time one- or two-year master’s degree. There is no separate bachelor’s or PhD version of this award, and there is no part-time or distance-learning version. The scholarship is awarded once a year, for studies that begin in the autumn semester.

Within the award, the length depends on the program you are admitted to. A one-year master’s gives you one year of funding, and a two-year master’s gives you two years. SI does not allow you to change your study program after the award, and it does not extend the scholarship period. Choose your program with care, because the award follows that one program only.

SI runs other programs and the Study in Sweden site lists more Swedish scholarships, including university scholarships and awards for other regions. If your country is not on the Global Professionals list, those pages are the right place to look. Do not try to fit yourself into this award when the country rule already excludes you.

3. Swedish Institute Scholarship Degree Level

The scholarship funds full-time one- or two-year master’s studies only. It does not fund bachelor’s degrees, PhD research, part-time study, or distance learning. Your studies must begin in the autumn semester of 2027, and your program must be on the list of eligible master’s programs that SI publishes on 13 November 2026.

Your program must be taught in English and must sit inside one of the four study fields named by SI: Governance, Public Health, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and STEM. Programs outside those fields are not eligible, even if they are strong programs at good universities. The eligible program list is published each year on the official SI page, and you should check it before you spend the University Admissions application fee.

Admission is a hard condition. You must be admitted, or conditionally admitted, to one of the eligible programs on the day University Admissions announces results, 1 April 2027. If you are on a waiting list or reserve list for a program, that does not count. There are no scholarships for late admissions, and SI cannot hold a place for you while you wait for a later admissions round.

4. Available Subjects

SI limits the scholarship to four study fields. The fields are broad, and many master’s programs fit inside them, but the program you choose must sit in one of them and must appear on the eligible program list.

Governance. This field covers public policy, public administration, international relations, development studies, law, human rights, and related areas. It suits people who work in government, public service, civil society, or international organizations and want to build policy skills.

Public Health. This field covers global health, epidemiology, health policy and management, nutrition, and health systems. It suits doctors, nurses, public health officers, and health program managers who want to strengthen health services at home.

Entrepreneurship and Innovation. This field covers business, innovation management, social entrepreneurship, and related programs. It suits founders, business managers, and people who build new services or companies in their home markets.

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). This field covers computer science, engineering, mathematics, natural sciences, environmental science, data science, and related technical programs. It is the largest field on the eligible list, and it suits engineers, IT professionals, scientists, and technical specialists.

SI asks you to show how your education will contribute to the sustainable development of your home country and region. That link matters in the application. A program that fits your field is not enough on its own. You need to explain, in your own words, what problem you will work on after you return and how the program prepares you for it.

5. Scholarship Benefits

The SI Scholarship for Global Professionals is a fully funded award. The official list of what it covers is published on the SI page, and it applies to the scholar only.

• Full tuition fee coverage. SI pays the tuition fee directly to your Swedish university each semester. You do not pay tuition yourself and then claim it back.
• A monthly allowance of SEK 12,000 to cover your living expenses throughout the study period. The allowance is paid each month while you study.
• A travel grant of SEK 15,000. This is a one-time payment. Scholars from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine receive SEK 10,000. The travel grant does not apply to students who already live in Sweden.
• Membership in the SI Network for Global Professionals. The network is a platform for professional growth, collaboration, and contact with other scholars while you are in Sweden.
• Membership in the Sweden Alumni Network after your scholarship period ends, for continued networking and professional development.

Some things are not covered, and you should plan for them. The scholarship does not include insurance, so check with your university what insurance cover it provides for international students. It does not provide additional grants for family members. It does not cover the application fee you pay to University Admissions. It does not allow changes to the study program, and it does not extend the scholarship period.

The monthly allowance of SEK 12,000 is meant to cover living costs, but Sweden is an expensive country, and Stockholm costs more than smaller university towns. Rent takes the largest share. Before you accept an offer, look at real rents in the city where you will study and work out whether the allowance covers your rent, food, transport, and study costs. Many scholars manage on it, but the margin is thin in the most expensive cities.

6. Eligible Nationalities

Citizenship decides eligibility for this scholarship. You must be a citizen of one of the 34 countries below. You do not need to live in the country at the time you apply, but your citizenship must be on the list.

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Georgia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Liberia, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Morocco, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Zambia.

Pakistan is not on this list, and neither is India. If you hold only Pakistani citizenship, you are not eligible for the SI Scholarship for Global Professionals. SI says so plainly on its own page, and it directs applicants whose country is not listed to the Study in Sweden scholarship database, where other Swedish awards are listed. Do not pay the University Admissions application fee for this award if your citizenship is not on the list.

Dual citizenship has its own rules. If you hold two citizenships and both are eligible for the SI scholarship, choose only one when you apply. If you use dual citizenship to submit more than one application, all of your applications will be disqualified. If you hold dual citizenship in a country that is not on the latest update of the OECD DAC list of ODA recipients, you are not eligible. Two exceptions are published on the SI page: Ukrainian applicants who live in Sweden under the Temporary Protection Directive are still eligible, and Moldovan applicants with dual citizenship in Romania may apply and must state the eligible citizenship when they apply.

7. Eligibility Criteria

SI checks eligibility before it reads your application in full. If you fail one rule, your application stops there. The rules below are the confirmed requirements for the 2027/28 cycle, published on the official SI page. Always confirm the current rules on that page before you apply, because details can change between cycles.

• Citizenship: You must be a citizen of one of the 34 eligible countries listed above.
• Eligible program: You must apply for a master’s program that is on SI’s eligible program list, published on 13 November 2026.
• Tuition fee liability: You must be liable to pay tuition fees at University Admissions. SI will cover the fees if you are awarded the scholarship, but being liable to pay them is itself an eligibility requirement.
• Application fee: You must have paid the application fee for your master’s programs to University Admissions on time.
• Admission: You must be admitted, or conditionally admitted, to one of the eligible master’s programs on the day University Admissions announces results, 1 April 2027. Reserve or waiting-list places do not qualify, and there are no scholarships for late admissions.
• Work experience: You must have demonstrated work experience. Applicants from Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Liberia, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Zambia must have at least 3,000 hours of work experience before February 2027, gained from a maximum of three employers. Applicants from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine must be able to prove work experience, with no set number of hours, and applicants with more experience are prioritized. Full-time work, part-time work, freelancing, and entrepreneurship can all count. Work experience in line with your chosen field of study is prioritized.
• Leadership experience: You must have demonstrated leadership experience from a current or previous employer, from entrepreneurship, or from civil society engagement. Leadership means leading colleagues or organizations, having a mandate to influence the development strategy of the organization you work for, allocating tasks, or taking part in decision-making. There is no minimum number of hours, but priority is given to applicants with strong and relevant leadership experience from employment.

You are not eligible if any of the following applies to you: you are currently enrolled in or hold a degree from a Swedish university or university college; you have already lived in Sweden for two years or more in total before the scholarship period, which starts in August 2027; you have previously been awarded a Swedish Institute scholarship for studies in Sweden; or you hold Swedish or EU/EEA citizenship, a Swedish permanent residence permit, or a temporary work and residence permit based on work or on family ties with a citizen of Sweden or an EU/EEA country who has a temporary or permanent right of residence in Sweden.

The 3,000-hour rule catches many applicants out. Three thousand hours is roughly two years of full-time work on a 35-hour week, but the count is in hours, not in calendar years. If you worked part time, your calendar years will not add up to 3,000 hours. Add up your hours from exact start and end dates, and keep proof for each employer, because SI requires the proof on its own template forms.

8. English Language Requirements

SI does not run its own English language test, and it does not set a separate IELTS score for the scholarship. The master’s programs are taught in English, and each university sets its own English requirement for admission. Your proof of English proficiency is part of your University Admissions application, not a separate SI document.

Most Swedish universities accept IELTS Academic or TOEFL iBT, and some accept other proof, such as prior study taught in English. The exact requirement and the minimum score differ by university and by program, so check the English requirement for each program you apply to, and book your test early enough for the result to reach University Admissions before the deadline. A strong English result helps your university admission, and without admission there is no scholarship to award.

9. Required Documents

The SI application has two document stages, and they use different systems. Keep them separate in your mind, because a document sent to the wrong place does not count.

University Admissions documents. When you apply to master’s programs through University Admissions, you upload your academic transcripts, your degree certificate, proof of English proficiency, a copy of your passport or national ID, and any other documents the program asks for. You also pay the application fee to University Admissions. These documents support your university admission, and SI does not collect them.

SI scholarship documents. When you apply for the scholarship through the SI portal in February, you submit the following, using the official SI templates published on 13 November 2026:

• CV, using the SI template. Do not submit a free-form resume or a Europass CV. The SI template has structured fields for education, work, and leadership, and other formats are not accepted.
• Proof of work and leadership experience, using the SI templates. You may submit up to three work experience forms and up to two leadership forms. Combine all forms into one PDF, with the work forms first and then the leadership forms, in reverse chronological order. Each entry must be signed or stamped by the employer or organization.
• Two letters of reference, using the SI template. You need exactly two letters from two different referees. At least one must be based on work experience. The letters must be on the current SI reference letter template, and they must be signed or stamped.
• A copy of your passport or national ID.
• A motivation statement, entered directly in the online portal. It is not uploaded as a file. In past rounds, applicants answered two short questions with tight character limits, so write short, direct answers. Check the limits in the 2027 portal before you write, because SI does not publish the character limits in the call itself.

The templates matter more than most applicants expect. SI releases updated templates each November, and templates from a previous year are not accepted. Download the fresh templates on 13 November 2026, even if you applied before. All documents must be in English. SI does not contact applicants to fix a wrong document, so check every form against the instructions before you submit.

10. Selection Criteria

SI screens every application for eligibility first, and only eligible applications go forward to evaluation. The evaluation looks at your academic background, the fit between your chosen program and your professional record, your work experience, your leadership experience, and your motivation. Work experience in line with your chosen field of study is prioritized, and priority is given to applicants with strong and relevant leadership experience from employment.

Your motivation statement carries real weight. SI asks you to show a clear idea of how your education will contribute to the sustainable development of your home country and region, and how your chosen programs connect to relevant sustainability goals. A general statement about wanting to study in Sweden does not do that work. Name the problem you want to work on, explain why the program prepares you for it, and say what you will do when you return home.

Competition is strong. SI publishes application and selection statistics by country, so you can see how many people applied from your country in past rounds and how many were selected. Read those figures before you apply, because they show how selective the award is. The final results for the 2027/28 cycle are announced on 22 April 2027.

11. How to Apply – Step by Step

There are two applications, and they run on different dates. Follow the order below, and do not leave either one to the last day.

1. Confirm that your citizenship is on the list of 34 eligible countries. If it is not, stop here and look for other Swedish scholarships in the Study in Sweden database.
2. Browse the eligible master’s programs, published on the SI page on 13 November 2026, and pick up to four programs that fit your field and your career plan. Check each program’s entry requirements and English language rules.
3. Apply to your chosen programs through University Admissions between 16 October 2026 and 15 January 2027, and pay the application fee on time. The portal is at universityadmissions.se.
4. Download the SI document templates from the official SI page on 13 November 2026. Do not use templates from a previous year.
5. Prepare your documents: the CV on the SI template, the proof of work and leadership experience on the SI templates, and two reference letters on the SI template. Ask your referees early, and make sure each form is signed or stamped.
6. Submit your SI scholarship application through the SI portal between 8 and 24 February 2027. The portal closes at 14:59 CET on 24 February 2027, and late applications are not accepted.
7. Wait for the University Admissions announcement on 1 April 2027. You must be admitted, or conditionally admitted, to an eligible program on that day.
8. SI announces the scholarship results on 22 April 2027. If you are selected, follow the instructions SI sends you for the residence permit, insurance, and travel to Sweden.

If you are currently employed, discuss the application with your employer before you apply. You are responsible for arranging leave of absence and for being released from your work in time for the start of studies. SI will not intervene in that matter, and it cannot delay your start date.

12. Deadline

The 2027/28 cycle follows the annual SI calendar. Here are the confirmed key dates, published on the official SI page.

Stage	Date
Apply to master’s programs through University Admissions	16 October 2026 – 15 January 2027
SI application documents and eligible programs published	13 November 2026
SI scholarship application portal open	8-24 February 2027 (closes 14:59 CET on 24 February)
University admissions announced	1 April 2027
SI scholarship results announced	22 April 2027
Studies begin	Autumn semester 2027

The scholarship opens for applications once every year. The dates above are for the 2027/28 cycle. The next cycle has not been announced, and you should check the official SI page for the new dates when they are published. Do not plan around a specific day until the official call confirms it.

Check every date and rule on the official Swedish Institute page before you apply. The official page is si.se/en/apply/scholarships/swedish-institute-scholarships-for-global-professionals, and the university application portal is universityadmissions.se. If your country is not on the eligible list, search the Study in Sweden scholarship database for other Swedish awards.