Turkiye Burslari Scholarship for Pakistani Students 2027 | Fully Funded Study in Turkey

1. Introduction

The Turkiye Burslari Scholarship is one of the most generous fully funded awards for international students. Türkiye Burslari, officially called Türkiye Scholarships, is the Turkish government’s flagship scholarship for international students. It funds full-time study at Turkish universities at every level, from associate degrees to PhD, and it covers nearly every cost a student faces: tuition, a monthly stipend, a place to live, health insurance, a flight ticket, and a full year of Turkish language training. For Pakistani students, it is one of the most accessible major government scholarships in the world, because it asks for no IELTS, no university offer in advance, and no application fee.

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Quick Facts

Scholarship Name	Türkiye Burslari Scholarship
Host Country	Turkey
Host University	Any eligible Turkish university
Study Level
Funding Type
Eligible Nationalities	All nationalities, including Pakistan
Study Duration	4 years (Bachelor’s); 2 years (Master’s); 4 years (PhD), plus 1 year Turkish language
Application Deadline
Scholarship Year	2027
Official Website	TBBS application portal

The program is run by YTB, the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities. It has funded more than 50,000 scholars from 178 countries since 2012, and YTB reported nearly 200,000 applications in the 2026 cycle alone. That scale makes it competitive, but the structure works in the applicant’s favor: you submit one application through a single portal, list up to 12 university programs in order of preference, and YTB places you. You do not apply to universities one by one, and you do not need an admission letter before you apply.

This guide is written for the 2027 cycle. The 2026 cycle closed on 20 February 2026. The 2027 call had not been announced when this guide was last checked on 7 November 2026. The official application calendar gives the window as 10 January to 20 February each year, without naming a year, so this guide treats 10 January to 20 February 2027 as the expected window and marks it clearly as expected. Confirm the exact dates on the official calendar before you submit.

2. Types of Turkiye Burslari Scholarship

Türkiye Burslari is one program with several tracks. Most Pakistani applicants apply to the full-time track, but the other tracks matter if your situation is different.

• Full-time programs: associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD degrees at Turkish universities. This is the main track, and the rest of this guide describes it.
• Short-term Research Scholarship: for international researchers and academics who want to carry out collaborative research at a Turkish university. It is a short stay, not a full degree, and its terms are set separately on the official site. Check the official call for its age limit and stipend, since those figures differ from the full-time track.
• Merit Scholarship Program: not a separate application. Academically qualified students selected under the full-time program can receive twice the regular monthly stipend through this track. The official site states that the reward is a monthly stipend two times higher than the regular payment.
• Success Scholarship (Türkiye Basari Bursu): a separate, one-year scholarship for international students who are already studying in Türkiye at their own expense and have outstanding grades. It covers a monthly stipend only, with no accommodation. Do not confuse it with the full-time Türkiye Burslari award.

All tracks are administered by YTB, and all full-time applications go through the same TBBS portal in the same January to February window. There is no separate deadline for the Merit track, because it is decided inside the normal selection process.

3. Turkiye Burslari Scholarship Degree Level

The scholarship covers study at every level, and the length of funding follows the standard length of the program plus the Turkish language year.

• Associate degree: two years of study, plus one year of Turkish language training for students who need it.
• Bachelor’s degree: four years of study, plus one year of Turkish language training. Medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy run longer, usually five to six years depending on the program.
• Master’s degree: two years of study, plus one year of Turkish language training.
• PhD: four years of study, plus one year of Turkish language training.
• Short-term Research: a research stay at a Turkish university, not a degree. Its length and stipend are set in its own call on the official site.

The one-year Turkish language course is part of the award, not an extra cost. Students who study in a program taught entirely in English still take the Turkish course, because daily life and part of the academic experience run in Turkish. Students who already hold a recognized Turkish language certificate may be exempt, but the exemption is decided by YTB and the university, so check the official call rather than assuming it.

4. Available Subjects

Türkiye Burslari covers almost every field at every level, from engineering and health sciences to humanities and social sciences. You choose your programs from the list the TBBS portal shows for your level and background, and you can list up to 12 choices in a single application. The portal only shows programs you are eligible for, which keeps you from wasting a choice on a program whose requirements you do not meet.

Two limits deserve attention. First, health sciences at graduate level are not awarded under this program, according to the official graduate program page. If you want a master’s or PhD in medicine, dentistry, or pharmacy, this scholarship is not the route. Second, medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy at undergraduate level carry a much higher academic bar: a minimum of 90% in secondary school, against 70% for other undergraduate fields. That single rule screens out more health-science applicants than any other, so check your percentage honestly before you spend a choice on a medical program.

Your field choice also shapes your interview. Evaluators ask why you picked that field, why Turkey, and what you plan to do with the degree afterward. A field that matches your past study and your stated plan reads far better than a field picked only because it looks popular.

5. Scholarship Benefits

The official “Why Türkiye Scholarships?” page lists the package item by item, and it is one of the most complete funding packages any government offers. The stipend figures below were read from that official page on 7 November 2026. YTB sets the amounts in Turkish lira and can revise them, so confirm the current figures when the 2027 call opens.

• University and department placement: YTB places you at a Turkish university and in a department, unlike most scholarships that expect you to secure admission yourself.
• Tuition fees: covered in full for the whole program.
• Monthly stipend: 6,500 TL per month at associate’s and bachelor’s level, 9,500 TL per month at master’s level, and 13,000 TL per month at PhD level. Academically qualified students selected for the Merit Scholarship Program receive twice the regular amount.
• Accommodation: provided for students arriving in a new country. Undergraduate students are housed in dormitories. Master’s and PhD students receive a dormitory place in the first year, and a monthly housing allowance afterward.
• Turkish language course: one year of Turkish language education, free of charge.
• Flight ticket: a once-off flight ticket is covered.
• Health insurance: general health insurance for the period of study.
• Alumni network: membership in the Türkiye Alumni Network, which runs academic and cultural programs for graduates.

Be realistic about the stipend. It is paid in Turkish lira, and the lira’s value has moved a lot in recent years. The amounts above are generous in local terms and cover daily living costs, but a fixed dollar or euro conversion quoted anywhere, including here, will be out of date quickly. Convert the figure yourself at the time you apply. The stipend is paid into a bank account opened after arrival, and it continues through the program, including the Turkish language year.

6. Eligible Nationalities

Türkiye Burslari is open to citizens of all countries, with one clear exception: Turkish citizens, and people who have lost Turkish citizenship, cannot apply. Pakistani citizens are fully eligible, and Pakistan is one of the program’s largest applicant countries. There is no quota published for any single nationality, and no preference is stated for any country over another.

Two more conditions apply to everyone. First, you must not be currently enrolled in a Turkish university at the same level you are applying for. A student already doing a bachelor’s degree in Türkiye cannot apply for another bachelor’s award, but can apply for a master’s award after graduating. Second, you must have graduated, or be on track to graduate, before August of the application year. Final-year students can apply with a temporary graduation certificate or a letter from their institution, but the degree must be complete before the program starts.

7. Eligibility Criteria

The official criteria page sets two hard filters, age and academic achievement, and the TBBS system enforces both automatically. If you fail either one, the system rejects the application before a human reads it.

• Age, associate and bachelor’s: under 21 years old on the date of application.
• Age, master’s: under 30 years old on the date of application.
• Age, PhD: under 35 years old on the date of application.
• Age, Research Scholarship: under 50 years old, according to the official criteria page as last checked in October 2026. One secondary source gives under 45 for this track, so confirm the figure on the official criteria page when the 2027 call opens.
• Academic achievement, bachelor’s: minimum 70% in secondary school, or the equivalent GPA.
• Academic achievement, master’s and PhD: minimum 75% in the previous degree.
• Academic achievement, health sciences: minimum 90% in secondary school for Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmacy at undergraduate level.

National exam results such as SAT or A-Levels are evaluated alongside the transcript where you hold them, but they are not a substitute for the minimum percentage. The age cutoff is calculated to the day against the application deadline, so a birthday that falls one day past the limit is enough for an automatic rejection. Check your age against the deadline date, not against the date you start the application.

8. English Language Requirements

Türkiye Burslari does not require IELTS or TOEFL. That is one of the reasons the program draws nearly 200,000 applications a year. The application itself is available in eight languages, including English, and the one-year Turkish language course is built into the award, so you are not expected to arrive speaking Turkish.

That does not mean language never matters. Some university programs are taught in English, and a program can set its own language requirement for admission. If the program you choose asks for a TOEFL score or another language certificate, the TBBS form will ask you to upload it. The official required-documents list includes language test results only where the university or program requires them. A strong English score can still help your application even where it is not required, because it supports your claim that you can handle an English-taught program. But if you have no IELTS score, that alone is not a reason to skip this scholarship.

9. Required Documents

All documents are uploaded through the TBBS portal. There is no postal submission and no email submission. The official required-documents list, as published on the program’s five-steps page, is:

• A valid ID card or passport
• A photograph taken within the last year
• National exam results, if any
• Diploma or temporary graduation certificate
• Academic transcript
• International exam results such as GRE, GMAT, or SAT, if the university or program requires them
• Language test results such as TOEFL or DELF, if the university or program requires them
• For PhD applicants only: a research topic proposal and a written example of past research

Two points need care. First, the official list does not mention a motivation letter, but the portal form asks for a personal statement in practice, and other guides put its length at roughly 1,500 to 4,000 characters. Prepare a short, specific statement about why you chose Turkey, why this field, and what you will do with the degree, and check the portal form for its exact limit when the window opens. Second, recommendation letters are part of the TBBS form for most applicants, so line up at least one academic referee before January. Upload clear scans or official PDFs; online screenshots of results weaken your file, and each file must meet the portal’s size limit, which the form states at upload time.

10. Selection Criteria

Selection is merit-based and runs in three stages. First, YTB screens every application against the age and grade filters and checks that the documents are complete. Second, shortlisted applications go to an academic evaluation, where evaluators weigh your grades, the strength and fit of your chosen programs, your statement, and your recommendation letters. Third, shortlisted candidates are invited to an interview, held between April and June, in person or online depending on your country. Final results come in early August, and successful candidates travel to Türkiye in September.

There is no published formula and no acceptance rate stated by YTB, so treat any percentage you see on other sites as a guess. What evaluators can see is your record and your reasoning. A clear academic story helps: grades that meet the minimum with room to spare, a field that follows from your past study, twelve program choices ranked with honest thought rather than copied from a list, and a statement that names specific reasons for Turkey and for the field. Applicants who list twelve famous universities with no link between them, or who write a statement that could belong to any country, give evaluators nothing to remember. The interview then tests the same things in person: why this field, why Turkey, and what comes after the degree.

11. How to Apply: Step by Step

Everything happens on the TBBS portal, and applying is free. The online form takes two to four hours if your documents are ready, so do not leave it to the last day. The portal is known to slow down badly in the final week before the deadline.

1. Create your account. Go to tbbs.turkiyeburslari.gov.tr and click Register. Use your email address and the name exactly as it appears on your passport. Do not use any third-party website that claims to submit applications for you. Those are scams.
2. Fill in your personal information. Enter your identity details, contact information, education history, family background, and languages. Check every entry against your documents, because a mismatch between the form and your documents can lead to disqualification.
3. Upload your documents. Upload every required file listed in section 9. Use clear scans or official PDFs, and keep each file inside the size limit the portal states.
4. Rank up to 12 programs. Choose up to twelve university programs in order of genuine preference. You apply once, and YTB places you in one of your choices. Rank them by fit, not by fame, and include a mix of competitive and realistic options.
5. Write your statement. Complete the personal statement in the portal form, keeping to its character limit. Say why Turkey, why this field, and what you will do after the degree, in your own words.
6. Review and submit. Read the whole application once more, then submit before 20 February 2027. Keep the confirmation email and your application reference number safe. After submission, most sections cannot be changed.

If you need help, the program lists a call centre at 0 850 455 0 982 and a contact email at info@turkiyeburslari.gov.tr. Never pay anyone who offers to apply on your behalf. The application is free, the portal is the only channel, and no agent can improve your chances.

12. Deadline

The 2026 cycle closed on 20 February 2026, after opening on 10 January 2026. The 2027 cycle has not been announced yet. The official application calendar gives the window as 10 January to 20 February every year, without naming a year, and the 2026 announcement was posted on 29 December 2025. On that pattern, the 2027 window is expected to run from 10 January to 20 February 2027, with the announcement in late December 2026. Check the official calendar at turkiyeburslari.gov.tr/calendar for the confirmed dates.

The full timeline for a normal cycle looks like this:

• Applications: 10 January to 20 February
• Evaluation: March to April
• Interviews: April to June
• Results: early August
• Arrival in Türkiye: September

Start at least two to three weeks before the deadline. Create your TBBS account early, gather your documents in December, and submit at least a few days before 20 February. Late submissions are not accepted under any circumstances, and the portal slows down sharply in the final week.

Sources

• Türkiye Scholarships, official website (turkiyeburslari.gov.tr)
• Türkiye Scholarships: Why Türkiye Scholarships? (official coverage and stipend amounts)
• Türkiye Scholarships: Application Calendar (official dates)
• Türkiye Scholarships Information System (TBBS), official application portal

Last checked: 7 November 2026. The 2027 call has not been announced yet and the dates in this guide are expected, based on the official calendar and the 2026 cycle. Confirm the current cycle, deadline, stipend, and requirements on the official Türkiye Scholarships website before you apply.

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