Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships, 2026-2027
The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships for foreign students and artists is open for applications for the 2026-2027 academic year. The Swiss scholarship is offered by the Swiss Government via the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS aka ESKAS, CFBE). The Swiss Government Scholarships are granted for research at one of the Swiss public universities, Federal Institutes of Technology, University of Applied Sciences, or Schools of music and arts.
Arts and music scholarships” are granted for studies in the public music academies, as well as art and design schools. The Swiss government scholarship 2026-2027 is intended for highly motivated, competitive young researchers who have graduated from university (postgraduates). These scholarships will enable applicants to undertake research work in the fields in which the Swiss universities are particularly active.
The Switzerland government scholarship aims to promote international exchange and research cooperation between Switzerland and over 180 other countries. Recipients are selected by the awarding body, the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS). The scholarships are aimed at young researchers from abroad who have completed a master’s degree or PhD or are foreign artists holding a bachelor’s degree. This program is one of the top free scholarships to study abroad.
This is a fully funded scholarship program for international students and is valid only for full-time research in Switzerland. It is not valid for on-the-job studies, part-time studies, correspondence courses, or mixed programs (part-time in Switzerland and part-time in another country). During their scholarship, grant holders are residents in Switzerland. This government scholarship program has four categories as shown below:
- Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship for master’s in art
- Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship for PhD in all fields
- Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship for Postdoctoral in all fields
- Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship for Research in all fields.
Program Details
- Host institutions: Higher education institutions in Switzerland.
- Areas: Available field of study at Swiss universities and institutions.
- Number of awards: Not specified.
- Duration: Please see full details below.
- Target group: Open to citizens of all countries.
Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships Benefits
Selected candidates for the Swiss government scholarship 2026-2027 will have the following benefits:
Scholarship amount
- Research scholarship: 1920 Swiss Francs per month
- PhD scholarship: 1920 Swiss Francs per month
- Arts scholarship: 1920 Swiss Francs per month
- Postdoctoral scholarship: 3500 Swiss Francs per month.
Note : No financial support for fieldwork or for conferences. Grant holders receive a one-year half-fare public transportation card in Switzerland. Support services organize various trips, dinners, and sightseeing tours for Switzerland scholarship holders.
Housing allowance
All scholarship holders receive a one-time lump sum of CHF 300 with the first grant payment to help them pay part of the housing deposit.
Tuition fees and Master fees for artists
The FCS does not pay for tuition and/or semester fees. In some cases, the universities and the Federal Institute of Technology do require scholarship holders to pay semester fees (generally from CHF 600 to CHF 2,000 per semester) or at least reduced tuition fees. In some cases, the universities do not waive the PhD fees. If the Universities and the Universities of Applied Sciences and Art Schools do not waive the fees, it is up to the grantee to pay for the fees.
Health insurance
According to Swiss law, every resident in Switzerland must be covered by Health Care Insurance (except for dental care). For non-EU and non-EFTA grantees only: the FCS pays mandatory Swiss health insurance. Please note that each FCS scholarship holder from an EU or EFTA Member State is responsible for his/her own insurance coverage and all resulting costs.
Travel expenses
Grantees from EU and EFTA member states pay for their own travel expenses to Switzerland as well as back to their country of origin. Grantees from outside the European Union and the EFTA pay for their own travel expenses to Switzerland, but receive a return flight allowance (lump sum depending upon the country of origin) for a ticket back to their country of origin (provided at the end of the scholarship). This allowance may be used up to two months after expiry of the scholarship exclusively for the purpose of returning to the country of origin.
Fieldwork
Once the scholarship is awarded, PhD scholarship holders may submit a special request regarding their PhD thesis and the potentially necessary fieldwork. The scholarship may continue during fieldwork for up to six months. No additional financial support is possible though for fieldwork by FCS. For other scholarship types, no fieldwork abroad in Switzerland is possible during the scholarship period.
Note : Valid for all scholarship types, the Swiss government scholarship does not provide any allowances for international conferences.
Switzerland Government Scholarship Duration
All Swiss government scholarships start in September and it is not possible to start the scholarship in the Spring semester or any other time of the year.
Switzerland Research Fellowships
- 12 months (September – August) – no prolongation possible.
- Cannot be upgraded into a prolongable PhD scholarship
- Grant applications for a stay lasting less than 9 months will not be treated as a priority.
- Grant applications for a stay lasting less than 6 months will be rejected.
Switzerland PhD Scholarship
- 12 months (September – August) – prolongable up to 36 months.
- The PhD scholarships can be prolonged in three steps of 12 months based on the achieved academic results.
- It is the concerned grant holder’s and the supervisor’s responsibility to find sufficient funding beyond the maximum duration of the PhD scholarship (36 months) if it turns out to be necessary to end the doctorate.
Switzerland Postdoctoral Scholarship
- 12 months (September – August) – no prolongation possible.
- Grant applications for stays lasting less than 9 months will not be treated as a priority.
- Grant applications for stays lasting less than 6 months will be rejected.
Switzerland Arts Scholarships
12 months (September – August) – prolongable up to 21 months at most depending on the Master programme chosen and the necessary ECTS credits.
Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships Eligibility
for all scholarship programs, candidates must meet the following requirements:
- Applicants must be in command of the necessary language skills required for the program.
- Have not been in Switzerland for more than one year at the beginning of the scholarship in September 2026.
- be able to move to Switzerland during the scholarship period
- Applicants who have already benefited from a Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship are not eligible to apply for a second scholarship.
Furthermore, this Europe scholarship applicants must satisfy the specific requirements of the scholarship type they’ve chosen.
Swiss Excellence Master’s Scholarships Eligibility
The arts scholarships are granted at any Swiss conservatory or universities of the arts. Applicants must meet the following requirements in addition to the general requirements above.
- Applicants must have been born after 31 December 1990.
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent achieved before 31 July 2026 (degree certificate).
- Applicants should start their scholarship no later than three years after graduating with their Bachelor’s degree.
- Valid for full-time studies in Switzerland only.
- A proof for “admission is under consideration” at the intended Swiss arts or music school (conservatory). This may be in the form of a conditional acceptance pending an entry exam or other specific requirements. If applicable: a copy of the letter from a professor confirming the supervision of the studies.
- Or, if applicable, a confirmation from the art or music school that the admission procedure cannot be started before the scholarship application deadline.
- Not holding a master’s degree already.
- Art scholarships are only available to citizens of countries with which Switzerland has a reciprocity agreement for art scholarships. Please find below the full list of eligible countries.
Art scholarship is only available to the following: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, United States of America.
Swiss Government Excellence PhD Scholarships Eligibility
This scholarship is intended for highly qualified postgraduate students (possessing the required degrees to start a PhD) from all academic fields. To apply for the Swiss Government Excellence PhD Scholarships, applicants must meet the following requirements in addition to the general requirements above.
- Hold a Master’s degree or equivalent university degree achieved before 31 July 2026 (except: ETH Zurich: 30 June 2026)
- be born after 31 December 1990
- have a mandatory letter from an academic host professor (including her/his short CV) at the selected Swiss university
- have a copy of the support letter (including a short CV, maximum 2 pages) from an academic host professor who is entitled and willing to supervise a PhD at the chosen Swiss university during the entire duration of the doctoral studies. The support letter should contain the reasons why she/he is willing to supervise and support the PhD thesis.
- If an assistant professor supports a candidature, a full professor who is entitled to supervise the PhD during the entire scholarship has to co-sign the support letter. This letter is not the same as the also requested confidential recommendation letter.
- For PhD studies at a University of Applied Sciences, an additional letter of support from a faculty member of the host research university at which the PhD will be completed is mandatory. Please note: Doctoral degrees can only be awarded by research universities.
Note : PhD students with an ongoing or planned doctoral project that is carried out within the framework of a formalized agreement between two universities («cotutelle de thèse» cooperation between a Swiss and a foreign university) and under the joint direction of two supervisors are eligible for a 12-month research fellowship only.
Swiss Excellence Research Fellowships Eligibility
This scholarship is for highly qualified postgraduate researchers from all academic fields as well as young medical doctors. Swiss Excellence Research Fellowships applicants must meet the following requirements in addition to the general requirements above.
- Master degree or equivalent achieved (degree certificate) before 31 July 2026 (except: ETH Zurich: 30 June 2026)
- Date of birth after 31 December 1990
- A copy of the support letter from an academic host professor (including her/his short CV, maximum 2 pages) at the chosen Swiss university confirming why she/he is willing to supervise and support the research. This letter is not the same as the also requested confidential recommendation letter.
- A research proposal including a timeframe.
- Not available for scholars holding a PhD degree.
Swiss Excellence Postdoctoral Scholarships Eligibility
This program is intended for highly qualified early career scientists at the postdoctoral level from all scientific fields. To apply for the Swiss Excellence Postdoctoral Scholarships, applicants must meet the following requirements in addition to the general requirements above.
- Hold a PhD degree completed between January 1, 2023 and July 31, 2026 (except ETH Zurich: 30 June 2026) PhD degree certificate is completed
- Primarily for scholars who have not already been to Switzerland.
- No funding for sabbaticals.
- A copy of the letter from the academic host professor (including her/his short CV, maximum 2 pages) at the chosen Swiss university confirming why she/he is willing to supervise and support the postdoctoral research.
- Not accepted as academic supervisors for Postdoctoral scholarship applicants are their former PhD mentors and their co-directors for the co-tutelle PhD.
- A research proposal including a timeframe. This is the centerpiece of the application. The applicant must devote all required attention to it.
- This scholarship is valid only for full-time postdoctoral research in Switzerland. It is not compatible with fieldtrips outside Switzerland. Therefore no possibility and no funding for fieldwork.
- In the case of double doctorates, the date of the 1st degree counts.
- It is not valid for mixed research (part time in Switzerland and part time in another country).
How to Apply for the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships
Interested candidates for this government scholarship must click on the apply button below and follow the given instructions to submit their applications. Do not forget to upload required documents.
Note : The application documents have to be submitted in English, French, Italian or German. If your documents are not in one of these languages, then an authenticated translation into English must be included. Attestations can be done by a university or a government officer. Exception for India: Self-attested documents are accepted.
Your application will not be considered if any of the following conditions apply:
- You have not named an academic supervisor based in Switzerland.
- Your supervisor did not submit a formal support letter confirming their commitment to oversee your research.
- Your Swiss academic supervisor is the same person listed as your reference from your home country.
- You submit applications simultaneously to multiple Swiss host institutions or apply for more than one scholarship type.
- Your application includes multiple research project proposals.
- You have been residing in Switzerland for more than one year as of the grant start date.
- Your application is incomplete or contains formal inconsistencies or omissions.
- For PhD applications: If you do not include official admission confirmation from a recognized doctoral program in Switzerland, your application will be rejected.
- For postdoctoral applicants: If your proposed supervisor has previously supervised your doctoral thesis (e.g. through a cotutelle arrangement), you are ineligible.
- This submission represents your fourth application after three unsuccessful attempts.
- You have already received a Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship in the past.
Application Deadline
Application deadlines vary per country and fall between September and December. For example, the application deadline for citizens of Mauritius and the Netherlands is while the deadline is for citizens of Cuba. Please click on the following link to see the precise deadline, Contact E-Mail, Contact Phone, and Contact Address for each country.
The furthers application deadline is . For more details on the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships Students, please consult the official page. To be the first to see latest opportunities, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.