The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships for foreign students and artists is open for applications for the 2027-2028 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 studies or research at one of the Swiss public universities, Federal Institutes of Technology, University of Applied Sciences, or schools of music and arts. The Swiss Confederation awards these scholarships to encourage international exchange and research cooperation with over 180 countries. Recipients are selected by the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS, also known as ESKAS).
Arts and music scholarships are granted for studies in the public music academies, as well as art and design schools. The Swiss government scholarship 2027-2028 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 Research in all fields.
Program Details
- Host institutions: Higher education institutions in Switzerland.
- Areas: All academic disciplines for research and PhD scholarships; artistic fields for art scholarships.
- Number of awards: Not specified.
- Duration: Please see full details below.
- Target group: Open to applicants from over 180 countries (research/PhD) and a limited number of countries for art scholarships.
Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships Benefits
Selected candidates for the Swiss government scholarship 2027-2028 will have the following benefits:
Scholarship amount
Research fellowships, PhD scholarships, and art scholarships: CHF 2,450 per month to cover basic living expenses of one person.
Note : This scholarship is not a salary. No funding is provided for fieldwork, conferences, or participation in international conferences. The scholarship amount only covers the living expenses for one person, and no family allowances are provided.
Housing allowance
All scholarship holders receive a one‑time lump sum of CHF 600 with the first grant payment to help cover the rental deposit.
Tuition fees
The Federal Excellence Scholarship does not cover tuition or semester fees. In some cases, universities, universities of applied sciences, or federal institutes of technology require scholarship holders to pay semester fees (generally from CHF 600 to CHF 2,000 per semester) or reduced tuition fees. In some cases, PhD fees are not waived. Scholarship holders must cover these fees themselves.
Health insurance
According to Swiss law, every resident in Switzerland must have health insurance. For scholarship holders from non‑EU/EFTA countries, the FCS covers the premiums for compulsory health insurance. Scholarship holders from EU/EFTA countries must cover these costs themselves.
Travel expenses
Scholarship holders from the EU and EFTA member state pays for their own travel expenses to and from Switzerland. Scholarship holders from outside the EU and EFTA receive a return flight allowance (amount determined by country of origin). 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.
Public transport
All scholarship holders receive a half‑fare travel card for public transport in Switzerland. The coordinating body also organizes excursions and activities for federal scholarship holders.
Fieldwork
PhD scholarship holders may request to do field research for up to six months, but all associated costs are borne by the scholarship holders. No additional funding is provided. For research fellowships, field research outside Switzerland is not permitted.
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 Excellence Scholarships start in September. It is not possible to start in the spring semester or any other time of the year.
Research Fellowships
- 12 months (September – August) – no prolongation possible.
- Cannot be upgraded into a 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.
PhD Scholarships
- 12 months (September – August) – prolongable up to 36 months.
- Prolongation is possible in three steps of 12 months, based on achieved academic results.
- It is the grant holder’s and supervisor’s responsibility to find sufficient funding beyond the maximum duration of the PhD scholarship (36 months) if necessary to complete the doctorate.
Art Scholarships
12 months (September – August) – prolongable up to 21 months at most, depending on the Master’s programme and the necessary ECTS credits.
Other Opportunities
Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships Host Institutions
For postgraduate scholarships (Research Fellowships and PhD):
- University of Basel
- University of Bern
- University of Fribourg
- University of Geneva
- University of Lausanne
- University of Lucerne
- University of Neuchâtel
- University of St. Gallen
- University of Zurich
- Università della Svizzera italiana
- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)
- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ)
- Research Institutes of the ETH Domain (PSI; WSL; EMPA; EAWAG)
- Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID)
- University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland (HES-SO)
- Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH)
- University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW)
- Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences (OST)
- University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons (FHGR)
- Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU)
- University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI)
- Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW)
- Universities of teacher education
- UniDistance Suisse (presence in Switzerland mandatory)
- Swiss Federal University for Vocational Education and Training (SFUVET)
- Swiss Federal Institute of Sport Magglingen (SFISM)
For art scholarships:
- University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland (HES-SO)
- Bern University of the Arts (HKB-BFH)
- University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW)
- University of Applied Sciences Eastern Switzerland (OST)
- Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU)
- University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI)
- Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana
- Zurich University of the Arts (ZHDK)
Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships Eligibility
for all scholarship programs, candidates must meet the following requirements:
- Be a foreign national (non‑Swiss).
- Be 35 years of age or younger at the time of application (max. age: 35).
- Have not been in Switzerland for more than one year at the beginning of the scholarship in September 2027.
- Be able to move to Switzerland for the full duration of the scholarship.
- Be in command of the necessary language skills required for the chosen programme.
- 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 Research Fellowships Eligibility
This scholarship is for highly qualified postgraduate researchers from all academic fields as well as young medical doctors. Applicants must:
- Hold a Master’s degree or equivalent (degree certificate achieved before 31 July 2027 – except ETH Zurich: 30 June 2027).
- Provide a formal support letter from an academic host professor at the chosen Swiss university, confirming why they are willing to supervise and support the research. This letter is not the same as the confidential recommendation letter.
- Submit a research proposal including a timeframe.
- Not hold a PhD degree.
Swiss 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. Applicants must:
- Hold a Master’s degree or equivalent university degree achieved before 31 July 2027 (except ETH Zurich: 30 June 2027).
- Provide a mandatory support letter from an academic host professor (including their short CV) at the selected Swiss university, confirming their willingness to supervise the PhD for the entire duration of the doctoral studies.
- If an assistant professor supports the candidature, a full professor who is entitled to supervise the PhD during the entire scholarship must co‑sign the support 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. Doctoral degrees can only be awarded by research universities.
Note : PhD students with an ongoing or planned doctoral project carried out within a formalized agreement between two universities («cotutelle de thèse») and under joint supervision are eligible for a 12‑month research fellowship only.
Swiss Excellence Art Scholarships Eligibility
Art scholarships are granted at Swiss conservatories and universities of the arts. Applicants must:
- Hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent achieved before 31 July 2027.
- Not already hold a Master’s degree.
- Provide proof that admission is under consideration at the intended Swiss art or music school – this may be a conditional acceptance pending an entry exam, or a confirmation that the admission procedure cannot be started before the scholarship application deadline.
- Art scholarships are only available to citizens of countries with which Switzerland has a reciprocity agreement : . The list of eligible countries is shown below.
Art scholarship eligible countries : 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.
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. Furthermore, the candidate must not forget to upload required documents. Do not send your application by email or in paper form. It will not be accepted.
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.
Application steps
- Check that you meet the eligibility requirements.
- Register in Grants Online (GO ESKAS). Click on the “apply” button below to access the platform.
- Sign in to GO ESKAS and prepare your application.
- If you are applying for a research or PhD scholarship, you must also identify an academic supervisor in Switzerland and obtain a formal support letter.
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.
- 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 November. For example, the application deadline for citizens of Mauritius and the Netherlands is while the deadline is for citizens of Croatia, Jamaica and Japan. Please click on the following link to see the precise deadline, Contact E-Mail, Contact Phone, and Contact Address for each country.
The furthest application deadline is . For more details on the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships Students, please consult the official page.
I have a second-year baccalaureate and would like to continue my studies at your university.
Quelle sont vos filière
I am highly motivated to pursue my studies. This scholarship represents a valuable opportunity for me to achieve my academic and professional goals. Thank you for considering my application.
I am interested in full funded master’s is Arts in 2025
I am intrested to apply for full Funded scholarship 2024 for PhD in Education my credentials are:
-Masters in Education Administration & Management
– BSc in Agricultural Education
-Primary Teaching Certificate
I am interested to apply full fended of scholarship in Switzerland 2024/2025 Master Degree with cyber security without elites.
Can you help me out please!
Can you help me out please !
Je suis titulaire d’un ingénieur d’État et d’un master en hydro géologie, né en 1975. Je souhaite faire un doctorat en Suisse, c’est mon rêve.
I am the holder of a state engineer and a master’s degree in hydro geology, born in 1975. I want to study a doctorate in Switzerland. It is my dream.
I have studied a Masters Degree in Development Training. It is necessary to find a full funded scholarship for the PhD.
Noted thanks
I’m postgraduate in hospital administration , am I eligible for this?