Apply for the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships 2027–2028 for research, PhD and selected art programmes. Check CHF 2,450 monthly funding, eligibility, supervisor requirements, country deadlines and hidden costs.
Who can apply
The programme is primarily for qualified international early-career researchers.
Research-fellowship applicants should be pursuing a PhD in their home country. PhD-scholarship applicants must have completed, or be due to complete, an eligible master’s degree.
A limited art scholarship is available to applicants from selected countries who want to pursue their first master’s degree in an artistic field. Art eligibility must be confirmed from the applicant’s country listing.
Scholarship categories
Research Fellowship
•Full-time research in Switzerland
•Normally connected to doctoral research in the applicant’s home country
May be renewed twice, for up to 36 months, subject to academic progress
•CHF 2,450 per month
Art Scholarship
•First master’s degree in an artistic discipline
•Available only to applicants from a limited number of countries
•Duration: 12 months, potentially extendable to a maximum of 21 months
•CHF 2,450 per month
Benefits
•CHF 2,450 monthly living allowance
•CHF 600 one-time rental-deposit grant
•Half-Fare Travelcard for Swiss public transportation
•Organised excursions and activities
•Compulsory health-insurance premiums covered for non-EU/EFTA scholarship holders
•Return-flight allowance for eligible non-EU/EFTA scholarship holders after the scholarship
Eligibility
For research and PhD applications:
•Relevant master’s degree or equivalent completed by 31 July 2027
•For ETH Zurich, the stated completion deadline is 30 June 2027
•Applicant must have been born after 31 December 1991
•Detailed and properly structured research proposal
•Academic supervisor at an eligible Swiss institution
•Supervisor’s letter of support and short CV
•Strong academic and research profile
•Applicants already living in Switzerland must generally have entered no earlier than 1 August 2026
For research fellowships, applicants should be pursuing a PhD in their home country.
Applicants who have lived, worked or studied in Switzerland for more than 13 months before the scholarship begins are generally excluded.
Required documents
Depending on category and country instructions:
•Completed online application
•Complete academic CV
•Motivation letter, maximum two pages
•Research proposal using the official FCS/ESKAS form, maximum five pages
•Research timeline and milestones
•Supervisor’s support letter
•Swiss supervisor’s CV, maximum two pages
•Home-university supervisor’s CV for research fellowships
•Two academic referees’ email addresses
•Degree certificates
•Academic transcripts
•Certified translations when documents are not in English, French, German or Italian
•Passport copy
•Residence permit or registration confirmation if already living in Switzerland
•Graduate-school admission confirmation where applicable
•Art portfolio and Swiss art-school admission evidence for art applicants
Application steps
1.Check the scholarship categories available for your country of origin.
2.Confirm that you meet the age, degree and residence requirements.
3.Identify a suitable Swiss host university or recognised research institution.
4.Find an academic supervisor whose work closely matches your proposed research.
5.Obtain the supervisor’s support letter and short CV.
6.Prepare the research proposal using the official FCS/ESKAS format.
7.Prepare the motivation letter, CV, academic records and passport copy.
8.Contact two appropriate academic referees before adding their email addresses.
9.Register on the official GO ESKAS application platform.
10.Complete and submit the application before your country-specific deadline.
Applications must be submitted online. The official instructions state that applications should not be sent by email or submitted on paper.
Important warnings
•Finding a supervisor is the applicant’s responsibility.
•A supervisor’s support does not guarantee selection.
•Scholarship application and PhD admission may be separate processes.
•Applicants may submit only one scholarship application and one research proposal.
•This cannot be used as a supplement to full-time employment.
•The scholarship is not legally or financially equivalent to a salary.
•Tuition and semester fees are not guaranteed to be waived.
•Conference participation and fieldwork are not funded.
•Family expenses and accompanying-family support are not provided.
•Swiss authorities describe the policy for accompanying persons as restrictive.
•Applications are free. Do not pay agents claiming to represent the Swiss government.
•Deadlines and available scholarship categories vary by nationality.
Visa support
Selected candidates will need to satisfy Swiss immigration requirements.
This scholarship is not a general visa-sponsorship programme. Residence permits for scholarship holders and accompanying family members remain subject to federal and cantonal immigration decisions.
I cannot confirm that selection automatically guarantees a visa or permits family reunification.
