Amazing Slovak Government National Scholarship Europe 2027

The National Scholarship Europe of the Slovak Republic, run by SAIA on behalf of Slovakia’s Ministry of Education, funds short study, research, teaching, or artistic stays in Slovakia for international students, PhD candidates, university teachers, researchers, and artists. It pays a monthly living allowance plus a one-time travel grant. It does not fund a full bachelor’s, master’s, or PhD degree.

That last sentence matters more than it sounds. A good number of scholarship-listing sites describe the NSP as a “fully funded scholarship to study in Slovakia,” which reads like an invitation to enroll in a Slovak degree program on Slovakia’s dime. The programme’s own terms and conditions say the opposite: full-degree students are explicitly excluded from support. This guide sets out what the NSP actually covers, who genuinely qualifies, and where the confusion comes from.

What National Scholarship Europe Is — and Is Not

The NSP supports academic mobility: a temporary stay at a Slovak university or research institution, layered on top of a degree you’re already pursuing somewhere else. Three groups can apply, each with different terms.

Students — You must be enrolled at a university outside Slovakia, and you must either be a second-level (master’s) student, or have completed at least 2.5 years of your current bachelor’s programme. First-year and second-year bachelor’s students don’t meet this condition. The stay itself runs 1–2 full semesters.

PhD students — Your doctoral studies must be based outside Slovakia, and you need acceptance from an eligible Slovak institution for a research or study stay lasting 1–10 months.

University teachers, researchers, and artists — You need an invitation from a Slovak institution holding a valid research-and-development eligibility certificate, for a teaching, research, or artistic stay of 1–10 months.

What the programme explicitly does not support: students or PhD candidates accepted into full bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral programmes in Slovakia who want the NSP to fund that enrollment. It also excludes researchers without a PhD who already have more than 4 years of relevant work experience, and anyone who has already spent 15+ months in Slovakia within the prior 36 months.

What’s Covered: Monthly Amounts and Travel Grant

The scholarship is a monthly living allowance, not a lump sum, and the amount depends on which of the three categories you fall into.

Students and PhD students can also apply for a separate travel grant, paid as a lump sum alongside the final scholarship payment. It’s calculated by straight-line distance between your home institution and your host institution in Slovakia, on a sliding scale from €0 (under 200 km) up to €1,500 (over 7,000 km). For an applicant traveling from Pakistan, the relevant bracket will most likely fall somewhere in the €500–€1,100 range depending on the exact cities involved — use the official EU distance calculator linked on the SAIA site to get your specific figure rather than assuming a flat number.

How to Apply

There’s no single universal document checklist — requirements differ by category, but a few things are consistent across all three:

1. Secure your host institution’s acceptance first. You cannot submit an NSP application without an admission or invitation letter from the Slovak host institution already in hand — this has to be attached to the online form, not promised as “pending.”
2. Apply online at scholarships.sk. The online system opens at least six weeks before each deadline; it isn’t open year-round.
3. Gather category-specific documents. Students need a CV, motivation letter, detailed study programme, two recommendation letters, confirmation of current enrollment, and their bachelor’s diploma (if applicable). PhD applicants need a CV, motivation letter, research/study programme, one recommendation letter from their supervisor, enrollment confirmation, and their master’s diploma. Researchers need a CV, programme outline, highest diploma, and a publication or activity list.
4. Submit in Slovak or English only. Documents in other languages need an official translation attached.
5. Wait roughly 8 weeks. SAIA states it informs applicants of the outcome within about 8 weeks of the deadline.

One detail worth flagging for first-time applicants: recommendation letters and enrollment confirmations can’t be older than 3 months on the deadline date. Requesting them too early is a common, avoidable mistake.

Deadlines & Apply Link

Because the online system only opens about six weeks before each deadline, don’t expect to be able to start your application much earlier than mid-September for the October round. Use that lead time to secure your admission/invitation letter and recommendation letters instead — those take longer to arrange than the form itself does to fill in.

Pakistan-Specific Notes

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Guides

Official Sources

• SAIA — National Scholarship Europe Terms and Conditions (Foreign Applicants): scholarships.sk
• Official Application Portal: scholarships.sk

Scholarship requirements, deadlines, and funding details can change. Always verify current information directly with SAIA/the official NSP portal before applying.

Zorvia Editorial Board

The Zorvia Editorial Board consists of experienced higher education advisors, academic researchers, and international guidance specialists. Our team is dedicated to researching, verifying, and publishing transparent information on fully funded global scholarships, university admissions, and international student mobility.