Scholarships in Sweden for International Students 2027: SI Scholarship, Tuition Waivers and Deadlines

Updated: October 10, 2026 | Reading time: 14 min | Written by: StudyTribune Team

Scholarships in Sweden for international students fall into two groups: the Swedish Institute scholarships, which pay a living stipend, and university tuition waivers, which usually do not. Sweden has charged fees to students from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland since autumn 2011, and nearly every university now runs its own waiver. This guide to scholarships in Sweden for the 2027 intake covers the SI scholarship for Global Professionals, the SI Pioneering Women in STEM scholarship and 19 university schemes, with verified dates and the eligibility traps that cost applicants the most.

Quick answer: the autumn 2027 application round opens on 16 October 2026 and closes on 15 January 2027. Only the SI scholarships among all scholarships in Sweden include a monthly stipend (SEK 12,000). The university waivers cover tuition, often only if the university is your first choice, and you must still show at least SEK 10,656 a month for your residence permit.

Scholarships in Sweden at a Glance

All the scholarships in Sweden covered in this guide are in one table. Coverage figures follow each scheme’s published terms and can change between intakes.

Scholarships in Sweden: 2027 Dates and Deadlines

Scholarships in Sweden do not share one calendar. The dates below follow the 2026 cycle and are expected, not confirmed, unless stated.

SI Scholarship for Global Professionals: The Best-Funded of the Scholarships in Sweden

The Swedish Institute Scholarship for Global Professionals is the best-funded of all scholarships in Sweden. It pays tuition, a monthly stipend of SEK 12,000 and a one-time SEK 15,000 travel grant (less for some countries), and it includes membership of the SI Network for Future Global Professionals. It covers one- or two-year master’s study on SI’s list of eligible English-taught programmes, which had more than 400 degrees for 2026/27.

SISGP eligibility

• Citizenship: you must be a citizen of an eligible country. SI says the list has 34 countries for 2026/27.
• Fee status: you must be required to pay tuition fees.
• Programme: you must have applied by 15 January to an eligible master’s programme through University Admissions.
• Work experience: for most eligible countries, including all the Arab countries, at least 3,000 hours from a maximum of three employers.
• Leadership: demonstrated leadership from a current or previous employer or from civil society engagement.
• No earlier SI scholarship and no previous Swedish degree.

Which countries are eligible?

Scholarship directories quoting SI’s 2026/27 page list these 33 countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Georgia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Liberia, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Morocco, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, Ukraine, Vietnam and Zambia. SI’s own notice says 34, so one country is missing from that list. SI updates the list, and older guides (including an earlier version of this page) showed a different one, so copy the current list from the SI scholarship page before you apply. Citizens of Pakistan and India did not appear on the list in the sources I checked.

The two-step application

Step 1 must come first because SI needs your university application. Our guide to writing a recommendation letter for a scholarship and the free samples in our scholarship reference letter guide will help your two referees, and our personal statement guide covers the motivation statement.

SI Scholarship Pioneering Women in STEM

This Swedish Institute scholarship supports women from ten countries in Africa and Asia: Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, the Philippines, Rwanda, South Africa, Thailand and Vietnam. It covers full-time STEM master’s programmes on SI’s eligible list, and the University of Gothenburg alone has 14 eligible programmes for 2026/27. You apply to the programme in the first application round and then to SI. You cannot hold a Swedish degree or an earlier SI scholarship. Gothenburg says you can also apply for the SI Global Professionals Scholarship and the Axel Adler Scholarship at the same time.

University Scholarships in Sweden: Tuition Waivers

These university scholarships in Sweden for international students cover tuition for fee-paying applicants from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland. Almost all are linked to your admission application.

Full tuition waivers

• KTH Royal Institute of Technology. A limited number of waivers cover tuition in years 1 and 2 of a master’s programme if first-year results are satisfactory. KTH must be your first priority. The separate scholarship form usually runs from 1 December to 15 January, with results around 1 April. See the KTH scholarship page.
• University of Gothenburg, Axel Adler Scholarship. A full waiver with no nationality restriction, for applicants who rank Gothenburg first. It is selected on academic merit, and the eligible programmes change by year.
• Uppsala University Global Scholarship. Full tuition for fee-paying master’s applicants. It does not cover living costs. The 2026 application window ran from 16 January to 2 February, so expect a window in early 2027.
• Anders Wall’s Scholarship (Uppsala). Full tuition for African citizens on bachelor’s or master’s programmes at Uppsala. The scholarship has supported students since 2012.
• Mälardalen, Malmö (MUMS) and Stockholm University. Mälardalen covers 100% of tuition for master’s applicants who rank it first. MUMS offers a full waiver on English-taught master’s. Stockholm’s full tuition awards go to a small number of competitive master’s programmes.

Variable waivers: 25% to 100%

• Lund University Global Scholarship. Covers 25%, 50%, 75% or, rarely, 100% of tuition, and the share depends on the university’s budget. It applies to master’s programmes and a few bachelor’s programmes. Priority goes to first-choice applicants, and you submit a separate application with a motivation letter of up to 600 words in Lund’s portal, which opened in early February and closed on 16 February in 2026.
• Karlstad, Linnaeus, Linköping, Halmstad and Chalmers. Karlstad covers 25 to 100%, Linnaeus typically 75% (a few 100%), Linköping 25, 50 or 75%, Halmstad 25 or 50% and Chalmers IPOET a reported 75%. Confirm Chalmers on its own page, since sources disagree.

Partial waivers and tuition-only awards

• Borås and BTH cover about 50%. Karolinska Institutet covers tuition for its Global Master’s Programmes. Kristianstad and Örebro offer full or partial waivers, and Mid Sweden University uses fixed-amount waivers set per programme.

How to Stack Scholarships in Sweden Without Breaking the First-Choice Rule

You can apply for several scholarships in Sweden at once, but the first-choice rule limits how many you can claim. KTH, Axel Adler and Mälardalen need their university as your first choice, and Lund gives priority to first-choice applicants. A practical order:

1. If you are on SI’s list and meet the work-experience rule, choose programmes from SI’s eligible list. Those programmes also let you apply for the Pioneering Women in STEM scholarship if you qualify.
2. Rank first the university whose scholarship you most want and are most likely to win.
3. Use your other choices for universities whose scholarships do not depend on first-choice ranking.
4. Prepare the motivation letter in October, because Lund, Uppsala and SI all ask for one within a few weeks of each other in early 2027.

The Real Cost of Scholarships in Sweden: Living Costs and the Residence Permit

Most scholarships in Sweden waive tuition only. The Swedish Migration Agency requires proof of at least SEK 10,656 per month for residence permit applications made in 2026, which is about SEK 106,560 for ten months. The figure is updated each year, so check the 2027 amount on the Migration Agency page. Student work is also limited: for permits granted from 11 June 2026, students are reportedly capped at about 15 hours a week, so do not rely on part-time income to meet the requirement.

How to Apply for Scholarships in Sweden

1. Check which scholarships fit your nationality and level. Compare your citizenship against the SI list and the Pioneering Women in STEM list, and note which university waivers need a first-choice ranking.
2. Choose programmes and decide your first priority. Pick programmes on SI’s eligible list if you want the SI scholarship, and decide which university’s scholarship matters most before ranking.
3. Apply on universityadmissions.se by 15 January. Submit your application in the autumn 2027 round, which opens on 16 October 2026 and closes on 15 January 2027.
4. Pay the fee and upload documents. Pay the SEK 900 application fee and upload transcripts and language scores by the document deadline, usually around 1 February.
5. Submit each separate scholarship application. Complete KTH’s form (1 December to 15 January), Lund’s and Uppsala’s portals (early 2027) and the SI portal (expected February 2027).
6. Track results. University results arrive in late March and SI decisions in late April. Accept offers by the deadlines given.
7. Prepare your residence permit funds. Show at least SEK 10,656 per month (the 2026 figure) for the permit, because most waivers do not cover living costs.

Common Mistakes with Scholarships in Sweden

• Using an old SI country list. Check si.se. Older guides, including the previous version of this page, listed countries that are not on the current list.
• Assuming every waiver is full. Lund and several others give 25 to 75 percent, and Chalmers is reported at 75 percent.
• Naming two first-choice universities. You have one first choice, so decide which scholarship you want most.
• Missing a separate form. KTH, Lund, Uppsala and SI each have their own application, and none of them is the same as the admission application.
• Counting tuition as the whole cost. You still need SEK 10,656 a month for the permit.
• Waiting until February. Write the motivation letter in October when the round opens.

Frequently Asked Questions About Scholarships in Sweden

Which of the scholarships in Sweden covers the most?

The Swedish Institute Scholarship for Global Professionals covers full tuition, a monthly stipend of SEK 12,000 and a SEK 15,000 travel grant. It is limited to citizens of eligible countries and to eligible master’s programmes.

Can Pakistani students apply for the SI scholarship?

Pakistan was not on the eligible-country list SI published for the 2026/27 round as quoted by scholarship directories, and SI’s own notice says the list has 34 countries, so check si.se for the current list. Pakistani students can still apply for university waivers such as those at Lund, KTH and Uppsala, which depend on fee status rather than nationality.

Can Indian students apply for the SI scholarship?

India was not on the list SI published for 2026/27 as quoted by scholarship directories. Check the current list on si.se. Indian students can apply for the university tuition waivers on this page.

Is Nigeria eligible for the Swedish Institute scholarship?

Yes. Nigeria is on the list for the 2026/27 round, and Nigerian women can also apply for the SI Pioneering Women in STEM scholarship for STEM master’s programmes.

What are the 2027 deadlines for scholarships in Sweden?

The autumn 2027 admission round opens on 16 October 2026 and closes on 15 January 2027. The SI portal is expected in February 2027, KTH’s form from 1 December to 15 January, and Lund and Uppsala open their own scholarship windows in early 2027.

Do I have to rank a university first to get its scholarship?

Often yes. KTH, Gothenburg’s Axel Adler Scholarship and Mälardalen require their university as your first choice, and Lund gives priority to first-choice applicants. You have only one first choice, so decide which scholarship you want most.

Are university scholarships in Sweden fully funded?

Some waive tuition in full, such as KTH, Axel Adler and Uppsala’s Global Scholarship, but they do not pay living costs. Lund’s awards are 25%, 50%, 75% or rarely 100%, and the amount depends on the university’s budget.

How much money must I show for a Swedish student residence permit?

For applications made in 2026, the Swedish Migration Agency requires at least SEK 10,656 per month. The amount is updated each year, so check the 2027 figure before you apply.

Is there a scholarship in Sweden for African students?

Yes. Anders Wall’s Scholarship at Uppsala University gives full tuition to African citizens for bachelor’s or master’s programmes, and many African countries are on the SI list. The Axel Adler Scholarship at Gothenburg and the university waivers are open regardless of nationality.

Does the SI scholarship require work experience?

Yes. For most eligible countries, including all the Arab countries, applicants need at least 3,000 hours of work experience from a maximum of three employers, plus demonstrated leadership experience.

Related Reading

• Europe scholarships for international students
• Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship (Hungary)
• NL Scholarship (Netherlands)
• Scholarships without IELTS for international students
• English proficiency certificate guide
• Scholarship deadlines: apply now

Official sources: the Swedish Institute scholarship page, universityadmissions.se, the University of Gothenburg Pioneering Women in STEM page, the Uppsala University scholarships page and the Swedish Migration Agency.

Conclusion

The strongest approach to scholarships in Sweden is to check your country against the SI list first, choose your first-priority university carefully, and prepare your documents before the round opens on 16 October 2026. Confirm each date and amount on the official page before you submit.