Czech Government Scholarships for Developing Countries are run jointly by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MEYS) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the Ministry of Health also involved for health-related fields, as part of the Czech Republic's foreign development cooperation. They have funded international students at Czech public universities since the late 1950s. For the 2027/2028 academic year, the programme is open only to citizens of 13 named countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus (democratic forces), Ethiopia, Gabon, Mauritania, Zambia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Palestine, Guatemala and Honduras. Citizens of the Czech Republic, the EU, or foreign nationals already holding permanent residence in the Czech Republic cannot apply. Two levels are funded: follow-up master's programmes lasting two years, some taught in Czech with an optional one-year preparatory Czech-language course beforehand, and doctoral programmes lasting three to four years, offered only in English. The scholarship pays a monthly stipend of CZK 16,000 for master's students and CZK 24,960 for PhD students, and the Czech government pays tuition fees directly on the student's behalf; travel to and from the Czech Republic is not covered. Applicants complete an electronic application form at studyin.gov.cz, write a motivation letter, and sit mandatory entrance tests: general prerequisite tests for everyone, plus an English test for English-medium programmes. Each applicant may register and submit only one application. The application period for the 2027/2028 academic year runs from 21 August until 30 September 2026.
Eligible nationalities
Bangladesh, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Gabon, Georgia, Guatemala, Honduras, Mauritania, Palestine, Ukraine, Zambia