Swedish Institute Scholarships for Global Professionals 2027: Eligibility, Funding and How to Apply

If you have a few years of work experience and a passport from one of the eligible countries, the Swedish Institute Scholarships for Global Professionals 2027 (SISGP) can pay your tuition and a monthly living allowance for a master’s in Sweden. It’s built for people with real careers behind them, not fresh graduates chasing a perfect GPA. The catch is the sequence. You apply to a Swedish university first, with a mid-January deadline, and only then to SI in a two-week window in February. The admissions window has already opened, so you’re on the clock.

Quick facts

Who is eligible

You must be a citizen of one of the listed countries. Last cycle’s list had 34, including Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and Morocco, and one 2027 guide says 33, so use the official list for your country.

You also need to be liable to pay tuition fees at Swedish universities. Students who don’t pay fees (typically EU/EEA citizens) can’t hold this award. Last year’s call also required that you followed the University Admissions steps and were admitted to an eligible programme on the day admission results were announced. So the scholarship is only open to people who already have a seat.

Work experience is the other filter. SI has historically asked for about 3,000 hours of work experience (roughly 18 months of full-time work), plus leadership experience, but I couldn’t confirm the current wording. Check the official criteria for what counts as leadership, because this is where applicants misjudge themselves. Managing a team helps, but so can leading a project, an NGO initiative or a community effort.

You can’t use this award for any master’s. Only the programmes on SI’s eligible list count, more than 400 in the 2026/27 cycle. Check your programme against the 2027/28 list before you apply.

What it covers

Based on last year’s call: your tuition fee, paid directly by SI to the university each semester; a monthly stipend of SEK 12,000; a one-time travel grant of SEK 15,000 for students not already living in Sweden; insurance; and membership of the SI Network for Global Professionals. It doesn’t fund family members who come with you.

SEK 12,000 a month is workable but not lavish, especially in Stockholm or Gothenburg. Price your housing before you accept. Confirm all of these amounts for the 2027/28 intake.

How to apply, step by step

1. Choose programmes now (1-2 weeks). Match your degree and work history against the eligible programme list. Check each programme’s own admission requirements too.
2. Apply through University Admissions (by 15 January 2027). The portal opened around 16 October. You get a number when you apply, and you’ll need it later. Upload transcripts, degree certificates, an English test result if required, and any programme-specific documents.
3. Prepare your SI documents early (3-6 weeks). Last year’s guides list a CV in the SISGP template, a motivation letter, and two references. Contact referees in November, not February.
4. Build your motivation letter around leadership and impact. SI wants to know what you’ve led and what you’ll do back home. Use concrete numbers, such as team size, budget or people reached.
5. Wait for admission results (around late March). You must be admitted to an eligible programme to proceed.
6. Submit the SI application during the portal window (9-25 February 2027). The portal opens for only two weeks and closes at 14:59 CET. Submit a few days early to avoid a server jam.
7. Wait for results in April 2027. Don’t make non-refundable plans before then.

Competitive reality check, and who should skip it

One secondary site says SI announces about 350 recipients. I couldn’t verify that, but whatever the real figure, applicants from the eligible countries number in the tens of thousands, so this is selective. Common ways to fall out are an application to a programme that isn’t on the list, a motivation letter that reads like an academic personal statement, weak or vague leadership examples, and missing the 14:59 CET cut-off by treating it as midnight.

Skip it if you have under about 18 months of full-time work, if your country isn’t on the list, if you don’t pay Swedish tuition fees, or if your programme isn’t eligible. Fresh graduates should look at Sweden’s other programmes and at university-specific awards instead.

FAQ

Can I apply before I’m admitted to a university?
You have to apply to a university first, since the scholarship application uses your University Admissions number. But you must also be admitted to an eligible programme for SI to consider you.

Does it cover my spouse or children?
No, it doesn’t provide extra funds for accompanying family.

Is it free to apply?
The scholarship application itself has no fee in the guides I saw, but University Admissions may charge an application fee. Check the official site.

Can I apply if I’m already studying in Sweden?
Prior study or residence in Sweden can affect eligibility, so read the exact rule on the official page.

What happens if I miss the 15 January admissions deadline?
You can’t apply to SI for that intake. The February window is only for people already in the University Admissions system.

Official link and what to check next

Read the full call on the official Swedish Institute page.

On MastersGrant, look next at other fully funded master’s scholarships in Europe, and at university-specific awards at Swedish institutions such as KTH or Karolinska Institutet. They have separate deadlines, so you can apply to several.

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