2025 Government of Slovak Republic National Scholarship Program

2025 Government of Slovak Republic National Scholarship Program

Scholarships for international students, PhD students, university teachers, researchers, and artists
The Government of the Slovak Republic approved the establishment of the National Scholarship Programme of the Slovak Republic for the support of mobility of students, PhD students, university teachers, researchers and artists in 2005. The National Scholarship Programme of the Slovak Republic (NSP) is financed by the Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic from the state budget of the Slovak Republic.

The National Scholarship Programme of the Slovak Republic supports mobility of international students, PhD students, university teachers, researchers and artists for scholarship stays at higher education institutions and research organisations in Slovakia.

1. Eligible applicants

Eligible applicants for a scholarship in the framework of the NSP:

A) students who:

• are university students at universities outside Slovakia;
• are students of the second level of higher education (master’s students), or are students who at the time of the application deadline have already completed at least 2.5 years of their university studies in the same/similar study programme;
• will be on a study stay in Slovakia during their higher education outside Slovakia and who will be accepted by a public, private or state higher education institution in Slovakia for an academic mobility to study in Slovakia.

All 3 conditions must be met. This category does not apply to doctoral (PhD) studies (or their equivalent).

• Duration of a scholarship stay (students): 1 – 2 full semesters (i.e. 4 – 5 or 9 – 10 months) or 1 – 3 full trimesters, in case the academic year is divided into trimesters (i.e. 3 – 4 or 6 – 7 or 9 – 10 months).

B) PhD students whose higher education or scientific training takes place outside Slovakia and who are accepted by a public, private or state higher education institution or a research institution in Slovakia eligible to carry out a doctoral study programme (e.g. the Slovak Academy of Sciences) for an academic mobility to study/conduct research/artistic stay in Slovakia.

• Duration of a scholarship stay (PhD students): 1 – 10 months.

C) international university teachers, researchers and artists who are invited to a teaching/research/artistic stay in Slovakia by an institution with a valid certificate of eligibility to carry out research and development, which is not a business company and it has its seat in Slovakia.

• Duration of a scholarship stay (university teachers, researchers or artists): 1 – 10 months.

[1] Section 58a of the Act No. 131/2002 on higher education institutions, as amended.

[2] External education institution according to the Act No. 131/2002 on higher education institutions, as amended.

[3] Legal entity according to the section 7 letters a) – d) of the Act No. 172/2005 on organisation of state research and development funding, as amended, which has a valid certificate of eligibility to carry out research and development according to the section 26a article 11 or article 12 of the same Act – i.e. public, private or state universities, research institutions eligible to carry out a doctoral (PhD) study programme (i.e. external education institutions), Slovak Academy of Sciences and its institutes, departmental research institutes or non-governmental organisations carrying out research and development.

Note: If the study/research/artistic stay must last at least 1 month, it is necessary to ensure the length of the stay is for 1 full calendar month (e.g. March 5 – April 4). The same applies for calculating the duration of the stay when assessing the fulfillment of the condition for the minimum length of stay in other cases, if this length is determined in months (e.g. February 5 – June 4 for a 4-month stay).
Citizens of any country in the world (except the citizens of Slovakia) can apply for a scholarship stay in Slovakia in the framework of the NSP.

Re-applying for the scholarship:
In case of re-applying for a scholarship, the application can only be approved if between the deadline by which the applicant re-submitted the application and the deadline by which the NSP scholarship was last awarded and received, at least 2 years (including) have passed.

Exception to this condition can be only in cases worth of special consideration, especially if the previous stay supported by the scholarship was affected by an extraordinary circumstance caused by force majeure (e.g. pandemic, military conflict, etc.).

The National Scholarship Programme does not support:

• international students and PhD students accepted for full degree higher education (bachelor, master, doctoral studies) in Slovakia, or those already studying in Slovakia (full degree higher education) who would like to fund their studies in Slovakia by the NSP;
• university teachers, researchers and artists without PhD degree (or its equivalent) and at the same time with more than 4 years of work experience as a university teacher/researcher/artist (PhD studies are considered as work experience) on the indicated application deadline; however, the scholarship Programme Administrator may, after consulting the Selection Committee in individual cases worth special consideration (especially considering situations caused by force majeure^[4]), accept as eligible applicants also candidates without PhD degree (or its equivalent) and at the same time with more than 4 years of work experience but not more than 7 years of work experience, however such applicants may be awarded a scholarship only in  the amount corresponding to applicants without PhD degree (or its equivalent) and with less than 4 years of experience;
• international applicants who within the period of 36 months prior to the application deadline have spent in the territory of the Slovak Republic 15 or more months (in total);
• international applicants who are accepted for a scholarship stay in Slovakia in the framework of other scholarship programmes funded from public resources (e.g. International Visegrad Fund, Erasmus+, CEEPUS, bilateral agreements, etc.).

E.g. the previous stay was affected by the pandemic, terrorist attack, etc..; career breaks due to the applicant’s maternity / parental leave may also be considered.

2. Amount of the scholarship and organisation of the stay

Note:

• To determine the monthly scholarship amount (in case of university teachers, researchers and artists) with regard to their work experience, only work experience until the day of the application deadline is taken into consideration.
• PhD studies are considered as work experience, however, up to a maximum of 6 years.

The scholarship is intended to cover international scholarship holders’ living costs, i.e. the costs related to staying in Slovakia (food, accommodation, etc.), during their study, research/artistic or teaching stay at universities and in research organisations in Slovakia.

The scholarship holder can ask for assistance concerning accommodation and formalities related to entering and staying in the territory of the Slovak Republic either his/her host institution, or he/she can handle all the necessities him-/herself.

Scholarship holders whose scholarship stay in Slovakia lasts longer than 90 days and who are citizens of countries outside the European Union, European Economic Area and Switzerland, who need for their stay in Slovakia a temporary residence permit, are obliged to submit to the foreign police office a confirmation that they do not suffer from any disease threatening public health within 30 days from being awarded the temporary residence. Scholarship holders will be reimbursed the costs related to medical examination and issuing of this confirmation, up to 250 € per scholarship holder, after delivering original of the bill issued by the respective medical institution to SAIA, n. o., in Bratislava. A list of competent medical institutions will be provided to scholarship holders by the respective foreign police offices in Slovakia. Scholarship holders are obliged to deliver the bill to SAIA, n. o., in Bratislava within the deadline for submitting the final report; otherwise, they will lose their right for the reimbursement of the costs.

3. Travel grant

In addition, students and PhD students [eligible applicants under the category A) and B)] can be awarded a travel allowance (travel grant, which is a separate component of the scholarship), if they apply for it along with their scholarship application. Travel allowance is awarded as a lump sum and it will be paid to the scholarship holder at the end of his/her stay together with the last scholarship payment. Travel allowance amount depends on the distance (in a direct line) between applicant’s place of residence (the permanent address; resp. address of home institution) and the place of his/her stay in Slovakia (the address of the host institution): For more information Click Here

4. Application deadlines

• 30 April at 16.00 CET – scholarship stays during the next academic year
• 31 October at 16.00 CET – scholarship stays during the summer semester of the current academic year

Central European Time

Note: International applicants who need visa in order to enter the territory of the Slovak Republic are recommended to take into consideration the time necessary for the collection of necessary documents for visa application procedure/temporary residence permit (considering also time for delivery of the documents from SAIA), time for the visa appointment and the issue time of visa, when determining the date of the beginning of their potential scholarship stay (up-to-date information about visa application procedure is provided by the Embassies of the Slovak Republic abroad).

One applicant is allowed to submit only one application per one application call.

5. Submitting the application

Scholarship applications are submitted online at www.scholarships.sk. Online application system is opened at least 6 weeks prior to the application deadline. Applications can be filled in only in case that the online application system has already been opened.

The application must be submitted on-line by the application deadline – i.e. the applicant must fill in the online application, attach all required documents in the prescribed form and submit the application by clicking the “SEND” button (the application can only be submitted if all fields are filled in and all required attachments uploaded).

Required documents that must be attached to online application for a study stay in case of international students (eligible applicants under the category A):

• curriculum vitae;
• motivation letter;
• detailed study programme (it is necessary to indicate the name of the host Slovak higher education institution where the applicant has been accepted, the duration of the stay and the date of the beginning of the stay, the list of subjects that the applicant will be studying during his/her stay and number of credits that the applicant will gain for the respective subjects; in the case of a study stay, the program of he stay should have a similar number of credits as required at the host institution for the given period (typically 30 ECTS per semester), if this is not the case, the applicant should justify this fact);
• two recommendation letters issued by applicant’s university teachers (the document must contain signature, should contain position and contact details of this person who issued the document; if it is not possible to  issue a recommendation on the letterhead paper of the respective institution, the document has to contain a clear identification of the institution, which the person who issued the recommendation letter is affiliated with [generally the name of the institution, address, website link]); recommendation letters cannot be older than 3 months on the day of the application deadline;
• confirmation officially issued by the applicant’s home higher education institution confirming that the applicant is a regular student of the respective higher education institution at the time of applying; the confirmation cannot be older than 3 months on the day of the application deadline; the confirmation should contain information on the year of study, the standard lenth of the study in the respective field/at the respective institution of the applicant, and the expected date of the completion of applicant’s studies;

• • In the event that due to extraordinary circumstances caused by force majeure, the applicant cannot obtain a confirmation of studies from his/her higher education institution, the applicant may submit a declaration of honor that he/she is a student of the respective higher education institution instead. In the declaration the applicant indicates the reasons why he/she failed to obtain the document, indicates the year and the level of study (i.e. bachelor or master studies / other equivalent) and also the date of expected completion of this study. If such an applicant is to be awarded a scholarship, he/she is obliged to submit an official confirmation from the higher education institution corresponding to the declared information about studies before the official letter of award is issued to the applicant. The deadline for submitting the confirmation will set by the scholarship Programme Administrator.

• bachelor’s diploma, diploma supplement together with the state examination certificate (if applicable);
• admission/invitation letter issued by applicant’s host higher education institution in Slovakia indicating the period of stay. In this document, the higher education institution commits itself to accept the applicant for a study stay.  Admission/invitation letter is an official document usually on the letterhead paper of the respective higher education institution, signed by the person who has issued the document,the document should contain position and contact details of that person; if it is not possible to issue the document on an institution’s letterhead paper, it has to contain a clear identification of the institution, which the person who issued the document is affiliated with (i.e. generally the name of the institution, address, website link). Admission letter should be issued for the same period as the period stated by the applicant in his/her online application and it cannot be older than 3 months on the day of the application deadline. It is recommented, that the invitation letter contains a list of subjects which the applicant is going to/can attend during the scholarship stay in the academic year/semester;
• in case the applicant has been granted a NSP scholarship in the category of students in the past, he/she is also obliged to submit a transcript of records with obtained credits, resp. the confirmation of passing the exams during the given scholarship stay.

Required documents that must be attached to online application for a study/research/artistic stayin case of international PhD students (eligible applicants under the category B):

• curriculum vitae;
• motivation letter;
• detailed study/research/artistic programme (it is necessary to indicate the name of the host institution where the applicant has been accepted, the date of the beginning of the stay, duration of the stay and an appropriately detailed time plan of the stay);
• recommendation letter issued by applicant’s dissertation supervisor (the document must contain signature of applicant’s dissertation supervisor, it should contain position and contact details of the person who issued the document; if it is not possible to issue the recommendation letter on an institution’s letterhead paper, the document has to contain a clear identification of the institution, which the person who issued the recommendation letter is affiliated with [generally the name of the institution, address, website link]); recommendation letter cannot be older than 3 months on the day of the application deadline;

• confirmation officially issued by the applicant’s home higher education institution/research organisation confirming that the applicant is on the application deadline a regular PhD student of the respective higher education institution /research organisation; the document cannot be older than 3 months on the day of the application deadline; the confirmation should contain information on the year of study, the standard lenth of the PhD study in the respective field/at the respective institution of the applicant and the expected date of the completion of applicant’s PhD studies;

• • In the event that due to extraordinary circumstances caused by force majeure, the applicant cannot obtain a confirmation of PhD studies, the applicant may submit a declaration of honor that he/she is a PhD student instead. In the declaration the applicant indicates the reasons why he/she failed to obtain the document, and also indicates the current year of his/her PhD study and the date of expected completion of this study. If such an applicant is to be awarded a scholarship, he/she is obliged to submit an official confirmation of PhD studies corresponding to the declared information about PhD studies before the official letter of award is issued to the applicant. The deadline for submitting the confirmation will be set by the scholarship Programme Administrator.

• master’s diploma, diploma supplement together with the state examination certificate (if applicable);

• list of publications/artistic activities in required form; resp. a statement that he/she does not have any publications;

• admission/invitation letter issued by applicant’s host higher education institution /research organisation in Slovakia indicating the period of stay. In this document, the higher education institution/research organisation commits itself to accept the applicant for a study and/or research/artistic stay.  Admission/invitation letter is an official document generally on the letter-headed paper of the respective higher education institution/research organisation, signed by the person who issued the document, the document should contain position and contact details of that person; if it is not possible to issue the document on an institution’s letterhead paper, it has to contain a clear identification of the institution, which the person who issued the document is affiliated with (i.e. generally the name of the institution, address, website link). Admission/invitation letter should be issued for the same period as the period stated by the applicant in his/her online application and it cannot be older than 3 months on the day of the application deadline. In case of PhD students, the admission/invitation letter should not be just a formal admission to a scholarship stay, but it should reflect a certain level of host institution’s interest in applicant’s study and/or research/artistic stay in the framework of the NSP.

Required documents that must be attached to online application for a teaching and/or research/artistic stay in case of international university teachers/researchers/artists (eligible applicants under the category C):

• curriculum vitae;
• detailed teaching and/or research/artistic programme (it is necessary to indicate the name of the host institution where the applicant has been accepted, the date of the beginning of the stay, duration of the stay and an appropriately detailed time plan of the stay);
• applicant’s diploma of the highest academic degree achieved;
• list of publications/artistic activities in the required form
• invitation letter issued by applicant’s host higher education institution/research organisation in Slovakia indicating the period of stay. In this document, the higher education institution/research organisation commits itself to accept the applicant for a teaching and/or research/artistic stay. Invitation letter is an official document usually on the letterhead paper of the respective higher education institution/research organisation, signed by the person who issued the document, the document should contain position and contact details of that person; if it is not possible to issue the document on an institution’s letterhead paper, it has to contain a clear identification of the institution, which the person who issued the document is affiliated with (i.e. generally the name of the institution, address, website link). Invitation letter should be issued for the same period as the period stated by the applicant in his/her online application and it cannot be older than 3 months on the day of the application deadline. In case of university teachers/researchers/artists, the invitation letter should not be just a formal admission for a scholarship stay, but it should reflect a certain level of host institution’s interest in applicant’s teaching and/or research/artistic stay in the framework of the NSP.

6. Selection procedure

Scholarships and/or travel allowances (travel grant) are not legally enforceable; meeting of all the formal requirements of the programme according to the respective call for applications, applicant’s quality, content of applicant’s proposed stay and its necessity, and the NSP budget availability related to the respective call for applications, have an impact on granting the scholarship from the NSP sources.

The applicant is responsible for the final completeness of the application and for the correctness of the information provided in the application and its annexes; due to sufficient time for the preparation of the application in the period between the opening of the electronic application system and the deadline for submitting the applications, as well as to the applicant’s declaration when submitting the application, that all information provided in the application is complete, actual and true and that the application is complete and contains all the required annexes and documents, the scholarship Programme Administrator is not obliged to give the applicant an opportunity to amend the application (the application is therefore assessed as submitted by the applicant). For more information on the selection procedure Click Here

7. Scholarship grant and conditions for its payment

The administrator respects the selection of the scholarship holders carried out by the Selection Committee and grants scholarships in accordance with that selection. SAIA, n. o., will inform every applicant about being/not being granted financial support from NSP sources usually within 8 weeks from the application deadline.

If there is no objective obstacle (e.g. conditional award of the scholarship on the fulfillment of additional conditions indicated by the Selection Committee), upon submission of the original acceptance/invitation letter, SAIA, n. o., will issue and send the Letter of Award confirming the approval of the scholarship within the NSP by post to the scholarship holder (in specific situations by an alternative method) together with a binding scholarship offer containing information and requirements for the payment of the scholarship. Before the first scholarship paymentthe scholarship holder is obliged to send a letter of acceptance to the Programme Administrator (the formular will be sent to the scholarship holder by the Programme Administrator), a notarized copy of the diploma with the highest academic degree achieved, and:

• in case of students and PhD. students an original of the confirmation on studies valid for the academic year in which the scholarship stay will take place (confirmation issued not sooner than one month before September, or before February in case of scholarship stay which will take place in the summer semester).Click here for more information.