When it comes to studying abroad, Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, may not be the first destination that comes to mind, but it is worth considering. This Central European country is a member of the European Union and uses the euro. It also offers comparatively affordable living costs and has many universities with well-structured study options.
Studying in Slovakia can provide an excellent opportunity to travel, learn a new language, and form lifelong friendships. Slovakia is an EU and OECD member country that welcomes international academic mobility through government-funded scholarship programs. In this article, we will look at Slovakia Government scholarships for international students.
Slovakia Government Scholarship Awards
The Government of the Slovak Republic approved the National Scholarship Programme of the Slovak Republic, also known as the NSP, in 2005. The program is financed by the Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic from the state budget. It supports the mobility of international students, PhD students, university teachers, researchers, and artists for scholarship stays at higher education institutions and research organizations in Slovakia.
The scholarship amount depends on the applicant category and, for university teachers, researchers, and artists, on academic degree and work experience. The current monthly amounts are €620 for university students at the second level of higher education, €1,025.50 for PhD students and for university teachers, researchers, or artists without a PhD and with less than four years of experience, €1,370 for university teachers, researchers, or artists with a PhD and less than 10 years of experience, and €1,470 for those with a PhD and more than 10 years of experience. The scholarship is intended to cover living costs, such as food and accommodation, during the scholarship stay in Slovakia.
Students and PhD students can also apply for a travel grant as part of their scholarship application. The travel grant is a separate lump-sum allowance based on the direct distance between the applicant’s place of residence, or home institution, and the host institution in Slovakia. The current travel grant ranges from €0 for distances up to 200 km to €1,500 for distances of more than 7,000 km. It is paid at the end of the scholarship stay together with the final scholarship payment.
Eligibility Criteria: Slovakia Government Scholarship
To be eligible for the National Scholarship Programme, student applicants must be studying at a university outside Slovakia. They must either be students at the second level of higher education, such as master’s students, or students who have completed at least 2.5 years of university studies in the same or a similar study program by the application deadline. They must also be accepted by a public, private, or state higher education institution in Slovakia for an academic mobility stay. For students, the scholarship stay can last 1 to 2 full semesters, or 1 to 3 full trimesters if the academic year is divided into trimesters.
PhD applicants must have their higher education or scientific training outside Slovakia and must be accepted by an eligible higher education institution or research institution in Slovakia for an academic mobility stay to study, conduct research, or carry out an artistic stay. PhD students can receive an NSP scholarship for 1 to 10 months. University teachers, researchers, and artists may also apply if they are invited by an eligible institution in Slovakia for a teaching, research, or artistic stay, which can also last 1 to 10 months.
Citizens of any country except Slovakia can apply for a scholarship stay in Slovakia under the NSP. However, the program does not support international applicants who have spent 15 or more months in Slovakia within the 36 months before the application deadline. It also does not support applicants who have been accepted for a scholarship stay in Slovakia under another publicly funded scholarship program, such as Erasmus+, CEEPUS, the International Visegrad Fund, or bilateral agreements. Applicants who previously received an NSP scholarship may reapply only if at least two years have passed between the previous NSP scholarship deadline and the new application deadline.
Scholarship holders from countries outside the EU, EEA, and Switzerland whose scholarship stay lasts longer than 90 days and who need a temporary residence permit must submit confirmation to the foreign police office that they do not suffer from a disease threatening public health within 30 days of being awarded temporary residence. The NSP reimburses costs related to the medical examination and the issuing of this confirmation up to €250 per scholarship holder, provided that the required original bill is delivered to SAIA by the stated deadline.
How to Apply: Slovakia Government Scholarships
The application for the Slovakia Government scholarship is completed online through the official NSP application system. The current application deadlines are April 30 at 16:00 CET for scholarship stays during the next academic year and October 31 at 16:00 CET for scholarship stays during the summer semester of the current academic year. The online application system opens at least six weeks before the application deadline. Applicants who need a visa or temporary residence permit should account for the time needed to collect documents, secure an appointment, and complete the visa or residence procedure.
Applications and required attachments must be submitted in Slovak or English. Documents issued in another language must be submitted with an official translation into Slovak or English, although documents issued in Czech do not need to be translated. In exceptional force majeure situations, the program administrator may temporarily accept unofficial translations, but successful applicants will need to provide official translations before the official letter of award is issued.
Required documents vary by applicant category. Student applicants generally need a curriculum vitae, motivation letter, detailed study program, two recommendation letters, confirmation of student status, a bachelor’s diploma and diploma supplement together with the state examination certificate if applicable, and an acceptance or invitation letter from the host higher education institution in Slovakia. PhD applicants generally need a curriculum vitae, motivation letter, detailed study, research, or artistic program, a recommendation letter from their dissertation supervisor, confirmation of PhD student status, a master’s diploma and diploma supplement together with the state examination certificate if applicable, a list of publications or artistic activities or a statement that they do not have any publications, and an acceptance or invitation letter from the host institution in Slovakia.
University teachers, researchers, and artists generally need a curriculum vitae, a detailed teaching, research, or artistic program, a diploma for the highest academic degree achieved, a list of publications or artistic activities in the required form, and an acceptance or invitation letter from the host institution in Slovakia. Acceptance or invitation letters should be issued for the same period as the planned stay stated in the online application and cannot be older than three months on the application deadline.
Applicants are responsible for submitting a complete and accurate application by the deadline. The program administrator is not required to give applicants an opportunity to amend an incomplete or incorrect application after submission. Applications are assessed based on formal eligibility, the quality and content of the proposed stay, the necessity of the stay, the applicant’s qualifications and achievements, the contribution to the host institution, the overall quality and consistency of the application, and the available NSP budget.
Overall, the Slovak Republic can be a strong option for international students and researchers looking for a European academic mobility experience. It is an affordable and beautiful country that offers modern educational opportunities, research facilities, and access to the wider European academic environment.
Students can learn a new language, improve their English skills, and enjoy cultural and natural sights. In addition, there is a lot of financial assistance available to help students pursue their education. To help you with your studies, besides scholarships, check out the most affordable universities in Slovakia for international students.
We hope that this article on Slovakia Government scholarships for international students was helpful. If you are interested in studying in Europe, make sure to check out Available Programs in Europe for International Students.
