Slovakia NSP Scholarship 2026-27: Benefits and How to Apply

The Slovakia NSP Scholarship 2026-27 supports international students, PhD candidates, university teachers, researchers and artists who want to spend a study or research period in Slovakia. The current call closes on 31 October 2026 at 16:00 CET and covers stays during the summer semester of the 2026-27 academic year. Applications go through the official National Scholarship Programme portal.

This is a mobility scholarship: you spend an approved period at a Slovak host institution while continuing your academic work. It does not pay for a complete degree in Slovakia. Start by finding a suitable department and securing an acceptance or invitation letter; that document is needed before you can submit the scholarship application.

Below you will find the current funding amounts, eligibility rules, Slovakia NSP required documents and application steps. Check your applicant category carefully, because a university student and a visiting researcher do not submit the same supporting documents.

Slovakia NSP Scholarship 2026-27 at a Glance

Host country: Slovakia.

Administrator: SAIA, the Slovak Academic Information Agency.

Funding: Slovak government support for approved mobility stays.

Eligible citizenship: all countries except Slovakia, subject to programme conditions.

Main support: a monthly living allowance; eligible students and PhD candidates may also request travel support.

Application route: an individual online application, supported by a Slovak host institution.

Preparing your application folder? Our scholarship documents checklist can help you organize your files before checking the NSP requirements below.

Scholarship Benefits and Monthly Stipend

The NSP provides a monthly living allowance intended to help with accommodation, food and everyday expenses during an approved stay. The amount depends on the applicant category:

University students: €620 per month.

PhD students: €1,025.50 per month.

Teachers, researchers and artists without a PhD and with less than four years of experience: €1,025.50 per month.

PhD holders with less than ten years of relevant experience: €1,370 per month.

PhD holders with more than ten years of relevant experience: €1,470 per month.

For professional applicants, experience is assessed at the application deadline. If your experience falls exactly on a category boundary, ask SAIA to confirm the correct rate before preparing your budget.

Travel Allowance

Eligible university students and PhD candidates can request a travel grant with their scholarship application. It ranges from €0 for distances up to 200 km to €1,500 for distances over 7,000 km. The official terms list the intermediate distance bands. Payment is made at the end of the stay with the final scholarship instalment, so plan how you will cover your outward journey.

Plan Your Budget Before Accepting

Ask your host about accommodation prices, deposits and any costs connected with the proposed activities. A fixed allowance is not a promise that every expense will be reimbursed. Keep a separate arrival budget rather than assuming that travel support will be available before departure.

Who Can Apply for the Slovakia NSP Scholarship?

The programme accepts citizens of all countries except Slovakia. Eligibility also depends on your current academic status and the purpose of the proposed visit.

Students Studying Abroad

You must be enrolled at a university outside Slovakia and either be studying at master's level or have completed at least 2.5 years of university study in the relevant programme. Your Slovak host must accept you for academic mobility during your studies abroad. Student support normally covers one or two full semesters, or an eligible trimester arrangement.

Doctoral Candidates

Your doctoral studies or scientific training must be based outside Slovakia. Acceptance from an eligible Slovak university or research institution is required for a study, research or artistic stay. The permitted duration is between one and ten months.

University Teachers, Researchers and Artists

An eligible Slovak institution must invite you for a teaching, research or artistic visit. These stays can last one to ten months. Applicants without a PhD should check the programme's experience restriction and any applicable exception.

Restrictions to Check First

NSP does not fund a complete bachelor's, master's or PhD degree in Slovakia. Applicants who spent 15 months or more in Slovakia during the previous 36 months are excluded under the current rules. Overlapping support from another publicly funded scholarship in Slovakia is also restricted. Previous NSP recipients normally need a two-year interval between the relevant award and reapplication deadlines.

No universal IELTS requirement appears in the NSP supporting-document lists. However, your host decides what language ability is needed for the planned work. Get its requirements in writing; an English-medium certificate is useful only if the institution accepts it.

If you are comparing NSP's short-term mobility support with a full degree abroad, our study in Sweden application guide explains the separate admissions, scholarship and document requirements for bachelor's and master's study.

Slovakia NSP Required Documents

Choose the checklist for your applicant category on the official programme page. Prepare clear scans and check dates, signatures and translations before uploading them.

Student Application Checklist

Curriculum vitae and a motivation letter.

A detailed study plan with subjects, credits, host institution and stay dates.

Two recommendation letters from university teachers.

Recent confirmation of current studies from the home university.

Bachelor's diploma, diploma supplement and state-examination certificate, where applicable.

An acceptance or invitation letter from the Slovak host.

Records from an earlier NSP-funded student stay, if applicable.

Supporting Papers for PhD Candidates

Prepare a CV, motivation letter, detailed study or research plan, one recommendation from your dissertation supervisor, confirmation of doctoral enrolment, master's qualification documents and the host invitation. Include the required publications or artistic-activity list, or the applicable declaration if you have no publications.

Professional Applicants: Required Records

Teachers, researchers and artists submit a CV, detailed programme of the visit, highest-degree diploma, publications or artistic-activity list and host invitation. Use the prescribed publication-list format.

Student and PhD study confirmations, recommendations and host letters have specific freshness rules, generally no older than three months at the deadline. Applications and attachments must meet the Slovak or English language requirements; check the official translation rules for documents issued in other languages.

Make your reasons specific to the host department. Our motivation letter guide can help you explain your academic goals in a clear structure.

How to Apply for Slovakia NSP

1. Find a Suitable Host

Choose a university department or research team whose work fits your proposed visit. Read its staff profiles and course or research information before making contact. A focused message gives the recipient a clear reason to consider your request.

2. Secure the Acceptance Letter

Discuss your activities and exact dates with the host. Request a formal NSP acceptance or invitation letter, rather than relying on an informal email. Explain both the online deadline and the requirement to deliver the original letter to SAIA.

Not sure how to approach a potential supervisor? Adapt our acceptance-letter email example to your own research interests and proposed visit.

3. Build a Consistent Application

Prepare your documents, then complete the application through the official NSP portal. Match the dates in your form, invitation and work plan. For a research visit, describe achievable activities and outputs; for a study visit, explain the subjects and credits you plan to complete.

4. Submit and Arrange Delivery

Upload every required attachment and complete the final online submission before the deadline. Saving a draft does not submit an application. Keep the final files and any submission confirmation for your records, and track delivery of the original host letter.

5. Follow the Outcome

SAIA normally informs applicants within eight weeks of the deadline. Selection considers the quality and consistency of the application, academic achievements, the purpose of the visit and its value to the host. Funding is competitive, so meeting the basic conditions does not guarantee an award.

Application Deadline and Stay Dates

The current online deadline is 31 October 2026 at 16:00 CET. This call is for the summer semester of academic year 2026-27. The portal opens at least six weeks before each deadline; an exact opening day should not be assumed from that rule.

The original acceptance or invitation letter must reach SAIA in Bratislava by 12 noon on the third working day after the deadline, calculated under Slovak working-day rules. Posting it by that date is insufficient. Use the delivery address in the current official call and coordinate with your host early.

University students: start between 1 February and 1 April 2027; finish no later than 31 August 2027.

PhD candidates and professional applicants: start between 1 February and 31 August 2027; finish no later than 30 November 2027.

Your chosen dates must also fit the permitted duration for your category. Under the standing annual schedule, the next April deadline is 30 April 2027 for stays in the following academic year; check that call when it opens.

Official Sources

Reviewed on 15 October 2026: current summer-semester call, international applicant terms, and SAIA application guidance. These official instructions take priority if requirements change.