Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships

What the scholarship covers

• Monthly stipend of CHF 1,920
• Tuition fee waiver
• Health insurance
• Housing allowance
• Airfare on arrival

Eligibility requirements

• Master's degree (PhD) or doctorate (postdoc) before starting
• Born after a country-specific cut-off year
• A letter of acceptance from a Swiss academic supervisor
• Research proposal aligned with the host institution

Documents you will need

• Application form from your country's Swiss embassy
• Research proposal
• Two letters of recommendation
• Letter of support from the Swiss supervisor
• Medical certificate

How to apply, step by step

1. 1

   Secure a Swiss supervisor first

   Without a letter of acceptance from a professor at a Swiss institution, the application cannot proceed. Start here.

2. 2

   Check your country's embassy page

   Applications are handled by the Swiss embassy in your country, each with its own deadline and document list.

3. 3

   Prepare the research proposal

   It must fit the host institution's work and be endorsed by the supervisor.

4. 4

   Complete the embassy application form

   Downloaded from your country's Swiss representation, not a central portal.

5. 5

   Obtain two academic references

   From professors who have supervised your research directly.

6. 6

   Submit to the embassy

   Usually as physical documents in a specified number of copies.

When to do what

Counting backwards from the deadline. Applications rushed in the final fortnight are the ones that fail.

1. 28 weeks before

   Begin emailing potential Swiss supervisors, this takes the longest.

2. 22 weeks before

   Refine the research proposal with supervisor input.

3. 16 weeks before

   Request the letter of acceptance in writing.

4. 12 weeks before

   Download the current form from your Swiss embassy.

5. 10 weeks before

   Request references and the medical certificate.

6. 6 weeks before

   Assemble the required number of physical copies.

7. 3 weeks before

   Deliver the application to the embassy.

What the panel is actually looking for

• Research quality and fit with the host institution
• Strength of the supervisor's endorsement
• Academic record at master's or doctoral level
• Country-specific age limits

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying without a confirmed Swiss supervisor, which is disqualifying.
• Leaving supervisor outreach until a few weeks before the deadline.
• Using a generic proposal not tied to the host institution's work.
• Missing that the embassy deadline differs from the university's.
• Sending fewer physical copies than the embassy specifies.

Fields of study