Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic (MŠMT)

The Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MŠMT) funds several programmes for foreign students, each for a very different audience: full scholarships for citizens of selected developing countries, free Czech summer courses, and a fellowship for PhD students registered in France.

ForsaEdu has three programmes from this body, each with its own page of criteria, documents and benefits. This guide helps you see which one is open to you and explains how to apply to each.

Which programme fits you?

Development countries scholarships: master's and PhD

• Eligible countries change every year. In the 2027/2028 call they were Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus, Ethiopia, Gabon, Mauritania, Zambia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Palestine, Guatemala and Honduras.
• Age is set by birth dates in each call. For 2027/2028: born between 1 September 1991 and 31 August 2008.
• Not open to anyone currently studying at a Czech university, to Czech and EU citizens, or to Czech permanent residents.
• An application is complete only after two online tests: an English test and a general academic aptitude test. You can take them at any time before the deadline.
• The motivation letter is at most one page for a master's and two pages for a PhD.
• The attachments include a statutory declaration that you will return to your country after your studies, so read it carefully before signing.
• The host university pays the stipend after you arrive and enrol, and you pay dorm housing, meals and transport from it. Travel is not covered.

In the 2027/2028 call, applications ran from 1 August to 30 September 2026. The next call, for 2028/2029, is expected in the same period of 2027.

Summer schools: no direct applications

• Czech courses in July and August in Prague, Brno, Olomouc, Pilsen, České Budějovice and Poděbrady, at every level from beginner (A0) to advanced (C1), taught in Czech or English depending on your level.
• You must be 18 or over. Priority goes to students, teachers and translators of Czech and Slavonic studies, but anyone interested may be considered.
• Apply to the approved body in your country, such as the Czech embassy or the education ministry, by its own deadline. Applications sent straight to the Czech ministry or the universities are rejected.
• The body sends its nominees and substitutes to the ministry by 31 March, and nominees then register in the online system.
• You may be placed at a different school than your first choice.
• Travel, health insurance and visa are at your expense. If your country is not covered, you can join as a self-paying participant.

Barrande Fellowship: a PhD between France and Czechia

• There is no nationality requirement for PhD students registered at a French university, which makes it a good fit for Arab students in France.
• You must be enrolled (or about to enrol) in a PhD under joint supervision (cotutelle) between a French and a Czech university, with both supervisors' support.
• The fellowship covers 5 months a year for up to 3 years (15 months). Travel is not covered.
• All documents are in English: academic CV, cover letter, project description, a reference from the French supervisor, an acceptance letter from the Czech supervisor and a transcript.
• About 50 candidates apply each year, and 25 to 30 are selected by a joint committee of the Czech ministry and the French Embassy.

The 2027/2028 call is open now until 29 January 2027.

Shared tips

• Everything is online, and you can save the application and finish it later.
• There is no legal entitlement to a scholarship, even if you meet the conditions.
• For the academic CV, read the Europass CV guide, and for references, the recommendation letters guide.

Common mistakes

• Applying for the development scholarships from a country not listed in that year's call.
• Leaving the two online tests to the last day, when the application is not assessed without them.
• Sending a summer school application straight to the Czech ministry instead of the nominating body in your country.
• Applying for Barrande without a joint supervision agreement or a letter from the Czech supervisor.
• Travelling to a summer school without health insurance.