The Visegrad Scholarship Program is a mobility grant from the International Visegrad Fund, an organization jointly financed by the governments of Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia (the V4). It pays for one to two semesters of Master's-level study or post-Master's research at accredited universities and research institutions in the V4 and a set list of partner countries in Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans. You can read the full scholarship details on our listing.
Before anything else, the eligibility question. This scholarship is tied to citizenship or long-term residence in specific countries, and Pakistan is not one of them. A Pakistani national with no citizenship or qualifying residence in a V4 or partner country cannot apply. If you are a Pakistani student who holds a second citizenship, or who has long-term residence in one of the listed countries, the picture changes, and this guide is written with you in mind. It is also useful for counsellors advising students from those regions.
The Visegrad program in one table
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Provider | International Visegrad Fund |
| Funding | Partial: EUR 3,500 per semester to the scholar, plus EUR 2,000 per semester to the host institution |
| Level | Master's and post-Master's (research/postdoctoral) |
| Duration | One to two semesters |
| Fields | All fields |
| Where | Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Eastern Partnership/Western Balkans partner countries |
| Portal opens | January 1 |
| Deadline | April 15, 12:00 PM CET, for the semester beginning the following autumn |
| Official site | visegradfund.org |
Two mobility directions, and why your passport decides everything
The program runs along two routes. The first, Intra-Visegrad, supports a citizen of one V4 country studying in another V4 country. A Slovak student going to Poland would fall here.
The second route is the one most people outside Central Europe care about. It supports movement in both directions between the V4 and twelve partner countries: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Ukraine. A Georgian citizen can study in Hungary, and a Czech citizen can study in Serbia.
Two rules sit on top of this. You must study in a country different from your country of citizenship or residence, and the pairing has to fit one of the eligible directions. The Fund checks this strictly, so there is no point applying for a combination that does not match your documents.
What EUR 3,500 a semester does and does not cover
Each scholar receives EUR 3,500 per semester, paid directly to the student. The host institution separately receives EUR 2,000 per semester to help with administrative and academic support costs. That second payment goes to the university, not to you.
The amount is fixed. It does not change with the city or country you choose. That makes the choice of host institution a money decision as much as an academic one, because the same stipend stretches further in some places than others. The program is listed as partial funding, so plan for the stipend to sit alongside your own savings or other support rather than replace them.
The positives are real. The money is predictable and lands in your hands. The network covers more than 190 accredited universities and research institutes. Any discipline is accepted, and the teaching language does not have to be English, as long as the host university offers instruction and confirms your admission in that language.
Requirements at the Master's and research levels
Your academic stage determines which track you apply under:
- For Master's-level mobility, you need a completed Bachelor's degree.
- For post-Master's or research mobility, you must be enrolled in or have completed a Master's degree.
On top of that, you need an official letter of acceptance or invitation from the host institution before the deadline. You also cannot have already completed prior studies in the host country for the same degree level.
A common question is whether the program funds a PhD. It funds Master's-level study and post-Master's or postdoctoral research. It does not fund standard PhD enrollment, though a research stay can support doctoral-level work.
The paperwork the Fund asks for
The list is short compared to many scholarships, which is one of its attractions:
- A completed online application through the My Visegrad portal
- A valid passport or national ID
- Academic transcripts from your last two semesters of study
- An official letter of acceptance from the host university
- For post-Master's or research applicants, a detailed research or working plan
- English-language versions or certified translations of all documents
The translation requirement catches people out. If any of your transcripts or ID documents are in another language, budget time for certified translations. Our documents checklist for international scholarships covers how to organise this kind of file.
Getting the acceptance letter first
The order of operations matters here. Unlike scholarships where you win funding and then pick a university, the Visegrad program expects you to have the host institution's acceptance or invitation in hand when you apply. That letter can take weeks to obtain, so it is the real starting point.
- Confirm that your citizenship or residence and your chosen host country fall within an eligible direction (Intra-Visegrad or V4-Eastern Partnership/Western Balkans).
- Contact your intended host university and secure an official acceptance or invitation letter.
- Register on the My Visegrad portal.
- Upload your transcripts, acceptance letter, ID and research plan if applicable before April 15.
- Wait for the Fund's selection decision.
- Complete enrollment at the host university and your visa or residence formalities before the semester starts.
The application links are on the Visegrad Scholarship Program apply page and the Fund's scholarships section.
The January to April window
The portal opens on January 1 each year. The deadline is April 15 at 12:00 PM CET, for study beginning the following autumn. Results are expected in early to mid summer, before the autumn semester begins. Exact dates can shift between cycles, so confirm the current deadline on the official portal before you plan around it.
Do not treat April 15 as your target. Review takes time, and your acceptance letter is the slow part. Starting conversations with host universities before January gives you room to apply soon after the portal opens.
Where applicants go wrong
The biggest mistake is applying without checking eligibility properly. Citizenship and residence rules are the first filter, and an application that falls outside the listed directions will not go anywhere. For Pakistani students specifically, this program only makes sense if you hold citizenship or qualifying long-term residence in one of the named countries. If you are unsure whether your residence status counts, check with the Fund directly before you invest time.
Research-track applicants often submit a vague statement of interest. The Fund asks for a detailed working plan. Spell out what you will do during the semester, at which institution, and with what outcome in mind.
Ignoring cost of living is the third error. Because the stipend is the same everywhere, two otherwise equal host universities can leave you in very different financial positions.
Finally, the Fund publishes statistics and success rates by country and field. Look at them before applying. They will tell you more about your realistic chances than any general advice can.
Who this suits
This is a good fit for a Master's student or recent graduate from an eligible country who wants a semester or a full academic year somewhere else in Central or Southeastern Europe, and who can top up the stipend. It is also useful for postdoctoral researchers who need a short, funded stay at a partner institution. It is not a route to a fully funded degree, and it is closed to Pakistanis without ties to the eligible countries. If that is you, our scholarships guide for Pakistani students is a better place to look.
Frequently asked questions
Can Pakistani citizens apply for the Visegrad Scholarship Program?
No, not on a Pakistani passport alone. Eligibility is limited to citizens or long-term residents of Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the listed Eastern Partnership and Western Balkans countries. A Pakistani student who also holds citizenship or qualifying residence in one of those countries should check their eligibility with the Fund.
How much money does the scholarship pay?
EUR 3,500 per semester goes directly to the scholar. The host institution receives a further EUR 2,000 per semester for administrative and academic support.
Does it fund a full degree?
No. It covers one to two semesters of study or research, not a full degree programme.
Do I need to study in English?
No. Any teaching language is accepted, provided the host university offers instruction and confirms your admission in that language. Your application documents still need to be in English or come with certified translations.
Can I apply before getting accepted by a university?
You need an official acceptance or invitation letter from the host institution as part of the application, so secure that before the April 15 deadline.
For the current cycle's rules and dates, check the International Visegrad Fund website, and see the full Visegrad Scholarship Program page for a summary.