Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship for Pakistanis: Apply by 31 October 2026

Pakistani researchers can apply for a Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship for 2027-28 until 31 October 2026. It pays CHF 2,450 a month for a PhD of up to three years, or a one year research stay, in Switzerland. You apply online at go.eskas.ch, and you need a Swiss professor's letter of support first.

We read HEC's notice of 3 September 2026 and the Swiss government's own scholarship pages, run by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI), on 29 September 2026. HEC's notice says the Embassy of Switzerland in Pakistan announced the scholarship, and it gives the last date as 31 October 2026. HEC only advertises it. It does not select anyone.

This is not a Master's scholarship. SERI says it is mainly for early career researchers who already hold a Master's degree. Finding a supervisor in Switzerland is the slow part, so the month you have left matters.

Swiss scholarship applications for Pakistanis close on 31 October

The last date for Pakistani applicants is 31 October 2026, according to HEC's notice. Applications opened on 20 August 2026. The scholarship starts on 1 September 2027, and decisions come by the end of May 2027 at the latest.

Deadlines differ by country, and SERI says it publishes them by country of origin. We could not load the Swiss Embassy's own Pakistan page, which blocked our request. So the 31 October date here rests on HEC's notice, and it is worth checking on the application portal before you submit.

Two scholarship types are open to Pakistan

HEC lists two types for Pakistan: a three year PhD scholarship and a one year research scholarship for doctoral students. The art scholarship is offered only to selected countries, and SERI says postdoctoral scholarships end from 2027-28.

• PhD scholarship: for a full PhD at a Swiss university. It runs 12 months and can be renewed twice, up to 36 months, if your first year goes well.
• Research stay: for someone already doing a PhD in Pakistan or elsewhere, to spend 6 to 12 months researching in Switzerland. It cannot be extended.

Host institutions can be any Swiss cantonal university, a university of applied sciences, ETH Zurich or EPFL, or one of four research institutes: PSI, WSL, Empa and Eawag. Medicine is included. SERI names young medical doctors in its target group.

If your plan is a taught Master's rather than research, this is the wrong scholarship. The Commonwealth Scholarship, whose Pakistani round is also open now, covers both Master's and PhD study.

Who can apply from Pakistan

You must have a Master's degree, or finish one by 31 July 2027, and be born after 31 December 1991. You also need a research plan and a letter of support from a supervisor in Switzerland. Those four conditions decide most applications.

• Degree: Master's or equivalent completed by 31 July 2027. For ETH Zurich the cut off is 30 June 2027.
• Age: born after 31 December 1991, so a maximum age of 35.
• Supervisor: a professor or lab group leader in Switzerland who agrees to guide your project. No supervisor means no application.
• Research plan: a detailed plan with a timeline, on the official form, up to 5 pages.
• Not yet in Switzerland: if you already live there, you must have arrived on or after 1 August 2026.

SERI also lists what gets an application thrown out. That includes applying to several universities at once, a missing letter of support, more than one research proposal, a past Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship, and a fourth try after three failed ones.

For a Pakistani degree, keep your transcripts attested early. HEC degree attestation is now fully online, but it still takes time you do not have in October.

How to apply for the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship

Find a Swiss supervisor, get their letter and short CV, write your research plan on the official form, line up two referees, and submit everything on the ESKAS portal by 31 October 2026. Applying is free.

1. Search Swiss university websites for a professor in your field. SERI says neither ESKAS nor the universities will find one for you.
2. Email them a short CV, a motivation letter, two or three recommendation letters and a 2 to 3 page research plan, as SERI's FAQ suggests.
3. Get their letter of support on institutional letterhead, with their short CV.
4. Create an account on go.eskas.ch, download the research proposal form, and fill in the application.
5. Upload your CV, a motivation letter of up to 2 pages, transcripts, degrees and passport, and enter two professors' email addresses for references.
6. Submit before 31 October 2026.

A PhD scholarship and admission to a PhD programme are two separate processes. If your target is a doctoral school rather than a single supervisor, SERI says you must already hold its admission letter when you apply.

Be careful with offers that ask for money. SERI warns about fake Swiss scholarship emails asking for "visa" or "insurance" payments, and says the application is free. Anyone charging you to apply is not the Swiss government, and the same checks you would run on a study abroad agent apply here too.

What the scholarship pays, and what it does not

The scholarship pays CHF 2,450 a month for living costs, covers compulsory health insurance for Pakistani holders, and gives a return flight allowance. It does not pay tuition or semester fees, which SERI puts at about CHF 600 to CHF 2,000 a semester where charged.

SERI says the allowance is not a salary and covers basic living costs for one person only. The Swiss government raised it to CHF 2,450 from 1 January 2026 and cut the number of awards to pay for the rise, so competition is likely to be tighter this year.

If Switzerland does not work out, Germany's HEC-DAAD PhD scholarship is the other fully funded doctoral route HEC advertises, with its own yearly cycle.

Common questions

What is the last date for the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship in Pakistan?

31 October 2026, for the 2027-28 academic year, according to HEC's notice citing the Swiss Embassy in Pakistan.

Can I apply for a Master's degree with this scholarship?

No. For Pakistan, it covers a PhD or a one year research stay during a PhD. You need a Master's degree first.

What is the age limit?

You must be born after 31 December 1991, which SERI describes as a maximum age of 35.

How much is the Swiss scholarship stipend?

CHF 2,450 a month, plus health insurance and a return flight allowance. Tuition and semester fees are not covered.

Do I need a supervisor before applying?

Yes. A letter of support from a supervisor in Switzerland is required, and applications without one are not considered.

Does HEC select the candidates?

No. HEC only advertises the scholarship. The Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students in Switzerland decides.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 29 September 2026. The 31 October 2026 deadline, the two scholarship types for Pakistan, the application portal and HEC's role are read in HEC's announcement "SWISS Government Excellence Scholarships 2027-28 for Pakistani Students", dated 3 September 2026. The opening date, eligibility, exclusion rules, documents, CHF 2,450 allowance, health insurance, flight allowance, fees, start date, decision date and the scam warning are read on SERI's "Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships 2027-2028" and "at a Glance" pages. The supervisor advice, the three-attempt limit and the end of postdoctoral awards are read in SERI's FAQ. HEC's move to fully online attestation is its announcement of 12 May 2026. The Swiss Embassy's Pakistan page refused our request, so we could not read the deadline there directly.