Serbia’s bilateral scholarships are awarded by the Serbian government to citizens of countries that have signed education cooperation agreements or programmes with Serbia, and the Ministry of Education announces them every year. They cover free tuition, 15,000 RSD per month, housing and meals in student residences, basic health insurance, and a free residence visa and free recognition of your diplomas. In the 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 announcements we could access, bachelor’s scholarships are reserved for Russia, Moldova, China, Hungary and Ukraine, and we found no Arab country on the published list of partner countries. For many international students the main route is therefore the World in Serbia scholarship. This page explains the difference between the two programmes, how to check whether your country is covered, and how nomination works.
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What are bilateral scholarships?
Serbia’s Ministry of Education offers scholarships under bilateral agreements and education cooperation programmes with a number of countries (13 in the 2026/2027 offer: Greece, Italy, Bulgaria, Russia, Romania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, China, Bavaria, Korea, Ukraine and Hungary). They fund bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral studies, or short study and training stays. The number of scholarships and the fields they cover are set by the programme signed with each country, so they differ from one country and one year to the next.
| Item | Bilateral scholarships | World in Serbia scholarship |
|---|---|---|
| Who is eligible | Citizens of countries that have signed an education cooperation programme with Serbia | Citizens of Non-Aligned Movement countries in Africa, Asia, and Central and South America |
| Arab countries | None of the 13 countries in the 2026/2027 offer is an Arab country | Most Arab countries are members of the Movement |
| Monthly allowance | 15,000 RSD | 18,000 RSD |
| Housing and meals | Free in student residences | Free in student residences |
| Insurance, visa and recognition | Basic insurance, free residence visa, free recognition of diplomas | Health insurance, free visa, free diploma verification |
| How to apply | Nomination by the competent authority in your country | Nomination by the competent authority in your country |
What does a bilateral scholarship cover?
- Free tuition at a public university.
- A monthly allowance of 15,000 Serbian dinars (about 128 euros).
- Free housing and meals in student residences.
- Basic health insurance.
- A free residence visa.
- Free recognition of your secondary-school and university diplomas.
The scholarship does not cover travel, local transport, study materials or the residence-card fee. It is only for faculties of public universities, and teaching is mostly in Serbian, so expect a language year or a language-proficiency requirement.
Is your country covered?
In the 2026/2027 announcement, bachelor’s scholarships were allocated to Russia, Moldova, China, Hungary and Ukraine, while master’s, doctoral and short-stay scholarships went to the other signatory countries. The official portal for foreigners (welcometoserbia.gov.rs) lists these partner countries: China, Russia, Ukraine, Slovenia, Slovakia, Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Korea, Italy, Greece, Romania and Bavaria, with about 60 scholarships a year for stays of 3 to 12 months.
Some other countries have signed education cooperation programmes with Serbia; for example, Egypt and Serbia signed a strategic partnership declaration together with an executive programme for cooperation in education. But a cooperation programme does not automatically mean specific scholarships exist, and we could not find the text of the Egypt–Serbia programme or its number of scholarships published. So:
- Ask your country’s ministry of higher education (scholarships or cultural relations department) whether Serbian scholarships exist under a cooperation programme currently in force.
- Ask the Serbian embassy in your country about the annual announcement.
- Follow the Serbian Ministry of Education website (prosveta.gov.rs) in spring, when the bilateral scholarship announcement and the document “Offer of the Republic of Serbia of scholarships to foreign nationals” are published.
How does nomination work?
Direct individual applications to Serbia are not accepted for bilateral scholarships:
- You apply to the competent authority in your own country (the ministry of education or a government body in charge of scholarships).
- That authority selects candidates and sends the Serbian Ministry of Education a main list and a reserve list with the documents.
- In the 2026/2027 announcement the deadline for lists to reach Serbia was 15 July 2026, and national authorities set earlier internal deadlines.
- Once approved, you get your visa free of charge and are enrolled at the university and in student housing.
Usual documents
- The nomination form from the national authority.
- A valid passport.
- Certificates and transcripts, legalised and translated.
- A medical certificate.
- A motivation letter, a research proposal for doctoral applicants, and an acceptance letter or supervisor’s consent if requested.
The realistic alternative: the World in Serbia scholarship
World in Serbia is a separate government programme that started in 2010/2011 for citizens of member and observer countries of the Non-Aligned Movement, and it has hosted students from more than 100 countries. It covers an intensive Serbian language year, free study at a public university at every level, housing and meals, health insurance, and a monthly allowance of 18,000 RSD. Age limits: under 21 for bachelor’s, 25 for master’s and 35 for doctoral studies. You apply through nomination by the official authority in your country, usually between May and June. Read about the World in Serbia scholarship and how to apply for it.
Other scholarships that suit few international students
- CEEPUS: an exchange programme for Central European countries only.
- “Serbia for Serbs from the region”: 80 scholarships for members of Serbian communities in neighbouring countries.
- Erasmus+: for exchanges between partner universities, and possibly available if your home university is a partner of a Serbian university. Read Erasmus+ scholarships in Serbia.
Tips to improve your chances with any Serbian government scholarship
- Start early in your own country: the nominating authority sets its internal deadlines weeks before the lists are due in Serbia.
- Prepare documents before the announcement: legalisation, translation and the medical certificate take time.
- Choose a realistic programme: government scholarships are for public universities, and teaching is mostly in Serbian.
- Watch the age limits: for World in Serbia they are under 21 for bachelor’s, 25 for master’s and 35 for doctoral studies.
- Read the announcement itself: conditions, coverage and deadlines change from year to year, and the reference is the Serbian Ministry of Education website.
- Keep copies of all correspondence with the nominating authority and the embassy.
Common mistakes
- Mixing up bilateral scholarships and the World in Serbia scholarship, and applying to the wrong programme.
- Dealing with agents who charge a fee to “guarantee” a government scholarship; official nomination goes through a government body in your country.
- Waiting for the Serbian announcement before asking the nominating authority, and missing the internal deadline.
What if you do not find a scholarship?
Self-funded study in Serbia is among the cheapest in Europe: public bachelor’s programmes for foreigners mostly cost between 1,000 and 3,600 euros a year, and living costs start at about 345 euros a month including housing. Some universities allow payment in instalments or offer a discount for paying in one go. Read Serbian university discounts and scholarships and Study free in Serbia.
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Degree levels and entry basics to check before you apply
Before choosing a scholarship programme, it helps to know how Serbian degrees are structured. According to the European Commission’s Study in Europe profile of Serbia, Serbia fully applies the three-cycle degree system, ECTS credits and the diploma supplement.
- Bachelor’s degree: 3–4 years.
- Master’s degree: 1–2 years.
- PhD: minimum 3 years. Admission to doctoral studies requires a bachelor’s and master’s degree totalling at least 300 ECTS (see Study in Serbia: academic levels).
- Integrated programmes of 5–6 years exist mainly in medicine, dentistry and pharmacy.
For the visa, the official portal lists proof of a scholarship among the accepted proofs of means of subsistence and of health insurance for the D visa (source). Keep your award letter. All foreign citizens must also register their address with the local police within 24 hours of arrival (source).
Frequently asked questions
Which countries are covered by Serbia’s bilateral scholarships?
The Serbian Ministry of Education’s offer for 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 covers 13 countries, none of them Arab. Ask your country’s ministry of higher education or the Serbian embassy about any new programme.
How much is the monthly allowance for bilateral scholarships?
15,000 Serbian dinars a month, plus housing, meals and basic insurance.
Can I apply directly to the Serbian Ministry of Education?
No. Nomination goes through the competent authority in your country, which sends the lists to Serbia.
What is the difference between bilateral scholarships and World in Serbia?
Bilateral scholarships are for countries that signed cooperation programmes (mostly European countries and China). World in Serbia is for Non-Aligned Movement countries, which include most Arab countries, and its allowance is higher (18,000 RSD).
Do bilateral scholarships cover the flight ticket?
The announced coverage includes tuition, the monthly allowance, housing, meals, basic insurance, the visa and diploma recognition. Flights are not mentioned, so treat them as your own cost unless your country’s programme says otherwise.
Last updated: October 2026. Information comes from the Serbian Ministry of Education announcements and the official portal for foreigners.
Sources
- Serbian Ministry of Education: bilateral scholarships announcement 2025/2026
- Serbian Ministry of Education: scholarship offer for foreigners 2026/2027
- Official portal for foreigners: scholarships
- Government of Serbia: strategic partnership with Egypt
- Serbian Ministry of Education: World in Serbia scholarships