CEEPUS Exchange Scholarships 2027

Applications are open for the CEEPUS Exchange Scholarships 2027 in Austria, offering international students, researchers and university teaching staff an opportunity to undertake funded academic mobility at participating Austrian higher education institutions.

CEEPUS stands for the Central European Exchange Programme for University Studies. It is a multilateral academic mobility programme designed to strengthen cooperation between universities in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe.

In Austria, the programme is supported by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Women, Science and Research and administered through OeAD, Austria's Agency for Education and Internationalisation.

The programme allows eligible participants to study, undertake thesis-related academic work, attend recognised short-term educational activities or teach at a partner university.

Types of CEEPUS Exchange Opportunities

Student Mobility

Undergraduate and postgraduate students may undertake a temporary academic exchange at an eligible university. Standard undergraduate stays usually last between three and ten months.

Short-Term Student Mobility

Students preparing a bachelor's, master's or doctoral thesis may apply for shorter academic stays lasting one or two months.

Summer Schools

Eligible participants may attend approved summer schools organised by participating institutions. These activities generally last between six and twenty days.

Short-Term Academic Excursions

Approved academic excursions can last from three to ten days.

Teacher Mobility

University teachers may undertake teaching or supervision activities at a host institution for a minimum of five days.

Network and Freemover Exchanges

Most CEEPUS mobility takes place through approved university networks connecting departments and institutions in participating countries.

Students whose institutions are not part of a relevant network may also explore the Freemover category, subject to host-university acceptance, national conditions and available scholarship places.

Applicants must meet the requirements of their chosen mobility category.

• Nationality: Applicants should be nationals of a participating CEEPUS country or meet the programme's equal-status requirements.
• University Affiliation: Students must be enrolled at an eligible CEEPUS university; teaching staff must have the relevant institutional affiliation.
• Academic Progress: Standard student applicants must have completed at least two semesters in their relevant field of study. The central CEEPUS portal allows one completed semester for intensive courses.
• Academic Level: Undergraduate and postgraduate students, PhD candidates and eligible university lecturers may apply under the relevant mobility categories.
• Host Country: Applicants cannot receive a CEEPUS scholarship to study in their own country.
• Network Participation: Network applicants must confirm that the relevant university partnership supports their proposed exchange.
• Teacher Requirements: Lecturers must provide evidence of at least six hours of teaching or supervision per five working days at the host institution.
• Language Proficiency: Applicants must meet the language requirements of their Austrian host university.
• Age Limit: No universal age limit is specified in the reviewed programme requirements.

Participating Countries

CEEPUS includes:

Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia.

Eligible higher education institutions in Kosovo also participate in the programme.

For exchanges to Austria, applicants normally come from another participating country or eligible institution.

Can Applicants from Non-CEEPUS Countries Apply?

The official CEEPUS programme allows certain applicants with different nationalities to participate if they are enrolled at an eligible CEEPUS university and satisfy equal-status conditions.

Applicants may need to provide proof of university enrolment or a relevant teaching contract.

Successful applicants may receive the following benefits:

• Scholarship Funding: Financial support from the host country for the approved mobility period.
• Tuition-Fee Exemption: Students participating within recognised CEEPUS networks are exempt from tuition fees at the host institution.
• Academic Exchange: Opportunities to study or undertake academic activities at participating Austrian universities.
• Research Opportunities: Thesis-related mobility for eligible students, including doctoral candidates.
• Teaching Experience: International teaching and academic supervision opportunities for university lecturers.
• International Networking: Opportunities to establish academic relationships with students, researchers and university staff.
• Professional Development: Exposure to different teaching approaches, academic environments and institutional practices.
• Academic Recognition: Recognition of eligible academic achievements abroad, subject to institutional arrangements.

Scholarship Amount

Scholarship amounts depend on the host country's arrangements, the mobility category and the approved award.

OeAD confirms that participants receive host-country scholarship support based on relevant living costs, but a single guaranteed monthly amount for all 2027 Austrian mobility categories is not specified on the reviewed programme page.

Document requirements depend on nationality and mobility category.

Network Mobility Applicants

• Completed online CEEPUS mobility application
• Equal-status document or university enrolment confirmation, where required for applicants without CEEPUS-country nationality
• Additional documentation requested by the relevant institution or coordinator, if applicable

The central CEEPUS portal states that network applicants who are citizens of member countries generally do not need to upload additional documents during the initial application.

Freemover Student Applicants

• Completed online CEEPUS application
• Two letters of recommendation
• Letter of acceptance from the proposed host university

Freemover Teaching Staff

• Completed online CEEPUS application
• Letter of acceptance for teaching mobility from the host university

Host-University Requirements

Individual universities may request additional documents after scholarship selection.

For example, TU Wien requires the CEEPUS Letter of Award and a language certificate during its registration process. Applicants contacting prospective academic supervisors may also be asked for a CV, academic transcript and summary of academic interests.

The officially documented requirements include:

• Eligibility under the chosen mobility category
• Valid affiliation with an eligible CEEPUS institution
• Required academic progress for student applicants
• Participation in an approved university network or eligibility for Freemover mobility
• Required host-institution acceptance or coordinator arrangements
• Completion of the applicable application documents
• Availability of scholarship places for the selected mobility
• Compliance with host-country and host-university conditions

• Study Abroad Experience: Experience university education in Austria while remaining enrolled at an eligible home institution.
• Academic Development: Access learning, academic activities and expertise at participating Austrian universities.
• Research Progress: Undertake thesis-related academic work through approved short-term mobility.
• International Exposure: Gain experience in another European academic environment.
• Professional Networking: Develop relationships with international lecturers, researchers and fellow students.
• Future Opportunities: Strengthen academic experience that may support further study or research applications.