Chevening Scholarship (UK): How to Apply

Chevening funds emerging leaders to study for a one-year master's degree at any UK university. It is the UK government's global leadership programme. The application is entirely online and runs on a single yearly cycle.

Administered by: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (UK Government), administered by the Chevening Secretariat

Written by Zain Aqdas, Founder and lead researcher, Scholarships AtlasLast updated 3 September 2026

What it covers

Full tuition fees at any UK university
A monthly living stipend
An economy return flight to the UK
Visa application fees
Small grants for research, conference attendance and hardship as agreed
Access to the global Chevening alumni network

Eligibility

A citizen of a Chevening-eligible country or territory
Return to your country of citizenship for at least two years after the award ends
An undergraduate degree at the time of application
At least two years (equivalent to 2,800 hours) of work experience
Apply to at least three eligible UK master's courses, and hold an unconditional offer from at least one by the offer deadline
You cannot hold UK citizenship or dual British citizenship (self-funded UK citizens studying abroad are exempt from this rule)

Application — step by step

1
Check eligibility and your country page
Confirm your country is eligible and review its specific page on chevening.org before anything else. Eligibility and award details, notably the work-experience categories, are defined there.
2
Applications open: apply on the online application system
The application form opens in early August and closes in early October (for the 2026-27 cycle: opened 4 August 2026, closed 6 October 2026 at 11:00 UTC). Apply on the Chevening online application system via your country or territory's page.
3
Applications are sifted against eligibility criteria
From October, applications are screened against the published eligibility criteria.
4
Reading committee assessment
Independent reading committees assess all eligible applications between mid-October and January against the published selection criteria (leadership, networking, and the strength of your academic plan).
5
Shortlisting & interview
Around mid-February a shortlist is produced, and candidates are invited to interview. Interviews are held at British embassies and high commissions between March and April. Candidates invited to interview must upload photo ID, degree certificate, references and all documentation to the application system at least seven working days before the interview.
6
Results & unconditional offers
Results are announced from mid-June. Successful candidates must receive and submit at least one unconditional UK university offer (for 2027 entry the deadline was 8 July 2027 at 17:00 BST).
7
Studies begin
Chevening Scholars begin their one-year UK master's in September or October, and enter the Chevening alumni network.

Typical documents needed

Valid passport or ID
Undergraduate degree certificate / transcript
Two references (submitted through the online system as requested)
Valid UK master's course offers from at least three eligible universities (uploaded once received)

Annual cycle

Dates move every year — always confirm on the official portal before planning around them.

Early August: Online applications open
Early October: Applications close
October to January: Eligibility sift + reading committee assessments
March to April: Interviews at UK embassies / high commissions
From mid-June: Results announced
September to October: Studies begin in the UK

Start your application

chevening.org, official Chevening website Browse UK scholarship records

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Chevening Scholarship (UK): How to Apply

Administered by: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (UK Government), administered by the Chevening Secretariat

Written by Zain Aqdas, Founder and lead researcher, Scholarships AtlasLast updated 3 September 2026

Eligibility

A citizen of a Chevening-eligible country or territory

Return to your country of citizenship for at least two years after the award ends

An undergraduate degree at the time of application

At least two years (equivalent to 2,800 hours) of work experience

Apply to at least three eligible UK master's courses, and hold an unconditional offer from at least one by the offer deadline

You cannot hold UK citizenship or dual British citizenship (self-funded UK citizens studying abroad are exempt from this rule)

Application — step by step

Check eligibility and your country page

Confirm your country is eligible and review its specific page on chevening.org before anything else. Eligibility and award details, notably the work-experience categories, are defined there.

Applications open: apply on the online application system

The application form opens in early August and closes in early October (for the 2026-27 cycle: opened 4 August 2026, closed 6 October 2026 at 11:00 UTC). Apply on the Chevening online application system via your country or territory's page.

Applications are sifted against eligibility criteria

From October, applications are screened against the published eligibility criteria.

Reading committee assessment

Independent reading committees assess all eligible applications between mid-October and January against the published selection criteria (leadership, networking, and the strength of your academic plan).

Shortlisting & interview

Around mid-February a shortlist is produced, and candidates are invited to interview. Interviews are held at British embassies and high commissions between March and April. Candidates invited to interview must upload photo ID, degree certificate, references and all documentation to the application system at least seven working days before the interview.

Results & unconditional offers

Results are announced from mid-June. Successful candidates must receive and submit at least one unconditional UK university offer (for 2027 entry the deadline was 8 July 2027 at 17:00 BST).

Studies begin

Chevening Scholars begin their one-year UK master's in September or October, and enter the Chevening alumni network.

Annual cycle

Dates move every year — always confirm on the official portal before planning around them.

Early August

Online applications open

Early October

Applications close

October to January

Eligibility sift + reading committee assessments

March to April

Interviews at UK embassies / high commissions

From mid-June

Results announced

September to October

Studies begin in the UK