Commonwealth Professional Fellowships

Benefits & funding

• Approved return airfare between the Fellow’s home country and the United Kingdom.
• Reimbursement of the standard visa application fee.
• Monthly living allowance of £2,218, or £2,753 for placements in the London metropolitan area, at the published 2025/26 rates.
• Arrival allowance of up to £1,247.09, including support for warm clothing.
• A needs assessment and possible additional support for a Fellow who declares a disability.
• Host-paid support for approved short courses, conferences, or visits integral to the programme: up to £1,000 for programmes lasting six weeks to two months, or up to £2,000 for programmes lasting two to three months.

Eligibility

• Be a citizen of, or hold refugee status granted by, an eligible Commonwealth country, or be a British Protected Person.
• Be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country and not hold indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom.
• Have at least five years of full-time, or equivalent part-time, relevant professional experience by the fellowship start date; voluntary work does not count toward this minimum.
• Be employed when applying and return to that organisation after the fellowship.
• Provide at least two references, including one from the current employer unless self-employed.
• Have no Commonwealth Fellowship undertaken within the five years before taking up the award.
• Be available for the host programme’s dates and meet its additional country, sector, role, or network requirements.
• Not be in full-time study, seek funding for a formal qualification, or propose academic research through the Professional Fellowship strand.

Application process

1. 1
   Review the approved Professional Fellowship host programmes and check the dates, subject focus, recruitment route, and additional eligibility criteria for the chosen host.
2. 2
   Complete the Commonwealth Fellowship application through the CSC online portal by the published deadline.
3. 3
   Enter relevant qualifications, employment history, work-experience evidence, and any publications or prizes, then upload a passport or national identity document.
4. 4
   Submit the four-part development-impact statement, award objectives, career objectives, personal statement, and leadership or volunteering evidence.
5. 5
   Arrange at least two references, including a current-employer reference unless self-employed.
6. 6
   After the deadline, the host reviews applications and nominates candidates; the CSC selection committee makes the final decision.

Program timeline

1. 28 July 2026, 09:00 BST

   Applications for the 2027 cycle opened.

2. Applications closed.

   25 August 2026, 16:00 BST

3. Host organisations review applications and submit nominations.

   September to early October 2026

4. Selection results are expected.

   November to December 2026

5. Professional Fellowships begin on host-specific dates.

   Mid-February to mid-March 2027

6. Six weeks to three months after the relevant start date

   Each host programme ends.