The Fulbright Foreign Student Program brings graduate students, young professionals and artists from abroad to study and do research in the United States. A U.S. Department of State program, it is administered by IIE, and by AMIDEAST for most of the Middle East and North Africa.
Applicants go through the Fulbright Commission/Foundation or U.S. Embassy in their home country, which sets local rules and deadlines. IIE or the candidate then arranges the U.S. university place.
Benefits & funding
- Tuition, a living allowance and round-trip travel
- ASPE accident and sickness health plan; J-1 visa sponsorship
- A one-time allowance of up to US$500 for a U.S. conference in your field
- Dependents may join from some countries, at the grantee’s own cost
- Afterwards, you must return home and live there two years in total before applying for U.S. immigrant and certain nonimmigrant visas
Eligibility
- Citizen of a country or area on the program’s list below; each country adds its own rules (e.g., work experience)
- Living in the country of nomination when applying
- No U.S. citizenship; dual U.S. citizens are also ineligible
- By the program start, the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree with a good academic record
- English: recommended recent TOEFL iBT 79–80, TOEFL paper 550 or IELTS 6.5
- No programs with clinical requirements (medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing); public health and nursing administration are allowed
- No age limit
- Eligible countries and areas (167): Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Myanmar, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Comoros, Republic of the Congo, DR Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Eswatini, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Eligible nationalities
Afghanistan · Albania · Algeria · Andorra · Angola · Antigua and Barbuda · Argentina · Armenia · Australia · Austria · Azerbaijan · Bahamas
+ 155 more
Bahrain · Bangladesh · Barbados · Belarus · Belgium · Benin · Bhutan · Bolivia · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Botswana · Brazil · Brunei · Bulgaria · Burkina Faso · Myanmar · Cambodia · Cameroon · Canada · Chad · Chile · Colombia · Comoros · Republic of the Congo · DR Congo · Costa Rica · Côte d'Ivoire · Croatia · Cyprus · Czechia · Denmark · Dominica · Dominican Republic · Ecuador · Egypt · El Salvador · Estonia · Eswatini · Fiji · Finland · France · Georgia · Germany · Ghana · Greece · Grenada · Guatemala · Guinea · Guyana · Haiti · Honduras · Hungary · Iceland · India · Indonesia · Iraq · Ireland · Israel · Italy · Jamaica · Japan · Jordan · Kazakhstan · Kenya · Kiribati · Kosovo · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Latvia · Lebanon · Lesotho · Libya · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Madagascar · Malawi · Malaysia · Maldives · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mexico · Moldova · Mongolia · Montenegro · Morocco · Mozambique · Namibia · Nauru · Nepal · Netherlands · New Zealand · Nicaragua · Niger · Nigeria · North Macedonia · Norway · Oman · Pakistan · Palestine · Panama · Papua New Guinea · Paraguay · Peru · Philippines · Poland · Portugal · Qatar · Romania · Rwanda · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Samoa · Saudi Arabia · Senegal · Serbia · Sierra Leone · Singapore · Slovakia · Slovenia · Solomon Islands · South Africa · South Korea · South Sudan · Spain · Sri Lanka · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Saint Lucia · Sudan · Sweden · Switzerland · Syria · Taiwan · Tajikistan · Tanzania · Thailand · Timor-Leste · Togo · Tonga · Trinidad and Tobago · Tunisia · Türkiye · Turkmenistan · Tuvalu · Uganda · Ukraine · UAE · UK · Uruguay · Uzbekistan · Vanuatu · Venezuela · Vietnam · Yemen · Zambia · Zimbabwe
Residence required
Afghanistan · Albania · Algeria · Andorra · Angola · Antigua and Barbuda · Argentina · Armenia · Australia · Austria · Azerbaijan · Bahamas
+ 155 more
Bahrain · Bangladesh · Barbados · Belarus · Belgium · Benin · Bhutan · Bolivia · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Botswana · Brazil · Brunei · Bulgaria · Burkina Faso · Myanmar · Cambodia · Cameroon · Canada · Chad · Chile · Colombia · Comoros · Republic of the Congo · DR Congo · Costa Rica · Côte d'Ivoire · Croatia · Cyprus · Czechia · Denmark · Dominica · Dominican Republic · Ecuador · Egypt · El Salvador · Estonia · Eswatini · Fiji · Finland · France · Georgia · Germany · Ghana · Greece · Grenada · Guatemala · Guinea · Guyana · Haiti · Honduras · Hungary · Iceland · India · Indonesia · Iraq · Ireland · Israel · Italy · Jamaica · Japan · Jordan · Kazakhstan · Kenya · Kiribati · Kosovo · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Latvia · Lebanon · Lesotho · Libya · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Madagascar · Malawi · Malaysia · Maldives · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mexico · Moldova · Mongolia · Montenegro · Morocco · Mozambique · Namibia · Nauru · Nepal · Netherlands · New Zealand · Nicaragua · Niger · Nigeria · North Macedonia · Norway · Oman · Pakistan · Palestine · Panama · Papua New Guinea · Paraguay · Peru · Philippines · Poland · Portugal · Qatar · Romania · Rwanda · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Samoa · Saudi Arabia · Senegal · Serbia · Sierra Leone · Singapore · Slovakia · Slovenia · Solomon Islands · South Africa · South Korea · South Sudan · Spain · Sri Lanka · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Saint Lucia · Sudan · Sweden · Switzerland · Syria · Taiwan · Tajikistan · Tanzania · Thailand · Timor-Leste · Togo · Tonga · Trinidad and Tobago · Tunisia · Türkiye · Turkmenistan · Tuvalu · Uganda · Ukraine · UAE · UK · Uruguay · Uzbekistan · Vanuatu · Venezuela · Vietnam · Yemen · Zambia · Zimbabwe
Education required
Bachelor Enrolled · Bachelor · Master
Circlebreaker is a free database of global fellowships, scholarships and programs — every one decoded like this.
We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.
Application process
- 1Find your country’s Fulbright office in the program’s list; read its rules and deadline.
- 2Submit the application and supporting documents to that office by its deadline.
- 3Shortlisted applicants attend a selection interview in English.
- 4Nominees sit the English and admissions tests (e.g., GRE, GMAT) required of them; Fulbright pays the fees.
- 5IIE then applies to universities for you, or you apply directly and pay any university fees (Self-Placement), as agreed with your home office.
Program timeline
applications opened in most AMIDEAST-region (Middle East/North Africa) countries
1 Feb 2026
most AMIDEAST-region deadlines; other countries set their own
May–June
Autumn
nomination results
IIE places nominees at U.S. universities
September–June
U.S. academic year starts
August/September