The International Mathematical Olympiad is the annual world championship mathematics competition for secondary-school students, held in a different country each year. Each invited country or territory sends a team of up to six contestants chosen through its national olympiad.
IMO 2027 runs in Budapest, Hungary, from 16 to 26 July, hosted by the HUN-REN Rényi Institute. Contestants sit six proof-based problems over two consecutive days.
Benefits & funding
- The host covers accommodation, meals, and official transport between arrival points, lodging, and programme venues.
- International travel, insurance, and extra days are paid by the contestant or delegation.
- About half of contestants win gold, silver, or bronze (roughly 1:2:3); a full solution to one problem without a medal earns an honourable mention.
Eligibility
- Entry is only through a participating country’s national team; there is no individual application.
- Born on or after 1 July 2007 (IMO 2027).
- In full-time primary or secondary education on or after 1 December 2026; home-schooled students must then be working toward, and not yet hold, a secondary diploma.
- Citizens of the team’s country, or genuine long-term foreign residents educated there for a bona fide family reason: at least one full academic year already, and two years of full-time education in total before leaving secondary school.
- Only one country’s final selection exams per IMO year.
- Participating countries and territories (IMO countries directory): Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Korea, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, UAE, Uganda, UK, Ukraine, Uruguay, USA, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, 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 · Angola · Argentina · Armenia · Australia · Austria · Azerbaijan · Bahrain · Bangladesh · Belarus
+ 130 more
Belgium · Benin · Bermuda · Bhutan · Bolivia · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Botswana · Brazil · Brunei · Bulgaria · Burkina Faso · Cambodia · Cameroon · Canada · Chile · China · Colombia · Costa Rica · Côte d'Ivoire · Croatia · Cuba · Cyprus · Czechia · Denmark · Dominican Republic · Ecuador · Egypt · El Salvador · Estonia · Ethiopia · Finland · France · Gambia · Georgia · Germany · Ghana · Greece · Guatemala · Honduras · Hong Kong · Hungary · Iceland · India · Indonesia · Iran · Iraq · Ireland · Israel · Italy · Jamaica · Japan · Kazakhstan · Kenya · Kosovo · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Latvia · Lebanon · Libya · Liechtenstein · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Macau · Madagascar · Malaysia · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mexico · Moldova · Mongolia · Montenegro · Morocco · Mozambique · Myanmar · Namibia · Nepal · Netherlands · New Zealand · Nicaragua · Nigeria · North Korea · North Macedonia · Norway · Oman · Pakistan · Palestine · Panama · Paraguay · Peru · Philippines · Poland · Portugal · Puerto Rico · Qatar · Romania · Russia · Rwanda · Saudi Arabia · Senegal · Serbia · Singapore · Slovakia · Slovenia · South Africa · South Korea · Spain · Sri Lanka · Sweden · Switzerland · Syria · Taiwan · Tajikistan · Tanzania · Thailand · Trinidad and Tobago · Tunisia · Türkiye · Turkmenistan · UAE · Uganda · UK · Ukraine · Uruguay · USA · Uzbekistan · Venezuela · Vietnam · Yemen · Zimbabwe
Education required
High School
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Application process
- 1Find your national contact or olympiad website in the IMO countries directory.
- 2Enter your country’s national olympiad or equivalent selection programme and follow its dates.
- 3If selected, give your details to your team leader, who registers the team by the host’s deadlines.
Program timeline
Varies by country
national olympiad and team selection
16 July 2027
IMO 2027 opens in Budapest
26 July 2027
IMO 2027 ends