Are you done with your undergraduate studies and want to further your education abroad? Then here is an opportunity. Apply for the Chevening UK Government Scholarship Programme for 2025/2026. Deadline to apply is October 7, 2025. See how to apply and other details below.

They are looking for the kind of people who have the passion, ideas, and influence to provide the solutions needed for a brighter future. Chevening offers a unique opportunity for future leaders and influencers from all over the world to develop professionally and academically, network extensively, experience UK culture, and build lasting positive relationships with the UK.

Chevening is the UK Government’s international awards scheme aimed at developing global leaders. Funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and partner organisations, Chevening offers two types of award – Chevening Scholarships and Chevening Fellowships – the recipients of which are personally selected by British embassies and high commissions throughout the world.

Page Contents

Chevening Scholarship Eligibility.
English Language requirement
Chevening Scholarship Benefits.
How to Apply for Chevening Scholarship.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common errors
Pre-screen
Application form
Personal details
Work experience
UK university
Declaration
Application questions word count
Repetition
Plagiarism
Use of English language
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Chevening Scholarship Eligibility.

Ineligible applications will be rejected, so it is important that you check that you meet our eligibility criteria before you start your application.

To be eligible for a Chevening Scholarship you must:

Be a citizen of a Chevening-eligible country or territory.
Return to your country of citizenship for a minimum of two years after your award has ended.
Have completed all components of an undergraduate degree that will enable you to gain entry onto a postgraduate programme at a UK university by the time you submit your application. This is typically equivalent to an upper second-class 2:1 honours degree in the UK but may be different depending on your course and university choice.
Have at least two years (equivalent to 2,800 hours) of work experience.
Apply to three different eligible UK university courses and have received an unconditional offer from one of these choices by the deadline listed on the application timeline.

You are not eligible for a Chevening Scholarship if you:

Hold British or dual British citizenship (unless you are a citizen of a British Overseas Territory or hold BN(O) and are applying from Hong Kong).
Hold refugee status in a non-Chevening eligible country. Applicants who are citizens of a Chevening-eligible country and who hold refugee status in a Chevening-eligible country are eligible for a scholarship.
Are an employee, a former employee, or relative* of an employee of His Majesty’s Government, or have been within the last two years from the opening of Chevening applications (including the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, all British Embassies/High Commissions, the Home Office, the Ministry of Defence, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Department for International Trade and the UKVI), the British Council, a sponsoring UK university, or a staff member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities.
Employees, former employees, or relatives* of an employee of Chevening Partner organisations are eligible to apply, but if the employment took place within the last two years, you cannot receive a Chevening Partner Award from the organisation from which you work, previously worked, or are affiliated with through relatives.
Have previously studied in the UK with funding from a UK Government-funded scholarship.

Having a master’s degree does not prevent you from applying for a Chevening Award to study for a second master’s degree in the UK, as long as you can clearly explain why it will help you fulfil your career plan to influence positive change in your home country.

Once submitted, applications undergo an electronic sift against our eligibility criteria. Any applications deemed ineligible will be removed from the selection process. Please see the list of common errors here. If you make these errors in your application form, your application will be ineligible. Please note that once your application has been submitted, it is not possible to change it retrospectively.

*Relatives are defined as parents or step-parents, siblings or step-siblings, children or step-children, spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner (where the couple have been in a relationship akin to marriage or civil partnership for at least two years)

English Language requirement

In order to receive a Chevening Scholarship, all applicants must demonstrate that they have fulfilled Chevening’s English language requirement. They advise all applicants to ensure they have fulfilled the English language requirement as early as possible by either:

Taking an English language test.
Claiming an exemption based on the UKVI exempt categories.

Chevening accepts English language tests from five providers:

Academic IELTS
Pearson PTE Academic
TOEFL iBT
Cambridge English: Advanced (CEA)
Trinity ISE II (B2)

Chevening Scholarship Benefits.

A full Chevening Scholarship normally comprises:

Payment of tuition fees (see point 1.2.a in relation to MBA fee caps).
Economy travel to and from your country of residence by an approved route for you only.
An arrival allowance.
The cost of an entry clearance (visa) application for you only.
A departure allowance.
A contribution of up to £75 for TB testing, where this is required.
A travel top-up allowance.
A monthly personal living allowance (stipend) to cover accommodation and living expenses. The monthly stipend will depend on whether you are studying inside or outside of London. These rates are subject to annual review. Stipend payments will be made to you on or around the 21st of the month for the following full month. Where you arrive in the UK or leave the UK partway through the month, the stipend for that month will be adjusted as appropriate.

How to Apply for Chevening Scholarship.

All Chevening applications must be submitted through our online application system (OAS). This system will be used throughout the application and selection process, and you may be asked to log back in at various points during the process to receive updates on your application status, or to submit documents.

We have collated tips and advice for you when using the online application system:

Where possible, use the Google Chrome web browser, as this is recommended for the best experience. We recommend using a laptop or PC, rather than a mobile or tablet.
When completing your application form, work in a full-sized window. This will make the application form easier to read in its intended format.
Don’t use your browser’s ‘back’ and ‘forward’ buttons. This will take you out of the system and you will lose all unsaved work. Navigate through the pages of the application form by using the menus on the form.
Remember your username and password. This saves time when you want to log back into the online application system.
Enter information accurately, especially your contact details. Please ensure that you enter a valid email address. If this changes after you have submitted, please ensure you update it in your application otherwise you may miss important updates about your application. If you provide a second email address, please ensure that it is valid and different from your first.
The application form may take some time to complete, so consider preparing your answers offline and then pasting them into the online form later – although do remember to delete the question to avoid duplication! This is particularly relevant if you’re using a public computer, in an internet café for example.
Application questions have word counts. In the application form, there is a set of questions you are required to answer. The minimum word count is 100 words per answer and a maximum of 500 words per answer, so please ensure you meet these requirements. Answers that are less than 100 words will not be considered.
Save as you go! There is no automatic save function on the system and each session will close after 60 minutes, even if you are still actively editing the form. Any unsaved entries will be lost, so you are strongly encouraged to save regularly to avoid losing your work.
You do not have to complete the form in one session. Use the ‘Logout’ button (top right corner of the page) and keep a note of your username and password so that you can come back and finish off your application later. You will also be able to access your application via a link you will receive in an email.
Do not plagiarise. If content from other sources is used to answer the application questions, it will be considered as plagiarised and your application will not be passed on to the reading committee, the independent body that undertakes the first review of all eligible applications received. You should, therefore, check your answers thoroughly, ensuring they are original and not copied from other sources.
Applications must be submitted in English. Any application not submitted in English is ineligible.
Check the size and format of the files you intend to upload and ensure they meet the requirement. The online system will only accept JPG/PNG/PDF documents of no larger than 5MB. Please ensure that the length of file names do not exceed 50 characters.
Only submit your application once you’re completely satisfied with it. When you are satisfied with your application, click the ‘Submit’ button. Please note that once you have done this, you cannot modify your application except for the contact details section, and to upload documentation. We do anticipate a high volume of applications, so please give yourself enough time to submit the strongest application possible.
Remember, you can only submit one application and we will only accept your first application. In order to withdraw from the process, you will be asked to provide a reason for doing so before the withdrawal is final. If you choose to withdraw your application you will not be able to start another application until applications open again next year.

Essential:

Valid passport or national ID card
University transcripts and degree certificates (undergraduate, postgraduate)
Three different UK Master’s course choices
The names and details of two valid referees

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Apply Before: October 7, 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my referee details on the online application system?

If you need to change your referees before submitting your references prior to the deadline listed on the application timeline, you can do this in the online system. Login to your application and click on ‘Submitted/Under Review Applications’. Click on ‘Open’ and go to section 3: ‘Application Information’. Scroll down to the ‘References’ section. Click on ‘Open’ against the referee you wish to change, then click the ‘Edit Reference Details’ button and enter the details of the new referee. Click ‘Save draft’ to confirm. If you decide to change your referees, you must ensure that they still have enough time to complete their references by the deadline.

Can my references be submitted in another language?

References must be written in English. If you do not have two valid references by the time of interview, you will not be considered for a Chevening Award.

If your referee has written their reference in another language, you can upload this so long as you also upload a notarised translation in English of the original reference. In these cases, the original reference and the notarised translation of the reference must be contained within one file. It is the applicant’s responsibility to arrange a notarised translation if required.

If a reference is submitted in a language other than English and does not have a notarised English translation contained in the same document, we will not be able to accept it.

How do I upload my references on the online application system?

To upload your references, please login to your application and click on ‘Submitted/Under Review Applications’. Click on ‘Open’ and go to section 5: ‘Upload documents and submit’. Scroll down to the ‘References’ section to upload your two letters.

How many references do I need to upload?

You must upload two different references.

If you upload a reference in another language (along with its notarised English translation) this must be in one file and counts as one of your reference uploads.

You can then upload your second reference.

The embassy in my country has temporarily suspended operations. Who should I address my reference letters to?

If the embassy or high commission in your country/territory has temporarily suspended operations, please address your reference letter to ‘Chevening Officer [name of country or territory].’

Common errors

Don’t fall for the same errors that past applicants have made.

Below are examples of the most common errors that Chevening applicants have made in their application form. As a result of these errors, applications are deemed ineligible and applicants are not taken through to the next stage of the competition.

If your application has been deemed ineligible, please refer to the below to understand what error you may have made. If you’re yet to submit an application, read this to avoid making the same mistakes others have.

Pre-screen

Applicants must correctly answer all parts of the eligibility pre-screen in order to access the application form. An incorrect answer to one of these questions would result in the applicant failing the pre-screen stage of the application.

Application form

Applicants must correctly complete all parts of the application form to be considered eligible. Only eligible applications will be processed. Below are the sections of the application form where applicants have made the most common errors.

Personal details

Applicants who indicate they have dual citizenship from the United Kingdom cannot be considered for an award.

Work experience

Applicants are required to have worked a minimum of 2,800 hours. Those who cannot demonstrate that they have worked the minimum number of hours cannot be considered for a scholarship.

Your work experience will be calculated automatically by multiplying the number of weeks worked by the number of hours worked per week. For this calculation, a working week comprises 35-60 hours and a working year comprises 40-50 weeks.

Some common errors applicants made are:

Not meeting the minimum number of hours worked prior to submitting their application.
Not entering the correct total number of weeks worked for each year of employment.
Entering an unrealistic number of hours or weeks worked (e.g. 2,000 hours rather than 20 hours per week).
Entering the same work experience entry more than once.

UK university

Applicants who enter duplicate courses at the same universities cannot be considered for a scholarship. Applicants must select three different courses.

Declaration

This section of the application form requires the applicant to correctly answer a number of statements to be considered eligible. If an applicant is not able to confirm that these statements apply to them, they will be deemed ineligible.

Applicants are asked to think carefully and select one of the two options available against each statement (e.g. ‘Yes’ or ‘No’).

This is an example of a statement that the applicant will be asked to answer: ‘I confirm that I am not employed (and have not been employed since 1 July 2018) in a permanent or temporary role in the following organisations; His Majesty’s Government, or the Association of Commonwealth Universities. If an applicant answers ‘No’ then this indicates the applicant is employed by one of these institutions and therefore cannot be considered for an award.

Application questions word count

Applicants must meet the minimum word count in the essay questions. If the minimum word count is not met, your application will be deemed ineligible.

Repetition

Applicants should not repeat answers to any of the essay questions, and should enter new and original answers for each of the four questions. Please do not copy and paste the same answers into more than one box as this will make an application invalid.

Plagiarism

All applications are run through plagiarism software, which compares the content of the application against online sources. If an applicant commits plagiarism, they will be disqualified. Applicants are allowed to insert quotations but must acknowledge the source as they would in an academic essay.