Russian Government Scholarship (Government Quota)

Free tuition at a Russian university, with about 15,000 quota places offered each year. The quota doesn't pay for travel, health insurance, housing or daily living costs, so you need your own money for those (university dorms cost roughly 300–20,000 roubles a month).

• You must be a foreign citizen. If you also hold Russian citizenship, you must live permanently abroad and have no Russian-format education documents.
• Open for bachelor's, specialist, master's, postgraduate (aspirantura) and residency (ordinatura) study.
• Russian law sets no age limit, but you need at least a completed secondary education.
• Russian isn't required: you can ask for a one-year preparatory Russian course before your main programme.
• Each country gets a set number of quota places, linked to particular fields of study, under intergovernmental agreements.

Open to foreign citizens applying for bachelor's, specialist, master's or postgraduate study. You register on education-in-russia.com, list six universities in order of preference, and go through selection (an interview and/or tests) run by the Russian centre or embassy in your country. Many programmes are taught in Russian, so you may need a preparatory language year.

1. 1

   Step 1: Register on Education in Russia

   Create an account on education-in-russia.com, go to 'My applications' and create a new application, choosing the country of your citizenship.

2. 2

   Step 2: Choose programme and universities

   Choose your level and field, and up to six universities in order of priority. You can pick no more than two in Moscow and no more than two in St Petersburg.

3. 3

   Step 3: Upload documents and submit

   Upload your scans and press 'Send application for review'. Applications left as drafts aren't considered.

4. 4

   Step 4: Pass first-stage selection

   The Rossotrudnichestvo office or Russian embassy in your country may interview you and set selection tests. Your scores decide your ranking among candidates from your country.

5. 5

   Step 5: Get your university placement

   In the second stage, universities review the applications, and some set extra tests. Your personal account shows the university you've been placed at.

6. 6

   Step 6: Get your visa and documents

   The Ministry of Science and Higher Education arranges your study-visa invitation. Before you travel, get your education documents legalised or apostilled and translated into Russian with a notarised translation.

• Passport scan
• Scan of your education certificate, or a letter confirming current study
• Transcript of your grades
• Motivation letter and essay or article on your research topic (postgraduate and residency applicants)
• Completed application form
• Photo
• Medical certificate, including an HIV test (on arrival)
• Notarised Russian translations of your documents, with legalisation or an apostille

Deadline

For 2026/27 study, applications opened on 15 September 2025 and closed on 15 January 2026 for most countries (some countries had later deadlines, up to 31 March 2026 for Vietnam). Selection tests were held around April–May 2026.

Dates are set in each country by the Russian centre or embassy. For 2026/27 study, applications ran from 15 September 2025 to 15 January 2026 for most countries, and selection tests were held in April–May 2026, for study starting in September.