The Government of Azerbaijan's flagship international scholarship — named after Heydar Aliyev — awards 100 fully funded places a year to students from OIC and Non-Aligned Movement member countries, Small Island Developing States, and countries with historical and cultural connections to Azerbaijan. It covers tuition, a monthly stipend of 800 AZN (10 months a year), an annual return flight, medical insurance and visa costs. Crucially, there is no direct application — candidates are nominated through their own country's authorities via diplomatic channels, so the real first step is contacting your education ministry or the Azerbaijani embassy.
Why it is notable: the nomination-first design means the Azerbaijani pages carry no "apply" button — most applicants only discover the route through their own government's nomination announcement, which appears months before the Azerbaijani deadline and is easy to miss.
Funding at a glance
What it covers
Full tuition fees
Monthly allowance of 800 AZN for 10 months each year
Annual round-trip international flight ticket
200 AZN per year for medical insurance
Visa and registration costs
100 awards per year across all levels
Eligibility criteria
Qualification Required
High schoolfor Bachelor'sGraduationfor MastersMasters/MPhilfor PhD
"This grant is offered for bachelor's, master's, doctoral and general medicine/residency programmes at Azerbaijani universities."
Who can apply
citizens of OIC member countries, Non-Aligned Movement member countries, Small Island Developing States, and countries with historical and cultural connections with Azerbaijan; nominated through their national authorities
Experience
No experience required
Language Certificate
course-dependent — programmes in Azerbaijani, Russian and English; confirm language requirements in the 2027-28 call
Other Certificates
high school certificate (bachelor's), bachelor's degree (master's), master's degree (PhD); exact document list set by the nominating authority and the 2027-28 call
Age Limit
per the 2027-28 "Call for Nominations" — check the nomination announcement from your country's education ministry (age caps applied in prior calls)
Check your eligibility
Run all three quick checks before reviewing your chosen course's full entry requirements.
1
Country checker
OIC member states, NAM member states, Small Island Developing States, and countries with historical/cultural connections to Azerbaijan — the grant is an…
2
Last degree checker
Choose your highest completed qualification to see which degree level may fit.
3
Course checker
Pick a course to see whether it falls inside this scholarship's scope.
Complete all three checks
Your combined result will appear here.
Based on published eligibility — always confirm on the official page before applying.
Application essentials
Requirements
Review each requirement before you begin the application.
01
Language
course-dependent (Azerbaijani, Russian or English programmes); confirm in the 2027-28 call
02
Qualification
prior degree for the target level (high school → bachelor's; bachelor's → master's; master's → PhD)
03
Documents
transcripts, certificates, passport, medical certificate, photos — per the nominating authority's checklist
04
Nomination
mandatory nomination through national authorities via diplomatic channels — direct applications are not the route
05
Age
age caps applied in prior calls — confirm the 2027-28 limits in the nomination announcement
06
Fee
no application fee at any stage
Document checklist
01Application/nomination form from your country's nominating authority
02Academic transcripts and certificates
03Valid passport
04Medical certificate
05Passport-size photographs
06Any additional documents required by the 2027-28 call
Application fee
No fee — completely free
Visa, kept concise: Study visa type for this destination: Azerbaijani student visa (single entry), then a temporary residence permit after arrival — visa and registration costs are covered by the grant
Application Procedure
10 steps — follow in order. Each stage prepares the next.
01
When the 2027-28 call opens (expected ~February 2027)
check whether your country is in the eligible groups (OIC, NAM, SIDS, or culturally/historically connected).
→
02
Contact your country's education ministry / scholarship
board / the Azerbaijani embassy — nominations go through your national authorities via diplomatic channels, not through a direct application.
→
03
Prepare the required documents (transcripts
certificates, passport, medical documents, photos) per the nominating authority's checklist.
↓
06
Complete the student visa process with the
award documentation.
←
05
If nominated, the Azerbaijani side confirms placement
at an Azerbaijani university and the grant award.
←
04
Submit your candidacy to the nominating authority
before THEIR internal deadline (earlier than the Azerbaijani deadline).
↓
07
Application/nomination form from your country's nominating authority
→
08
Academic transcripts and certificates
→
09
Valid passport
↓
10
Medical certificate
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2027-28 call open? A: Not yet — as of 19 October 2026 only the closed 2026-27 call (February–March 2026) existed; the new call is expected around February 2027.How many awards are there? A: 100 per year, across bachelor's, master's, doctoral and medicine/residency levels.Can I apply directly to an Azerbaijani university? A: No — candidates are nominated through their home country's authorities via diplomatic channels; start with your education ministry or the AzerbaijWhich countries are eligible? A: OIC member countries, NAM member countries, Small Island Developing States, and countries with historical and cultural connections with Azerbaijan.What does the grant cover? A: Tuition, 800 AZN/month for 10 months a year, an annual return flight, 200 AZN/year medical insurance, and visa/registration costs.Are there age limits? A: Age caps have applied in prior calls — confirm the exact limits in the 2027-28 "Call for Nominations".When should I start? A: Contact your nominating authority as soon as the call is announced — national internal deadlines fall earlier than the Azerbaijani deadline.
Need document or attestation help?
Detailed attestation guidance stays in Opplore's standalone Guides section, not inside this scholarship page.
Azerbaijan · Azerbaijani higher education institutions
