The KNB Scholarship is the Indonesian government's flagship award for citizens of developing countries, running since 1993 as part of Indonesia's South-South cooperation. It funds full Bachelor's, Master's and doctoral degrees at dozens of Indonesian universities — tuition, monthly living and research allowances, health insurance and return airfare all included, plus a year of Indonesian language preparation. Around 200 awards are made each year across ~47 host universities.
Why it is notable: it is one of the only fully funded government scholarships in Southeast Asia open at Bachelor's level to developing-country citizens; the application runs through the Indonesian Embassy in YOUR country of origin (not your country of domicile) plus the online portal — and it requires a 5-minute YouTube video pitch as part of the application, which most applicants discover late.
Funding at a glance
What it covers
Full tuition fees for the BIPA (Indonesian language) programme and the academic programme (regular class).
Monthly living allowance for the full scholarship duration.
Monthly research and book allowance.
Settlement allowance on arrival in Indonesia.
Health insurance (outpatient and inpatient; excludes aesthetic treatments).
Funding for publishing one scientific article during the scholarship (Master's and doctoral).
Return economy-class air ticket: home country → Indonesia at the start, and Indonesia → home country after graduation (including local transport to/from the host university).
Eligibility criteria
Qualification Required
Secondary school completionfor Bachelor'sBachelor's degreefor MastersMaster's degreefor Doctoral
This scholarship is offered for Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral programmes at Indonesian host universities (confirm doctoral availability in the 2027/2028 call — the IGTS listing shows Bachelor and Master).
Who can apply
citizens of developing countries (official: "promotes international cooperation and offers students from developing countries the opportunity to pursue higher education in Indonesia"). Not for Indonesian citizens.
Experience
No experience required (a recommendation from employer/immediate supervisor is required — or a statement letter if currently unemployed).
Language Certificate
Official — TOEFL ITP 500 / TOEFL iBT 61 / IELTS 6.0 / TOEIC 575 or equivalent, certificate obtained within the last 2 years. Exempt if you are from an English-speaking country or your university programme was taught in English (attach official proof from your home university).
Other Certificates
scanned academic certificate and transcripts of the Bachelor's degree in English or Bahasa, legalised by the Ministry of Education AND the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the applicant's country; CV in English or Bahasa; certified medical report (physical exam, infectious disease tests incl. TB/syphilis/HIV/AIDS/Ebola/Mpox, mental health test, negative drug test) issued within the last 3 months, in English or Bahasa.
Age Limit
official IGTS wording: "The maximum age to apply for the scholarship is 35 years old, no more than December 31st, 2026" (published verbatim — appears to be the age cut-off reference for the cycle; confirm against the 2027/2028 call).
Tools that may help
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Run all three quick checks before reviewing your chosen course's full entry requirements.
1
Country checker
Eligible = citizens of developing countries (South-South cooperation design). Excluded = Indonesian citizens; citizens of developed countries not on the…
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
Qualification
developing-country citizen; Bachelor's holders may not apply for the Master's scholarship; legalised certificates + transcripts (both ministries).
02
Language
TOEFL ITP 500 / iBT 61 / IELTS 6.0 / TOEIC 575 or equivalent (≤2 years), or exemption with official proof.
03
Documents
11-item checklist above — the Embassy recommendation letter and the 5-minute YouTube video are the two items applicants most often miss.
04
Essays/answers
the video pitch (max 5 minutes, English or Bahasa: your profile, why Indonesia, why KNB, why this campus and programme) functions as the statement of purpose — script it, don't improvise.
05
References
Indonesian Embassy/Consulate recommendation + 2 academic recommendations + employer/supervisor letter (or unemployment statement).
06
Fee
none — no application fee.
Document checklist
011. Invitation letter (from KNB portal)
022. Recommendation letter from the Indonesian Embassy/Consulate General in country of origin
033. Nomination letter from government official (where applicable)
066. Scanned passport (non-diplomatic, personal data page)
077. Legalised Bachelor's certificate + transcripts (English/Bahasa, legalised by both Education and Foreign Affairs ministries)
088. English proficiency certificate (≤2 years) or exemption proof
099. Certified medical report (≤3 months: physical, infectious diseases, mental health, drug test)
1010. CV (English/Bahasa)
1111. 5-minute YouTube video link (profile + why Indonesia/KNB + why campus/programme).
Application fee
No fee — completely free (no fee stated on the official pages).
Visa, kept concise: Study visa type for this destination: Indonesian student/study visa (socio-cultural visa for study purposes), applied at the Indonesian Embassy/Consulate after receiving the official KNB award letter.
Application Procedure
6 steps — follow in order. Each stage prepares the next.
01
Download the Invitation Letter from the KNB
portal (knb.kemdiktisaintek.go.id).
→
02
Submit the Invitation Letter + passport +
academic certificates/transcripts to the Indonesian Embassy/Consulate General in your COUNTRY OF ORIGIN to obtain their recommendation letter (mandatory).
→
03
Obtain the nomination letter from your government
official (Ministry of Education / related agency / your country's Embassy in Indonesia) if applicable.
↓
06
Data verification by the Embassy
then by the Directorate; academic selection and possible online interview; results published on the portal; re-registration and signing of the Scholarship Agreement; student visa; arrival in Indonesia (orientation in Jak
←
05
Complete the online application at http://knb.kemdiktisaintek.go.id before
the deadline.
←
04
Prepare: 2 academic recommendation letters
CV (English/Bahasa), legalised certificates + transcripts, English test score (≤2 years), medical report (≤3 months), official passport (non-diplomatic, valid well beyond the cycle), 5-minute YouTube video (profile, why
Ready to apply?
Continue on the official ~47 Indonesian universities platform.
Who can apply for KNB? A: Citizens of developing countries (the programme's South-South cooperation mandate); Master's-degree holders cannot apply for the Master's scholarship.Can I apply from the country where I currently live? A: The Indonesian Embassy/Consulate recommendation letter MUST come from your country of origin, not your country of domicile.Is the scholarship fully funded? A: Yes — tuition (regular class), monthly living and research/book allowances, settlement allowance, health insurance, article-publication support and return airfare.Do I need to speak Indonesian? A: No — the scholarship includes a BIPA Indonesian language preparatory year; English proficiency (TOEFL/IELTS or equivalent) is the requirement.What is the 5-minute video? A: A YouTube video (link uploaded to your KNB account) covering your profile, why you chose Indonesia and KNB, and why your chosen campus and programme — required by the ofAre there really no tuition fees at all? A: Tuition is covered for the BIPA programme and the academic programme in the regular class (not the international class).What medical tests are needed? A: A certified medical report (≤3 months, English/Bahasa): physical exam, infectious disease tests (TB, syphilis, HIV/AIDS, Ebola, Mpox), mental health test and a negati
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Indonesia · ~47 Indonesian universities
