The MTCP Scholarship is Malaysia's South-South cooperation award, run by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for outstanding graduates from developing countries to do a full-time Master's in Malaysia. It is one of the most complete government packages in Southeast Asia: full tuition, RM 3,500 a month in living and study allowances, and a return economy flight. It exists to build human capital that graduates take home — recipients are expected to contribute to their home country's development.
Why it is notable: the RM 3,500/month figure is the total allowances bundle (not just living costs) and is unusually generous for the region; unlike MIS, MTCP covers your flights; but you must ALREADY hold an admission offer from a participating Malaysian university before you apply — the offer letter is a hard requirement.
Funding at a glance
What it covers
Full tuition fees for the 24–36 month Master's programme.
RM 3,500/month total allowances bundle: cost of living, book, tools, house rental, placement, thesis, travel, practical training, end-of-study, medical and insurance allowances.
Return economy-class air ticket (home country → Malaysia at start; Malaysia → home country at completion).
Medical and insurance coverage within the allowances bundle.
Eligibility criteria
Qualification Required
Bachelor's degreefor Masters
This scholarship is offered for full-time Master's degree programmes only (coursework, mixed mode or research) at participating Malaysian universities.
Who can apply
citizens of the MTCP recipient countries (developing countries across Africa, Asia, the Pacific and Latin America — the official recipient list is published in the Guidelines; Malaysian citizens are not eligible).
Experience
No experience required.
Language Certificate
proof of English language proficiency required (IELTS/TOEFL per official Guidelines); exempted if your undergraduate degree was taught in English.
Other Certificates
Bachelor's degree certificate and transcripts; medical report valid within 6 months of the application date (form downloadable from the official portal); passport copy.
Age Limit
not more than 45 years old at the time of application (official Guidelines).
Tools that may help
We may earn a commission if you buy through these links. It never changes which scholarships we list or how we describe them.
Run all three quick checks before reviewing your chosen course's full entry requirements.
1
Country checker
Eligible = citizens of the official MTCP recipient-country list (developing nations). Excluded = Malaysian citizens (it is an outbound-cooperation award) and…
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
Bachelor's degree with minimum Second Class Upper (Honours) or CGPA 3.5/equivalent, intending a full-time Master's.
02
Admission
a valid admission offer from at least one participating Malaysian university is MANDATORY before applying (not started, or ≤1 semester registered).
03
Language
proof of English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL); exempt if your undergraduate degree was taught in English.
04
Documents
transcripts, passport, medical report (official form, ≤6 months), English proof, admission offer.
05
Health
excellent health certified by a doctor/physician; medical check-up cost fully borne by the applicant.
06
Fee
none — no application fee.
Document checklist
011. Valid admission offer letter from a participating Malaysian university
022. Bachelor's degree certificate and full transcripts
033. English proficiency proof (IELTS/TOEFL) or English-medium-of-instruction evidence
044. Passport copy
055. Medical report (official form, within 6 months)
066. Any additional documents in the official Guidelines for your cycle.
Application fee
No fee — completely free (no fee stated in the official Guidelines).
Visa, kept concise: Study visa type for this destination: Malaysia Student Pass via EMGS, arranged through your university.
Application Procedure
5 steps — follow in order. Each stage prepares the next.
01
Secure admission FIRST
apply to a participating Malaysian university and obtain a valid admission offer letter for a full-time Master's (you must not have started the programme, or be registered for at most one semester).
→
02
Download the medical report form from the
official MTCP portal and complete the medical check-up (valid within 6 months of application; cost is yours).
→
03
Prepare documents: admission offer letter
Bachelor's certificate + transcripts (CGPA 3.5 / Second Class Upper), English proficiency proof (or English-medium letter), passport copy, medical report.
emailed in July) → final selection → pre-departure (visa, flights) for the September/October intake.
←
04
When the call opens
register on the official MTCP scholarship portal at https://mtcp.kln.gov.my/scholarship and submit the online application with all documents in the prescribed format.
Ready to apply?
Continue on the official participating Malaysian public and… platform.
Is the MTCP Scholarship fully funded? A: Yes — tuition, RM 3,500/month in allowances (living, book, tools, housing, thesis, travel, training, end-of-study, medical, insurance) and return economy airfaDoes it cover PhD or undergraduate study? A: No — Master's degree programmes only (24–36 months).Can I apply without a university admission offer? A: No — a valid admission offer letter from a participating Malaysian university is required, and you must not have started postgraduate studies (or bIs IELTS mandatory? A: Proof of English proficiency is required, but it is exempted if you completed your undergraduate degree in English.What is the age limit? A: Not more than 45 years old at the time of application.Can I work part-time while on the scholarship? A: No paid employment during tenure without written approval from both the host university and the MTCP Secretariat.Which fields are excluded? A: Nursing, Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy are excluded.
Need document or attestation help?
Detailed attestation guidance stays in Opplore's standalone Guides section, not inside this scholarship page.
Malaysia · participating Malaysian public and…
