University of Copenhagen Danish Government Scholarship 2027 — Tuition Waivers for Non-EU Master's Students
Tuition only Master scholarship in Denmark for International students 2027
Denmark's national tuition-waiver scheme, administered by each university for applicants from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland. At Copenhagen there is no separate scholarship essay: admitted non-EU applicants are considered automatically.
Eligibility
- Citizen of a country outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland
- Admitted to a full-time master's programme
- Time-limited Danish study residence permit required
- Awarded on academic achievement
Copenhagen's Danish Government Scholarship 2027: the waiver you do not apply for
This is the clearest example on the European circuit of funding folded into admission. There is no scholarship essay, no separate competition and no second deadline. Whether you are considered at all is decided by whether you are admitted, which makes the master's application the scholarship application.
WHAT IT COVERS
The University of Copenhagen awards a limited number of tuition waivers — full or partial, set by each faculty — to highly talented students from outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland who are admitted to a master's programme and hold a time-limited Danish study residence permit. Some faculties add a living grant on top; others do not. The university does not publish a monthly krona figure on its central scholarships page, and faculties differ, so the honest position is that the shape of the package is confirmed with the offer rather than before it. What a waiver buys is real, however: non-EU tuition in Denmark runs into the tens of thousands of euros, so a full waiver is frequently worth more than a modest stipend elsewhere.
WHO CAN APPLY
You must be a citizen of a country outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland, eligible to pay tuition under Danish rules, admitted to a full-time master's programme, and holding or about to hold a Danish study residence permit granted for the purpose of study. Awards are based on academic achievement alone; financial need is not a criterion. There is no age limit.
Self-check questions:
- Am I a non-EU, non-EEA and non-Swiss citizen, and not exempt from tuition? - Is the programme I want a full master's, rather than an exchange or guest stay? - Does my bachelor's degree meet the programme's academic entry requirements? - Have I budgeted for living costs? A waiver does not pay rent, food, travel or insurance.
HOW TO APPLY
Apply for admission to your chosen master's programme through the University of Copenhagen application portal. For a September 2027 start the portal opens on 15 November 2026 and closes on 15 January 2027 at 23:59 Central European Time. If you are nominated for a scholarship, the offer appears in the portal and must be accepted quickly; the seat moves to the next name if you do not respond, and there is no reserve list for waivers.
Materials checklist:
- The complete master's admission file, including transcripts and degree certificate - Programme-specific documents listed on the programme page - English or Danish language evidence, as the programme requires - Passport and residence-permit documentation - Bank documentation for the full living-cost requirement, which remains your responsibility regardless of the waiver
COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID
Treating a scholarship application as a separate task is the first mistake, because there is nothing separate to file. Missing the accept-by date in the portal is the second, and it is fatal: the university revokes the award rather than chasing you. Assuming that a waiver removes your residence-permit financial requirement is the third — if the award is tuition-only, you still document living funds to the immigration service. Applying to a small faculty and expecting a large quota is the fourth: some faculties award only two or three waivers a year, September intake only.
DEADLINE
15 January 2027 at 23:59 CET for non-EU, non-EEA and non-Swiss applicants starting in September 2027. The portal opens on 15 November 2026.
TIPS TO WIN
Because the scholarship follows admission, spend your effort on the master's file and let the waiver follow. Choose a programme where your degree is a genuine match, and check that the faculty still has awards before you commit. Read the programme's own document list rather than a general one, and submit well before the final day, since the portal sees heavy traffic.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU SUBMIT
Copenhagen treats the master's application as the scholarship application, so your file is assessed once, academically, and the funding decision follows admission. Nominations appear in the application portal and must be accepted inside a short window, and the university is clear that a declined or ignored waiver moves to the next name rather than waiting. For September 2027 entry the non-EU portal opens on 15 November 2026 and closes on 15 January 2027, so the practical preparation window sits either side of the winter holidays — precisely when reference letters and certified translations are slowest to obtain. Start them in October, not December.
More scholarships for international students
https://www.oeacnetwork.com/scholarships
Related awards on this site
https://www.oeacnetwork.com/index.php?page=post&id=2
https://www.oeacnetwork.com/index.php?page=post&id=12
Official page
https://studies.ku.dk/masters/scholarships/
Not sure whether your file is strong enough for this programme? Talk to an OEAC advisor — our team helps students from Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and across the region prepare competitive scholarship applications, and the first consultation is free.
Last updated: 10 October 2026 Photo: Johan Wessman / News Øresund — CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/), via Wikimedia Commons
Always confirm the deadline and eligibility on the official page before you apply. Scholarship dates change between rounds, and this listing is a summary — the provider's own page is the authoritative source. OEAC Network lists scholarships for free and is not an agent for any university or funding body.
