Most fully funded postgraduate scholarships come with a long checklist of requirements that quietly disqualify a large portion of otherwise strong candidates. Language proficiency exams. Narrow nationality restrictions. Complicated portals. Short windows. The Malta Government Endeavour II Scholarships Scheme 5th Call 2026 is notably different on several of these points — and for first-time applicants who are unfamiliar with the programme, those differences are worth understanding clearly before the 5 June 2026 deadline.
This article covers what makes the Endeavour II Scholarship stand out, what first-time applicants consistently get wrong, and the specific details — including the E-ID requirement and ESF+ funding structure — that most scholarship guides overlook.
The Headline That Often Gets Missed: No IELTS Required
The single most practically significant feature of the Endeavour Scholarship for many international applicants is the absence of an English language proficiency test requirement. No IELTS. No TOEFL. No PTE Academic.
Malta’s academic environment is fully English-medium — it is one of only two EU member states where English is an official language, alongside Ireland. Because the Scholarship Unit and participating institutions operate in English, the scheme does not impose standardized language testing as a barrier to application.
For applicants from countries where sitting the IELTS is expensive, logistically difficult, or requires months of preparation, this removes a significant obstacle that would otherwise delay or prevent application to a high-quality European postgraduate scholarship.
What “ESF+ Funded” Actually Means for Applicants
The Endeavour II Scholarships Scheme is co-financed by the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) 2021–2027. Understanding what this means in practice matters for assessing the scholarship’s credibility and longevity.
The ESF+ is the European Union’s primary instrument for investing in people — funding employment, education, social inclusion, and workforce development across EU member states. Co-funded programmes like Endeavour II are subject to EU financial oversight and programme-level accountability, which means the scholarship is structurally stable, properly resourced, and independently audited. It is not a discretionary government spending line that can be cancelled with a budget revision.
For applicants, this means the funding behind your scholarship is real, regulated, and backed by a multi-year EU financial commitment running through 2027. Awardees are not relying on annual discretionary budgets — they are part of a formally structured ESF+ programme with defined outcomes and reporting obligations that the Maltese government is accountable for delivering.
The scheme has now run five consecutive annual calls (2022 to 2026), each building on the previous one, further proving its institutional stability as a postgraduate funding vehicle.
The E-ID Requirement: A Detail Many First-Time Applicants Miss
One requirement that frequently surprises first-time applicants is the E-ID. Applicants must be in possession of a Maltese E-ID — Malta’s electronic identity system — to access and submit the online application through the myscholarship.gov.mt portal.
The E-ID is Malta’s digital identity credential. It is issued to Maltese citizens, EU nationals with registered residence in Malta, and third-country nationals with legal residency. For eligible applicants — Maltese citizens, EU/EEA nationals with permanent residence, and non-EU nationals with long-term residence status — obtaining an E-ID is part of the normal residency documentation process and should already be in place.
However, if you are in the process of establishing your eligibility documents and do not yet hold an E-ID, you should factor in the time needed to obtain one before the application deadline. This is not a step that can be completed on the same day as your application submission. Address it early.
Who Qualifies — The Residency Rule Explained Plainly
The eligibility framework for the Endeavour II Scholarship is frequently misread. The scheme is not a globally open international scholarship. It is structured around Malta residency and citizenship, with the following qualifying categories:
Maltese citizens: Eligible regardless of whether they are currently living in Malta. Maltese citizens who have been residing outside Malta for work, health, or study are still eligible — the time abroad is not counted against the five-year residency calculation.
EU and EEA nationals: Eligible if they hold a permanent residence permit in Malta. EU citizenship alone, without Maltese permanent residence, is not sufficient.
Third-country (non-EU) nationals: Eligible if they have been granted long-term residence status in Malta under the relevant legislation and have been continuously living in Malta for at least five years prior to applying.
For all non-Maltese applicants, the permanent residence permit is a mandatory document and must be uploaded with the application.
The application window for the 5th Call runs from 27 April 2026 to 5 June 2026 at 12:00 PM noon Malta local time. Scholarship holders must be available to commence their programme between 27 April 2026 and 26 April 2027.
What the Scholarship Covers
The Endeavour II Scholarship is described as fully funded, and the specific components are as follows.
Full tuition fees at the recognised institution are covered. Study-related expenses for practical and research needs are included. A financial allowance may be granted depending on individual circumstances as assessed by the Scholarship Board.
For awardees whose programme is based outside Malta, a Study Abroad Allowance of €4,000 per year is paid on a pro-rata basis to cover the additional costs of studying abroad. Evidence of travel — boarding passes or airline confirmations with dates and destination — must be presented to receive this allowance.
An Important Clarification on PhD Eligibility
One area of consistent confusion in online descriptions of the scheme involves the Level 8 doctoral route. Some sources describe the Endeavor II Scheme as covering both Master’s and PhD programs. The 5th Call 2026 Regulations as described by the official portal (myscholarship.gov.mt) confirm that the scheme covers MQF Level 7 (Master’s) as its primary level. Applicants who already hold a doctoral qualification at Level 8 are not eligible to apply.
If you already have a Master’s degree, you can apply for another Master’s, but you cannot apply for a lower postgraduate qualification, such as a postgraduate certificate or diploma. The principle is that your application must be for a qualification at the same level or higher than your existing highest qualification — and not lower.
Always download and read the 5th Call Regulations directly from myscholarship.gov.mt before applying. The Regulations are the authoritative document, and programme-level details can differ between annual calls.
The Motivational Letter: Where Most Applications Are Won or Lost
The mandatory motivational letter — approximately 300 words — is the element of the application that the Scholarship Board explicitly states it weighs significantly. It must address the relevance of the proposed study to a priority economic area selected from the list in the Regulations.
First-time applicants often submit letters that describe personal motivation, academic background, or career aspirations without directly aligning with Malta’s priority sectors and economic needs. This is the wrong approach. The Board is evaluating whether your postgraduate research or study will contribute meaningfully to a specific area of strategic importance to Malta. Lead with the sector, name the specific gap or development need, then explain how your proposed study addresses it.
A well-written 300-word letter that is sector-specific and evidence-linked will outperform a polished 500-word letter about your academic journey.
How to Apply: Checklist for First-Time Applicants
Before submitting, confirm you have each of the following:
Verified your eligibility under one of the three qualifying categories (citizen, EU permanent resident, or long-term non-EU resident with 5+ years). Confirmed your E-ID access to the application portal. Selected and confirmed your priority area from the 5th Call Regulations. Write a focused motivational letter (~300 words) addressing your chosen priority area. Obtained a University Letter of Acceptance (ULA) from at least one eligible institution confirming program name, dates, ECTS, fees, and modality. Gathered academic transcripts from your most recent completed qualification. Completed Declaration Schedule I and Assistance Allowance Declaration Schedule III from the Regulations. Uploaded your permanent residence permit (mandatory for all non-Maltese applicants).
Submit at myscholarship.gov.mt before 5 June 2026 at noon Malta time. Apply early — the portal experiences high traffic in the final days of the application window.
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