Applicants must be U.S. citizens. Non-U.S. citizens who have legal permanent residency status in the United States are not eligible for any Fulbright grants. For more information, see the FAQ on dual citizenship.

Applicants cannot be:

• a U.S. Department of State employee
• an immediate family member of a U.S. Department of State employee
• an employee of an agency under contract to the U.S. Department of State to perform services related to exchange programs

See contact information on the participating country pages for specific eligibility requirements and limits on numbers of awards. Further eligibility information can also be found in the Policies of the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

• In the 50 countries with a Fulbright Commission, applicants must meet citizenship requirements as defined by the binational agreement.
• In countries where the program is administered by the U.S. Embassy , applicants must be a citizen, national, or permanent resident qualified to hold a valid passport issued by that country.
• Applicants cannot hold citizenship in a partner country and U.S. citizenship/permanent residency.
• See contact information on the participating country pages for specific eligibility requirements and limits on numbers of awards. Further eligibility information can also be found in the Policies of the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

Fulbright Language Requirements

Fulbright candidates must meet the language requirements necessary for their proposed study, research or teaching assignment and adjustment to life in the host country. Fulbright candidates to the U.S. may be required to submit Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores with their application. U.S. student and scholar candidates may be required to submit a report completed by a language expert or instructor to verify their language skills.

Testing Requirements

Testing requirements vary by country and program. Therefore, candidates should consult the individual country pages for application and contact information. The local U.S. Embassy or Fulbright Commission may be able to suggest testing centers. Information on testing can also be found at EducationUSA advising centers.

In general, there are two types of tests that may be required:

Language Tests
Fulbright candidates must meet the language requirements necessary for their proposed study, research or teaching assignment and adjustment to life in the host country. Fulbright candidates to the U.S. may be required to submit Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores with their application. U.S. student and scholar candidates may be required to submit a report completed by a language expert or instructor to verify their language skills.

Admissions Tests

Candidates must meet the requirements of and be acceptable to the host institution. Fulbright candidates to the U.S. may be required to submit the results of tests, including GRE scores for graduate programs and GMAT scores for business programs, for admission to programs at U.S. colleges and universities.