Counted from your last result
For a bachelor's it runs from your HSC year, and for a master's from your bachelor's result, to the intake you apply for.
Student visa guide · Study gap
A study gap is the time between your last result and the course you start abroad. Universities, not embassies, usually set the limit: Sunrise's 2027 guidance accepts HSC from 2023 for Italy and from 2021 for Hungary, and up to 10 years after a bachelor's for Italy. What matters most is proof of what you did.
Written and reviewed by Anisuzzaman Kiron, Founder & CEO · Updated
| What it is | Time between your last result and your course abroad |
|---|---|
| Who sets the limit | Each university; Sunrise checks your year against the programme |
| Bachelor's (Sunrise guide) | HSC 2023–2026 for Italy; 2021–2026 for Hungary and Türkiye; 2020–2025 for Malta and Estonia |
| Master's (Sunrise guide) | Up to 10 years for Italy; up to 5 for Hungary, Türkiye, Malta and Estonia |
| A gap that helps | Finland: a UAS master's needs 2 years of work after your bachelor's |
| Scholarship age limits | Türkiye: under 30 for a master's; China (CSC): generally under 35 |
From Sunrise counselling sheets and official pages · Last verified
The basics
Not on its own. A gap becomes a problem when it is longer than the university accepts, or when nothing shows what you did. A gap you can document with work, courses or test preparation is far easier to explain.
For a bachelor's it runs from your HSC year, and for a master's from your bachelor's result, to the intake you apply for.
Each university decides how old a result it accepts. Sunrise's 2027 counselling sheets give the typical limits for the universities we work with.
Embassy checklists ask for papers that show your background: Switzerland asks for a CV and proof of employment, Hungary for a CV and a motivation letter.
Writing the explanation? Our SOP guide shows where the gap goes in your statement of purpose. Entry rules by level are in our requirements guide.
Sources: Embassy of Switzerland in Dhaka · BLS Dhaka Hungary checklist · Sunrise Study Abroad counselling sheets, 2027 intake. Last verified 11 Nov 2026.
By country
These are the limits in Sunrise's 2027 counselling sheets for the universities we work with. Each university makes the final decision, so a counsellor checks your exact year against the programme.
| Country | Bachelor's after HSC | Master's after a bachelor's |
|---|---|---|
| Italy | HSC 2023–2026 | Up to 10 years |
| Hungary | HSC 2021–2026 | Up to 5 years |
| Türkiye | HSC 2021–2026 | Up to 5 years |
| Malta | HSC 2020–2025 | Up to 5 years |
| Estonia | HSC 2020–2025 | Up to 5 years |
| Finland | Accepted if explained | Accepted; a UAS master's needs 2 years of work |
Another country? Ask in your free consultation: we check the gap rule of each programme before you apply.
Sources: Sunrise Study Abroad counselling sheets, 2027 intake. Finland work rule: Studyinfo: how to apply · example UAS master's admission (Novia). Last verified 11 Nov 2026.
Documents
Proof of what you did in each gap year, in date order, with nothing missing.
Sources: Embassy of Switzerland in Dhaka · BLS Dhaka Hungary checklist · IRCC: study permit documents. Proof examples: Sunrise guidance. Last verified 11 Nov 2026.
How to explain
In your SOP or a short gap letter: what you did, when, and how it leads to your course. Keep it factual and match every date to a document.
Sources: Sunrise guidance, based on the embassy checklists above. Last reviewed 11 Nov 2026.
When it helps
Yes, when the gap is work in your field. In Finland a master's at a university of applied sciences needs at least two years of work after your bachelor's.
Experience related to your programme supports your motivation and, for a Finnish UAS master's, is an entry requirement.
Keep the employer's letter, your appointment letter and salary records for the whole period.
Moksedul (HSC 2021) and Amjad (bachelor's 2016) both got Finland residence permits after a gap.
Ritu got her Hungary visa after a study gap.
Sources: Studyinfo · Novia UAS master's admission · Sunrise student stories. Last verified 11 Nov 2026.
Scholarship ages
Some government scholarships do, so a long gap can rule you out of a scholarship even when a university would accept you.
| Scholarship | Bachelor's | Master's | PhD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Türkiye Scholarships | Under 21 | Under 30 | Under 35 |
| Chinese Government Scholarship | Generally under 25 | Generally under 35 | Generally under 40 |
Self-funded? University admission and the visa do not use these age limits. Compare all scholarships for Bangladeshi students.
Sources: Türkiye Scholarships: programmes · Campus China. Last verified 11 Nov 2026.
Step by step
Six steps, from counting the gap to having your file checked.
From your HSC or bachelor's result to the intake you want.
Before choosing a countryCompare it with the limits above and the programme's own rules.
Before you applyWork, courses, tests or other reasons, with dates.
Before you applyIn your SOP or a gap letter, matching your CV.
With your applicationIf you want a government scholarship, check its age limit first.
Before the deadlineBring your results and proof to a free consultation.
Any timeWorried about your gap? A Sunrise counsellor checks it against each programme in a free consultation in Banani or Sylhet, or on WhatsApp 01611878274. See all countries in our student visa guide.
Sources: Sunrise guidance and the sources above. Last verified 11 Nov 2026.
FAQ
Ask a counsellor directly if your question is not here.
WhatsApp 01611878274There is no single rule. Universities set their own limits; Sunrise's 2027 guidance accepts up to 10 years after a bachelor's for Italy and up to 5 years for Hungary, Türkiye, Malta and Estonia.
Often, yes. Sunrise's 2027 guidance accepts HSC from 2023 for Italy and from 2021 for Hungary and Türkiye, if you can show what you did in those years.
In your SOP or a short gap letter: give the dates, say what you did, attach a document for each period and link it to the course you chose.
Yes, and sometimes it is required: a master's at a Finnish university of applied sciences needs at least two years of work after your bachelor's.
Some do. Türkiye Scholarships take master's applicants under 30, and the Chinese Government Scholarship generally under 35.
Job letters and salary records for work, certificates for courses, your test report for IELTS or PTE, and transcripts for any study you left unfinished.
or WhatsApp 01611878274 · call Sylhet 01710303097
