DAAD Scholarship 2026: Requirements, How to Apply

The DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) funds international students and researchers, and its main scholarship for international Master’s students pays 992 € a month plus a study allowance of 460 € a year. You need a first degree by the time funding starts, your most recent degree should as a rule be no more than six years old, and you must not have lived in Germany for more than 15 months at the deadline. Deadlines depend on your country and are published in the DAAD scholarship database, where you also apply.

What is the DAAD scholarship?

“DAAD scholarship” is a family of programmes, not a single award. The DAAD scholarship database lists them by your country, your status (for example graduate or doctoral candidate) and your purpose (study, research, language course). For international graduates the three most relevant are the Master’s study scholarship for all disciplines, the new study scholarship for STEM subjects and EPOS for development-related courses. Doctoral candidates apply for research grants instead.

For example, a computer science graduate from Hyderabad who wants a Master’s in Germany looks at the Master’s study scholarship and the STEM scholarship, while a public health officer from Abuja with three years of work experience looks at EPOS.

Which DAAD scholarship fits you?

Choose what you plan to do in Germany and your checklist appears below.

What do you plan to do in Germany?

A Master’s in any subject
A STEM Master’s and I have no Master’s yet
A development-related Master’s and I have work experience
A doctorate or research stay

A Master’s in any subject

The Study Scholarship for Graduates of All Disciplines pays 992 € a month plus 460 € a year for 10 to 24 months.
Check whether your country has an open call and note its deadline.
You need your first degree before funding starts, and your latest degree should be at most six years old.

A STEM Master’s and I have no Master’s yet

The study scholarship for STEM disciplines pays the same amounts to students from developing and emerging countries.
Your Master’s must be tuition-free, full-time and start in winter semester 2027/28.
You cannot apply if you already hold a Master’s degree at the deadline.

A development-related Master’s and I have work experience

EPOS asks for at least two years of work experience after your Bachelor’s and usually a four-year Bachelor’s.
Apply directly to the course, up to three courses in order of priority. The DAAD does not forward applications.

A doctorate or research stay

Research Grants pay doctoral candidates 1,400 € a month.
Your doctorate should have started no more than three years before the deadline.

Everyone

The DAAD does not pay tuition fees.
You must not have lived in Germany for more than 15 months at the deadline.

How much does the DAAD Master’s scholarship pay?

According to the DAAD’s programme page, updated on 31 October 2026, the Master’s study scholarship pays 992 € a month and a study allowance of 460 € a year. The DAAD also makes payments towards health, accident and personal liability insurance, and pays a travel allowance on application. After funding starts you can apply for a rent subsidy, a family allowance or a subsidy for disability or chronic illness.

Programme	Monthly payment	Duration	Who it is for
Master’s study scholarship, all disciplines	992 €	10 to 24 months	Graduates, degree at most six years old
Study scholarship for STEM	992 €	Full Master’s	Students from developing and emerging countries without a Master’s
EPOS	992 € (graduates)	12 to 42 months	Graduates with two years of work experience
Research Grants	1,400 €	Up to 12 months	Doctoral candidates

Note that 992 € a month is the same amount as the 2026 blocked account requirement, so a full DAAD scholarship can replace the blocked account as proof of finance. Our finances guide explains the other costs.

What are the eligibility requirements?

The DAAD sets the same core rules for the Master’s study scholarship in every country. Individual country calls can add requirements, so read the call for your country as well.

You have completed your first degree (usually a Bachelor’s) by the time funding begins.
As a rule, your most recent university degree is no more than six years old at the application deadline.
You have not lived in Germany for more than 15 months at the application deadline.
You meet the admission requirements of the Master’s programmes you choose.

Which documents do you need?

The DAAD asks for the following documents for the Master’s study scholarship.

CV, at most three pages
Motivation letter, one to three pages
Admission letter from the university, or submitted later before funding begins
Master’s preference form, if you list several programmes
Transcript and degree certificate
Language certificate, no older than three years
One recent recommendation letter from a university teacher

The motivation letter is where you explain why each programme fits your background and your plans, so write it for these programmes rather than reusing a general text. If you want a second opinion before you submit, our motivation letter review checks it against the programme’s requirements.

How do you apply step by step?

Open the DAAD scholarship database. Select your country of origin, status “Graduates” and the subject group.
Open the Master’s study scholarship. Read the call for your country and note the deadline.
Choose up to three Master’s programmes. Check each programme’s admission requirements and deadlines.
Prepare your documents. Ask your recommender early.
Apply through the DAAD portal. Applications open on 1 June and close on your country’s deadline.
Apply to the universities separately. The scholarship award is only valid with a university admission.

Here is a typical timeline. A graduate who wants to start in October 2027 opens the database in May 2026, applies between June and the autumn deadline for their country, applies to universities in the following months and, if selected, may start with a German language course funded by the DAAD before the programme.

When are the DAAD deadlines?

There is no single deadline. The DAAD updates the deadlines every year in the second quarter, and funding for the current round usually begins on 1 October 2027. When we checked the database on 31 October 2026, it showed no open Master’s call for India or Nigeria, while other countries had deadlines in autumn 2026. Check again with your own country selected, and look at the STEM scholarship and EPOS if the general call is closed for you.

Common mistakes

Expecting tuition to be covered. The DAAD does not pay tuition fees.
Using another country’s deadline. Each country has its own call.
Forgetting the university application. The scholarship needs an admission.
Sending EPOS applications to the DAAD. EPOS applications go to the course.
Writing one generic motivation letter. Explain your choice of each programme.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a DAAD scholarship for a Bachelor’s degree?

Rarely. The DAAD’s programmes for international students are mainly for graduates, doctoral candidates and researchers. Check the database with status “Undergraduates” for the few exceptions.

Does the DAAD scholarship replace the blocked account?

A full scholarship that covers your living costs can be accepted as proof of finance instead of a blocked account. Check your German mission’s checklist.

Can I apply if I already live in Germany?

Only if you have lived in Germany for 15 months or less at the application deadline.

Where to start

Open the DAAD scholarship database, select your country and status and see which calls are open for you. At the same time, shortlist Master’s programmes that fit your degree, because the scholarship and the admission depend on each other.

DAAD Scholarship 2026: Requirements and How to Apply