2026/27 German Government (DAAD) Scholarships for Master’s Studies Abroad

This program offers you the opportunity to earn a Master's degree abroad and gain international study experience. You can pursue your individual study interests and develop both professionally and personally.

Summary

1. Application Deadline: 18 March 2026
2. Value: Fully Funded – Monthly stipend, travel allowance, insurance, optional tuition fee subsidy, language course grant, family support & disability support
3. Study Level: Master’s
4. Sponsor: German Government (DAAD)
5. Eligible Country: International students (all countries)

Eligibility Criteria for 2026/27 German Government (DAAD) Scholarships for Master’s Studies Abroad

Please check if you meet the following criteria:

1. Before starting their scholarship :
2. a bachelor's degree (at least three years of study) from a state or state-recognized university in Germany or
3. has acquired an equivalent foreign degree .
4. A bachelor's degree from an accredited course at a vocational academy also meets these criteria.
5. In addition, the following qualifications are possible: Master's degree, Magister degree, Diploma, 1st or 2nd state examination in law, 1st or 2nd state examination for teaching, 3rd section of the medical examination and 2nd section of the pharmaceutical examination.
6. Your university degree or examination must not be more than five years old at the time of application, unless there are special reasons (seeImportant scholarship information / Section A, Point 5If you already hold a Bachelor's and Master's degree, the deadline begins from the date of your Master's degree. If you have already passed the Second State Examination in Law or the Second State Examination for Teaching, the deadline begins from the date you passed the First State Examination in Law or the First State Examination for Teaching.

If you have already completed your studies and are currently abroad at the time of application , the following applies:

1. If you have completed your studies in Germany , you can apply for funding for a Master's program or the second year of a Master's program already underway in your current country of residence . A prerequisite is that you have not yet been living in that country for more than one year at the application deadline. You can apply
2. for funding for a Master's program in another country regardless of your length of stay abroad.
3. If you have completed your undergraduate studies abroad, you can generally only apply for a Master's program in another country. Funding in your current country of residence requires specific reasons that are directly related to your project (please explain these in your letter of motivation).

Please inform yourself in good time about the admission requirements, application and enrollment deadlines of your host university and entry regulations for your host country. We provide some important information for you on the DAAD country pages .

Selection process

After an initial pre-selection based on the submitted documents, successful applicants are invited to a personal interview before the selection committee.

In the case of a very high number of applications, the pre-selection process may be conducted in two stages: In the first stage, academic performance is reviewed, taking into account individual circumstances. In the second stage, the applications are comprehensively evaluated by the relevant selection committee members.

The personal interview can take place at the DAAD in Bonn or virtually. Please also watch our video about the scholarship selection process.

The selection committees are composed according to academic and, where applicable, regional criteria. The volunteer committee members are appointed by the DAAD Executive Board and are primarily university professors from German universities. They review the applications and decide on the scholarship awards. Former DAAD scholarship recipients may also participate in the selection process. DAAD staff members chair the selection meeting but do not have voting rights.

Further information can be found in our [ link to relevant information]. important scholarship informationin section C.

Selection criteria

Particular attention will be paid to:

1. Qualification, especially measured against:
2. Academic performance (general grade point average, grade development)
3. High school graduation grade or equivalent
4. Study progress
5. Knowledge of the language of instruction or work
6. The quality of the project, especially measured by:
7. the description of the study project and the preparation (preliminary information, choice of host university and contacting)
8. the integration of the project into the academic career
9. Potential of the applicant, in particular measured against:
10. Motivation: professional and personal reasons for the stay abroad, knowledge of the local language (if different from the working language); regional knowledge
11. Perspectives: The importance of studying abroad for further academic, professional and personal development
12. Extracurricular activities: extracurricular knowledge and skills, social engagement
13. Furthermore, to ensure equal opportunities, the selection committee may take into account special circumstances, which you can describe in the application form. Please read the following for more information.important scholarship information/ Section C, point 5.

Benefits of 2026/27 German Government (DAAD) Scholarships for Master’s Studies Abroad

1. A monthly scholarship rate determined by the host country: Scholarship calculator.
2. Travel allowance depending on the host country
3. Health, accident and private liability insurance benefits

In addition, you can apply for further benefits after the start of the funding:

1. Tuition fee subsidy up to a maximum limit
2. Grant for a language course (national language or language of instruction or work)
3. Family benefits for accompanying spouses or life partners and/or children
4. Grants for travel in the host country directly related to the project (please submit a cost estimate with confirmation from the supervising university professor with your application). Accommodation costs are non-reimbursable.
5. In the case of a disability or chronic illness: upon request, a subsidy may be granted for justified additional costs incurred abroad

How to Apply

Are you qualified and interested in this opportunity? Kindly go to DAAD on mydaad.b2clogin.com to apply

1. Register on the DAAD portal ( read the instructions for registering on the portal )
2. Apply online in the DAAD portal ( read the application instructions in the portal )
3. Under "Create Letter of Recommendation Form," you can generate the cover sheet for the letter of recommendation as a fillable PDF in the DAAD portal.
4. Please send the form to your university instructor with a request to complete it completely and attach a freely worded letter of recommendation (as explained in the form).
5. Please upload both documents during the application process in the portal in the "Attachments" step under "Letter of Recommendation ." Sending the letter of recommendation by email is not possible.

Do well to check the various deadlines specified for each region here.

For more information, kindly visit DAAD scholarship portal.

Application Deadline

March 18, 2026

Application Link(s)

• Apply for 2026/27 German Government (DAAD) Scholarships for Master’s Studies Abroad