DAAD Scholarships (nationwide)

What the funding covers

• A monthly stipend of €992 for master's students and €1,300 for doctoral candidates (the rates DAAD lists on its scholarship overview; always check the current call).
• Payments towards health, accident and personal liability insurance, and a travel allowance.
• On the Study Scholarships for master's programmes: an annual study allowance of €460, plus a rent subsidy and family allowances on application.
• Funded German language courses before or during your studies, with the TestDaF or DSH exam fee refunded.
• Tuition is not paid by DAAD — but most public universities in Germany charge none.

Who can apply

• Each DAAD programme has its own country list. If your country is not listed in the call, you cannot apply to that programme.
• Study Scholarships (master's): a completed first degree by the time funding starts, a degree no more than six years old at the application deadline, and no more than 15 months' residence in Germany at the deadline.
• EPOS development-related postgraduate courses: graduates from eligible developing countries, usually with a four-year bachelor's and at least two years' professional experience.
• Doctoral grants are open to candidates from nearly all countries; full doctoral programmes focus on developing and emerging countries.

How to apply

1. Search the DAAD scholarship database (funding-guide.de) with your nationality, level and subject, and open the call for the programme that fits.
2. Read the call's country-specific deadline — it differs by country and, for EPOS, by course.
3. Prepare a CV (up to three pages), a one-to-three-page motivation letter, transcripts, degree certificate, language certificate (no older than three years) and one recommendation letter from a university teacher.
4. Submit through the DAAD portal as PDFs, or — for EPOS — directly to the university course as its call instructs. The portal closes at midnight German time on the last day.
5. Shortlisted candidates may be interviewed; funding for master's study usually starts on 1 October of the following year.

Before you apply: things to know

• DAAD is many programmes, not one scholarship. Applying to the wrong call is the most common mistake.
• Most calls close between August and November for study starting the following October — about a year ahead.
• DAAD never charges application fees and never contacts applicants through social media. See our guide to spotting scholarship scams.
• EPOS applications go through the individual course, which sets its own deadline — often 15 October or earlier.

A working timeline

Counting back from the next typical deadline (≈ Oct 1, 2026). Steps marked NOW are already due if you start today.

Related routes

Sources

• DAAD — Scholarships overview
• DAAD scholarship database — Study Scholarships, master's for all disciplines
• DAAD scholarship database — Development-related postgraduate courses (EPOS)

Page reviewed Sep 24, 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will check it against the official source.