DAAD Scholarship 2027: What International Students Need to Know About Amounts, Deadlines and Eligibility

Introduction

The DAAD scholarship is the largest funding route for international students who want to study in Germany. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) supports well over 100,000 students and researchers every year. Its master’s scholarship pays €992 a month, a figure higher than the €934 still quoted on many third-party sites. For the current cycle, DAAD funds programs that begin in October 2027, and the first deadlines fall in October 2026.

DAAD does not run one single scholarship. It runs a catalog of programs, each open to a specific list of countries, with its own amounts and deadlines, and choosing the right entry point matters as much as the quality of your file. This guide sets out what the DAAD scholarship 2027 pays master’s students, who can apply to which program, when deadlines fall, and what the scholarship does and does not cover once you are in Germany.

Which DAAD Scholarship Fits Your Profile?

What Is Changing in the DAAD Scholarship for 2027?

The first change is the amount. The master’s rate stands at €992 a month, higher than the €934 that older calls and many guides still cite, and the scholarship now adds an annual study allowance of €460 on top of insurance and travel support.

The calendar has also rolled forward. Both master’s programs, for all disciplines and for STEM, state that funding must begin in 2027, usually on October 1, 2027, or earlier if DAAD funds a German language course before your program starts. DAAD does not fund a master’s program you have already begun in Germany, so you apply about a year ahead of your intended start. Applications open on June 1 and close on a date set for each country, with the first deadlines on October 21, 2026.

The catalog itself has a new shape. Alongside the long-standing master’s scholarship for all disciplines, DAAD now lists Study Scholarships for STEM Disciplines, a master’s line for high-achieving graduates from 24 developing and emerging countries in Latin America, Southeast Asia, East Africa and the Middle East.

What Is the DAAD, and How Does Its Scholarship Database Work?

The DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst) is Germany’s national agency for academic exchange. It is an association of German universities, and its master’s scholarships for international students are financed by the German Federal Foreign Office. Its funding supports mobility in both directions: incoming students and researchers, outgoing German students, and university partnerships.

For international applicants, the DAAD scholarship database is the starting point, and its logic explains most of the confusion online. Each program is open only to a defined list of countries. The application procedure tab opens once you select your status and your country of origin, and it then shows your deadline, your selection date and any country-specific documents. If your country is not in the list, you cannot apply to that program.

That list varies a lot from one program to the next. The master’s scholarship for all disciplines covers European countries, the United States, Canada, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and some countries of Central Asia, the Caucasus and the Middle East. It does not cover India, Pakistan or Nigeria, whose graduates apply instead through EPOS or, for some countries, the STEM line.

How Much Does a DAAD Scholarship Pay in 2027?

The scholarship also offers, on application, a subsidy for justified additional costs linked to a disability or chronic illness.

For a sense of scale: €992 a month is exactly the monthly amount German immigration authorities expect a student to have for living expenses. That covers life in a city like Leipzig or Aachen (€750 to €1,000 a month, about $855 to $1,140), but leaves little margin in Munich, where living costs run from €1,100 to €1,400 a month ($1,255 to $1,600).

Which DAAD Scholarships Can International Students Apply For?

DAAD runs several master’s programs, each open to a different list of countries, so the first step is to find the one that covers yours.

If you hold a first degree and come from an eligible country, the Study Scholarships for Master’s Studies in all academic disciplines are the main entry point. They fund either a complete master’s at a state or state-recognized German university, for 10 to 24 months, or one year of study in Germany as part of a master’s at your home university, provided your home institution recognizes the credits. A second master’s is possible. DAAD runs separate programs for architecture, fine art, design, film, performing arts and music.

The Study Scholarships for STEM Disciplines fund a full master’s in mathematics, computer science, natural sciences or engineering for graduates from 24 countries, including Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Ghana, Kenya and Jordan. You must have finished your first degree no more than six years ago, hold no master’s degree yet, and aim for a tuition-free program. Pre-selected candidates are invited to an interview, which DAAD describes as decisive. Engineers weighing their options can compare programs in our ranking of the best universities for engineering in Germany [→ Best universities for engineering in Germany].

The EPOS program (Development-Related Postgraduate Courses) is the route for graduates from a long list of developing and newly industrialized countries, including India, Pakistan and Nigeria. It requires at least two years of professional experience, a bachelor’s degree (usually four years) with results in the top third, and a development-related motivation. It only funds the postgraduate programs on DAAD’s EPOS list, for 12 to 42 months, at €992 a month.

Finally, the Hilde Domin Programme supports students who are at risk of being denied education or other rights in their country of origin. Candidates cannot apply directly: a German university or organization nominates them, and they need B2 in German or English by the nomination deadline.

DAAD Scholarship Eligibility and Requirements

DAAD scholarship requirements differ from one program to another, but the master’s scholarship sets out the core. You must have completed your first degree (Bachelor’s or Diplom) by the time funding begins, which means final-year students can apply. An independent committee of academics then assesses three things: your academic record (grades, course of study, relevant internships or work experience), the quality of your study project (choice of program and host university, how well you have prepared, how it fits your career path), and your potential (motivation, what the stay will change for your career, extracurricular and social engagement). The committee also takes equal-opportunity circumstances into account when you describe them in the form.

Language is part of your academic qualification. You must upload a certificate for the language of instruction of your chosen program, no older than three years, even if the university itself does not ask for one. The level is set by your target program: English-taught master’s in Germany typically ask for IELTS Academic 6.5 or TOEFL iBT 90, and German-taught programs for TestDaF TDN 4 or DSH-2. The STEM scholarship sets a floor of B1 in the language of instruction. If your program is taught in German, the pre-study German course funded by DAAD is mandatory. Our guide to admission tests including IELTS and TOEFL [→ Admission tests: GMAT, GRE, TOEFL, IELTS] explains scores and formats.

For the master’s scholarship, the file includes a CV in tabular form (three pages maximum), a letter of motivation (one to three pages), the form listing your preferred master’s programs, transcripts and degree certificates, the language certificate, and one recent letter of recommendation from a professor. Your motivation letter should explain in concrete terms why a German program serves your academic or career plans; generic praise of Germany carries no weight with a selection committee. Our guide on how to get a strong recommendation letter [→ Recommendation letters guide] covers the reference.

Any document issued in a language other than German or English must be uploaded with a German or English translation. For some countries, DAAD also asks for your high school diploma with an explanation of the grading system, and it may request certified copies of your documents later.

Not every document has the same deadline. The admission letter from your German university and your final degree certificate can follow later, before funding begins. The language certificate cannot: it is one of the required documents, and DAAD only considers applications that are complete on the deadline day. If your deadline is October 21 or October 30, 2026, schedule your IELTS, TOEFL or TestDaF early enough to have the results before that date.

Build your application documents. Once your study project is clear, use Elite’s CV builder and our cover letter and personal statement tool to turn it into a file that matches what DAAD’s selection committees assess.

When Are the DAAD Scholarship Deadlines?

There is no single DAAD scholarship deadline. Each program sets a date per country, updated every year in the second quarter, and DAAD notes that dates usually stay close to the previous year’s. Applications open on June 1 and close at midnight (Central European time) on the deadline day. For the 2027 intake, here are the dates published for a sample of countries.

If you are aiming for an October 2027 start, check the date for your own country now: for several programs, it falls within a month.

How to Apply for a DAAD Scholarship: Step by Step

• Check your eligibility (now). In the DAAD scholarship database, select the status “Graduates” and your country of origin to see only the programs open to you.
• Read the full call for applications. Open the application procedure tab with your country selected: it shows your deadline, your selection date and any country-specific documents.
• Apply to your German programs in parallel. Admission and scholarship are handled separately, and DAAD accepts the admission letter after the deadline, before funding starts. Our ranking of the best universities in Germany for international master’s students [→ Best universities in Germany for international master’s students] sets out the leading options, their fees and their international student shares.
• Prepare your documents. Language certificates, transcripts, the recommendation letter and your motivation letter take the longest; start at least two months before your deadline.
• Submit through the DAAD portal (from June 1). Upload every required document by the deadline: DAAD does not consider incomplete applications, and the portal closes at midnight on the last day.
• Prepare for the selection. Results come between February and May, depending on the country. For the STEM scholarship, pre-selected candidates have an interview with the selection committee, on site or online.

Does a DAAD Scholarship Cover Tuition, the Blocked Account and Living Costs?

Not everything. DAAD does not cover tuition fees, which rarely matters at public universities: most German states charge no tuition for master’s programs, DAAD scholarship or not. There are exceptions to check before you budget. Baden-Württemberg charges non-EU students €1,500 per semester ($1,710), which applies at Heidelberg and KIT. Exemptions exist: DAAD scholarship holders enrolled in an EPOS program are exempt, and universities must reserve a significant share of their exemption quota (5% of international students) for students from ACP countries and least developed countries. TUM in Bavaria charges non-EU students €4,000 to €6,000 per semester ($4,560 to $6,850) depending on the program since the 2024/25 winter semester. Every student also pays a semester contribution of €150 to €350 ($170 to $400), which usually includes a regional public transit pass. The STEM scholarship only funds tuition-free programs.

For the German student visa, you must prove you can cover your living costs: €11,904 a year, or €992 a month, as of January 2026, according to Make it in Germany, the federal government’s portal. The Federal Foreign Office ties this amount to the BAföG maximum rate and lets each German mission confirm the figure, so check with the embassy or consulate handling your file. Proof can take three forms: a blocked account, a scholarship award letter, or a formal declaration of commitment by a sponsor. A DAAD award letter can therefore replace the blocked account, provided the consulate accepts it for your visa category. Our step-by-step German student visa guide [→ German student visa guide] covers the full procedure, and our breakdown of the real cost of a master’s abroad [→ Real cost of a master’s abroad] compares Germany with other destinations.

Life in Germany as a DAAD Scholarship Holder

Once you arrive, your scholarship covers basic living costs, but the cost of living varies widely by city. Munich (€1,100 to €1,400 a month) is the most expensive, Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne sit around €900 to €1,100 ($1,025 to $1,255), and smaller university towns such as Aachen, Heidelberg or Freiburg run from €750 to €1,000. Our guide on how to budget for studying abroad [→ Studying abroad without breaking the bank] sets out a method to plan month by month.

International students in Germany can work 140 full days or 280 half days a year. As a scholarship holder, read DAAD’s important information for scholarship applicants before accepting a job, since the scholarship conditions set out what outside income is allowed.

After graduation, you can stay in Germany for up to 18 months on a residence permit to look for work, with no job offer required. Germany’s place among the top study abroad destinations in 2026 [→ Top study abroad destinations 2026] owes a great deal to this combination of low tuition, generous public funding and post-study work rights.