No, there is usually no fixed age limit. There are individual exceptions in programmes in which this is explicitly requested by an international partner. Most scholarship programmes stipulate that only a certain amount of time should have elapsed since the last degree was obtained (see also question 2). For details, please refer to the respective Call for Applications at www.funding-guide.de under the heading "Application requirements".

Yes, an application may be permissible under the following circumstances which may have a delaying effect on studies or doctoral projects:

• pregnancy and childbirth
• care of children up to the age of 12 (maximum of three years per child)
• care of care-dependent relatives
• disability or chronic illness
• prolonged, serious illness
• compulsory military service
• if applicable, other circumstances.

The dates of birth of children and periods of childcare or care of relatives or longer periods of absence due to illness or disability should be indicated in the application form; the last free text field "Other comments / Information" is available for this purpose. DAAD reserves the right to ask you to submit appropriate supporting documents.

Please provide proof of disabilities or illnesses in the form of a disability card or medical certificate. If possible, the medical certificate should indicate the periods of absence.

Information about studying abroad with a disability or chronic illness is provided in the following: Mobility with a Disability.

Other circumstances must also be justified and substantiated with supporting documents.

Yes, in most programmes which require a first university degree, you can apply in your last year of study. You must then meet all the academic requirements set out in the Call for Applications by the time your funding period begins. Also, you can hand in your degree later; it must be submitted before the start of the funding period.

Please note that this regulation does not apply to the Study scholarships - Master's degree programme for STEM subjects’ programme. You can apply for this programme if you have completed your studies with a first degree recognised in Germany (e.g. Bachelor's degree) by the application deadline at the latest. 

Yes, if you have been in Germany for a maximum of 15 months by the closing date for applications and the Call for Scholarship Applications makes no other specifications.

An application from your current country of residence is possible under certain circumstances:

• If you wish to apply for a short-term scholarship (up to 6 months), you must have lived in your country of residence for at least one year at the time of application and have a residence there.
• If you would like to come to Germany for more than 6 months, you must also have obtained your last degree (e.g. Bachelor/Master) in your country of residence or obtain this degree until the start of the scholarship.

In any case, you can apply from your country of origin, even if you currently live in another country and meet the above requirements. Your country of origin is usually the country in which you have spent most of your life and may differ from your nationality.

Example: You were born and raised in Albania and have lived in the UK for four years , where you also obtained your Bachelor's degree. It is best to apply from the UK as you have a UK degree. It is possible to apply from Albania as an alternative. - However, you may not apply from both countries at the same time.

We strongly recommend that you seek information and advice to find out which scholarship programmes are available to you. Contact persons are listed in the Scholarship database under "Contact and advice".

Dual nationals must apply from their country of origin (usually the country where you have spent most of your life). If the requirements are met, an application from the current country of residence is also possible, as described above (A5). Nationality alone does not entitle you to apply from a country you have never lived in and are not currently living in.

Example: You were born and raised in Argentina, currently live there and have Argentinean and Italian citizenship. You can only apply from Argentina. It is not possible to apply from Italy.

Under the following conditions, foreign nationals who live in Germany may also apply for a DAAD scholarhip for stays in other countries than Germany.

• You are enrolled in a study programme at a German university with the aim of obtaining a degree from the German university, or
• you are doing your doctorate at a German university

and want do go abroad during this time. This regulation does not apply to international students/doctoral candidates who are already being funded with an "Incoming DAAD scholarship" in Germany.

In addition, persons of equal status to Germans according to § 8 Para. 1 Number 2ff. Paragraph 2, Paragraph 2a, and Paragraph 3 BAföG can apply. In this context, the wording of the law applies, which can be found here.

Furthermore, it will be checked to what extent there is a connection to Germany and whether there is a justified expectation that you will return to Germany after the end of the temporary stay abroad.

A funding in your home country is usually excluded.

Programmes for funding abroad for students in Germany are listed in our scholarship database www.auslands-stipendien.de.

Principally yes: DAAD offers many scholarship programmes that are open to almost all subjects, although restrictions apply to some subjects (e.g. medicine).

There are also subject-specific programmes that are aimed at very specific subject areas, such as architecture, music or computer science. In the Scholarship database, you can select the scholarships programmes that are offered for your subject group.

Not all programmes require a general minimum language level for funding applications. Depending on country of origin and scholarship programme, however, certain language skills may be expected. You can find out which requirements these are in the section "Application requirements" and under "Application documents" of the Call for Applications. Please read these requirements thoroughly to find out what applies to your programme and your country.

If you are awarded the scholarship, the DAAD can provide a preparatory German language course for you. The DAAD scholarship selection committee will assess whether such a German course is necessary for you and how many months (maximum six) are appropriate. These German courses will enable you to improve your German language skills. However, it is not realistic to reach the level required for university admission within the framework of these courses if you have no or only very limited German language skills by then.

In order to apply for a place at a German higher education institution and thus to start your scholarship, you must also submit proof of your language skills (e.g. DSH or TestDaF if the language of instruction is German; e.g. TOEFL or IELTS if the language of instruction is English). Level C1 is often required; however, this varies from degree programme to degree programme. Please contact your chosen host university as early as possible to find out about the requirements you need to meet. You can also find more information about the requirements on our website.

Yes, there are internet offers for learning German. For example, the Goethe-Institut as well as Deutsche-Uni Online (DUO) offer special online courses in German. For scholarship holders whose funding lasts longer than six months, DAAD will pay the costs of one DUO module.

Furthermore, you can find a wide range of free online content for learning German on Deutsche Welle on learngerman.dw.com.

No, DAAD scholarships are awarded to applicants wishing to complete a full-time course of study with compulsory attendance in Germany. This is why applicants wishing to take a blended learning or distance/e-learning programme or part-time programme (e.g. dual course of study) are not eligible for DAAD funding.

If you are already funded by the DAAD, another German funding organization or another state agency in Germany, you cannot receive a scholarship from the DAAD at the same time.

An Erasmus scholarship is not compatible with a full DAAD scholarship. Scholarship holders in the "University Summer Courses in Germany" and "University Winter Courses in Germany" programmes as well as those who receive a partial scholarship from DAAD can also take advantage of ERASMUS funding.

It is not possible to combine several study or research scholarships (with a funding period of at least 7 months) within one educational period (which ends with the completion of a Bachelor's, Master's, Diplom, state examination etc. and a doctorate).

Specialist and language courses (e.g. university summer courses) and internships can be combined with all other types of scholarships.

You can apply to the funding programmes „Research Stays for University Academics and Scientists “, „Study Visits for Academics - Artists and Architects“ and „Re-invitation of former scholarship holders“ several times, but as a rule no more than once every three years.

Funding in the programm „Research grants in Germany“ is only possible once per educational period, i.e. once during the doctorate and once during the postdoc phase.

The DAAD primarily supports individuals with high academic achievements. As a rule, the scholarship programmes do not stipulate a minimum grade point average for the application. Academic performance (selection criterion "qualification") is nevertheless an important criterion for the award of the scholarship.

But good grades are not everything: other aspects are also taken into account that are also important, such as the quality of the project, language skills, motivation, extracurricular commitment, special circumstances, etc.

Further information on the selection criteria can be found at Section E.

This means that it must be a degree programme for which no general tuition fees are charged. General tuition fees are sometimes charged, for example, by private universities as well as by state universities in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg and by individual state universities in the federal state of Bavaria.

The so-called "semester fees" are not general tuition fees. They are charged by all universities in Germany.

If, in individual cases, the university confirms in writing that it will cover the tuition fees or that you are exempt from the fees, you can choose the relevant degree programme. At the time of application, it must be ensured and proven that no fees will be incurred for the entire duration of the studies. Please upload the relevant proof together with the other application documents.

On the subject of tuition fees, please also read question F.7 and the information on our website on the costs of living and studying in Germany.

In a letter of motivation, you are required to describe your professional and personal reasons for your planned project in Germany on at least one and no more than three pages.

A letter of motivation gives you the opportunity to describe your personality and the reasons why you are applying for DAAD funding in your own words. The following information and questions will help you write an informative letter of motivation.

• Facts about your education, skills and knowledge
  • Studies: study programme, number of semesters, if applicable, degree
  • Professional experience, if applicable
  • Specialised knowledge, skills and language skills
  • Prizes and awards (if applicable)
• Academic motivation
  • Why do you wish to take the study programme or attend the language or specialist course for which you are applying?
  • What appeals to you about your chosen university?
  • What do you hope to gain from your stay in Germany (personal, professional, for your career)?
• Reasons for applying for a scholarship 
  • Why are you applying for a DAAD scholarship?
  • What do you expect of this scholarship?
  • How will the scholarship help you achieve your academic, professional and personal goals?
• Personal interests
  • Here you can outline special extracurricular achievements and commitments or personal qualities that say something about your character.

A proposal is a detailed and precise description of the project you have agreed to complete with your academic supervisor. In a proposal, you define the goals of your research work, reflect upon theoretical and methodical procedures and you describe the individual steps. You have to prepare and formulate the proposal yourself. Taking over proposals from others is a violation of the Rules of Good Academic Practice.

The objective

• What is the subject of your research project?
• Which steps are planned?
• What is the time schedule for your planned research project?

The structure

The proposal (unless otherwise stated in the scholarship announcement, maximum of 10 pages) should contain details about:

1. The research field in general and the current state of research literature:

• What is the current state of research?
• Which theories/work of other academics will you draw upon?
• What theoretical framework or scientific models will you use? Explain the reasons why you are drawing on this theory or model. Are there competing theories/models and, if so, why are you not using these in your project?
• What is your research question?

2. Key research questions (hypotheses), research objectives and academic relevance of the project:

• What do you intend to find out?
• What goals are you pursuing with your project?

3. Research strategies/methods:

• How do you intend answering the research questions?
• How do you want to collect data (document analyses, quantitative or qualitative survey, experiment, etc.)?
• Which academic literature will you use?
• How will you evaluate results?
• What preparation have you already done or intend doing before funding begins?

4. Ethical issues/anticipated difficulties related to collecting data
5. Research bibliography: List of books and essays upon which your work is based.

Please note that the time plan must be uploaded to the DAAD portal as a separate document.

The use of artificial intelligence (AI tools) in application procedures is permitted as an aid provided that certain principles are observed:

Adherence to good Scientific Practice: 
Applicants must comply with the principles of good scientific practice, particularly by ensuring the protection of intellectual property and the authenticity of submitted documents. Text passages derived from secondary sources must be properly cited and labelled.

Originality and Authenticity: 
Even when using technical tools, the authenticity of your application must be maintained. Applicants’ unique qualities and characteristics should remain evident as these play an important role in the selection process.

Transparency and Disclosure Requirements: 
The use of AI tools must be clearly indicated by stating in your documents that text passages were created with the help of an AI tool. Include the note ‘Produced with the aid of (tool used)’.

Data Usage Considerations: 
You should note that data entered into AI tools may be reused by the provider. Exercising caution when handling personal data is therefore necessary.

Declaration of Authenticity: 
Applicants must declare that the application was prepared independently, with proper attribution of resources and adherence to the principles of good scientific practice. This declaration also confirms the accuracy and truthfulness of the application.
 

If you wish to carry out individual research or complete a doctorate in Germany, you need confirmation from a university teacher that you are being supervised in Germany (see question 2). If you are taking part in a structured doctoral programme, proof of existing contacts to a doctoral programme coordinator must be submitted in the form of respective correspondence.

If you wish to take a Master's degree in Germany, all you need to provide is information about your study programmes for which you would like to apply (see "Application procedure" in the Call for Applications).

Hosts can be university teachers or academic teaching staff who work at a state or state-recognised institution of higher education or a non-university research institution in Germany. If possible, the host should have a professorial qualification in an academic field.

These tips on the site Research in Germany will help you find an academic supervisor.

You need a "Letter confirming academic supervision". With this, your academic host confirms their willingness to support you in carrying out your research project or doctorate. You must submit the confirmation of supervision together with your application.

Ideally, the letter of confirmation (informal) from your supervisor

• indicates that the description of your research project and schedule have been discussed,
• confirms that a workplace is available for you, and
• indicates which working language is spoken at the host institute.

You will have to arrange your application for admission and possible matriculation at the host university yourself. Even a DAAD scholarship is no guarantee that you will get a place at a particular university in Germany. If you do not receive admission to study your scholarship will be forfeited.

It is therefore important that you inform yourself well in advance about the application requirements and deadlines and apply to several universities. When searching, also look for courses offered by universities of Applied sciences (HAW) or smaller universities. This will increase your chances of being admitted.

Information on suitable study programmes can be found, for example, in the database for international programmes or all degree programmes in the Higher Education Compass.

Application procedures may vary depending on scholarship programme. To find out where and how to apply, please read the "Application procedure" section of the Call for Applications in the Scholarship database (www.funding-guide.de). Seek advice if you have any questions.

Contact persons (often in your area) are listed under "Contact and advice". A list of locations and contact data from the DAAD network is available here.

What does this mean?

You have to apply online. To do this, you must register in the DAAD portal. In the scholarship database, first select your chosen scholarship programme and then the tab "Submit application". Note that this tab is only shown during an ongoing application period. The closing date for applications is indicated in the "Application procedure" tab.

I have technical problems with my online application. What can I do?

If you have access problems or other technical questions about the application portal, please contact portal at daad.de or use the contact form on the technical portal hotline. 
You can also call the technical portal hotline on weekdays from 9-12 and 14-16 (CET/CEST) on +49-228-882- 8888.

Which documents do I have to upload to be able to submit an application to the DAAD portal?

Your application is only complete if you submit all the application documents listed in the Call for Applications. Artistic work samples (e.g. audio files) are uploaded via a media database – you will receive an upload link as indicated in the Call for Aplication. In some cases, individual documents (e.g. university certificate) may be submitted at a later date if this is explicitly permitted in the programme's Call for Applications.

Do I receive confirmation that my application has been received?

Yes, as soon as you have submitted your application online, you will automatically receive confirmation that your application has been successfully submitted and an e-mail informing you that a message has been sent to you via the portal's messaging system. The message confirms that your application has been received.

Letters of recommendation in scientific subjects should be written by university teachers with a doctoral degree who can provide information about the following:

• What are your academic achievements?
• What are your academic and personal qualities?
• Is your project well planned, feasible and relevant?
• What significance does the scholarship have for your academic and professional career?

Find out how to generate a form for the letter of recommendation in the respective Call for Applications in the Scholarship database (www.funding-guide.de).

Unless otherwise stated in the Call for Applications, you can submit your application either in German or English. Please note that application documents that are not in German or English, e.g. university certificates, must be translated either into German or English. The translations do not have to be certified for the application procedure and you may do the translations yourself.

You can find out what language certificates you need when you apply for a scholarship in the "Application procedure" section of the Call for Applications.

When submitting your scholarship application to the DAAD you must provide proof of your current level of proficiency in the language of instruction (German, English or German and English) of your chosen degree programme.

As a rule, the following certificates can be considered as language certificates for German:

• TestDaF,
• DSH,
• German Language Diploma of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany (DSD),
• Goethe-Zertifikat,
• Austrian Language Diploma as well as
• telc Deutsch and
• onSET Deutsch.

The following certificates, for example, can be submitted as proof of English language proficiency:

• Cambridge English,
• Cambridge Business,
• IELTS,
• ISE,
• TOEFL iBT,
• TOEFL Essentials,
• TOEIC as well as
• PTE Academic and
• onSET English.
  • An onSET test can be taken in many countries, e.g. with a DAAD Lecturer. Please also take a look at "Contact and Advice".

In this case, a simple placement test (e.g. a free online test) is a sufficient proof of your current language skills.

No, not initially. DAAD reserves the right to request certified documents after a positive selection decision has been made.

Scholarship applications are reviewed by an independent and voluntary selection committee. This may be made up of local and/or German university teachers, researchers and DAAD Lecturers. Depending on scholarship programme and the local situation, the best applicants may also be required to introduce themselves personally. This can take place either on site, face-to-face, or virtually.

Depending on programme, the selection decision is made either by the local selection committee directly or – in the case of a two-stage selection procedure – by another independent committee of academics in Germany. DAAD staff are not entitled to vote in the scholarship selection procedure.

No. In order to maintain the independence of our volunteer selection committee members, we must ensure that they can make their assessments without any influence or bias. For this reason, like other funding institutions, we refrain from disclosing the composition of the individual commissions and the names of any additional experts who may have been consulted.

At the same time, strict bias regulations apply to the selection experts: To avoid conflicts of interest/bias, experts are not allowed to evaluate applications from the university’s own faculty or examine applicants with whom they have a personal (supervisory) relationship.

The key selection criteria are:

Professional qualification

• Academic achievements (grade point average, development of grades)
• Academic progress
• Knowledge of the language(s) of instruction or working language(s)
• Academic performance (general grade point average, grade development)
• School-leaving certificate, if applicable
• Course of studies
• Knowledge of the language of instruction or working language
• If applicable, relevant internships, work experience

Quality of the study or research project

Study project:

• Quality of the study project and of the preparation (preliminary information, choice of degree programme, host university and establishment of contacts)
• Integration of the project into the academic career path
• Quality of the study project as well as the preparation (preliminary information, choice of study programme, host university and establishment of contacts)

Research project:

• Quality of research proposal and preparation (originality, topicality and relevance of the project, choice of host institution and first contacts)
• Feasibility and consistency of study plan and schedule
• Incorporation of project within the overall doctorate (in terms of content and time), if relevant
• Quality of the research project as well as the preparation (originality, topicality and relevance of the project, choice of host institution and establishment of contacts).
• Feasibility and consistency of the work plan and timetable (analysis and evaluation steps)
• Embedding of the project in the overall doctoral project (in terms of content/time), if relevant

Potential of the applicant

• Motivation: academic and personal reasons for the stay in Germany, German language skills (if different from the working language);
• Prospects: Significance of the stay in Germany for further academic, professional and personal development.
• Extracurricular commitment: extracurricular knowledge and skills, social commitment.
• Motivation: professional and personal reasons for the stay in Germany, German language skills (if different from the working language);
• Perspectives: Importance of the stay in Germany for further academic, professional and personal development

In addition, in order to ensure equal opportunities, the selection committee may take into account special circumstances, which you can state in the application form. Examples of "special circumstances" are

• disability,
• chronic or prolonged illness,
• raising children,
• caring for relatives,
• extensive employment required to finance studies
• refugee background

In these or comparable cases, disadvantages will be compensated for when assessing the application.

Depending on scholarship programme, additional selection criteria may be relevant, e.g. language skills. To find out what applies to your programme, read the Call for Applications in the Scholarship database (www.funding-guide.de).

The scholarship payment is based on the academic level of the scholarship holders and on the scholarship programme. Scholars taking a Master's programme typically receive EUR 992, doctoral candidates and postdocs EUR 1,300 (as of February 2026: EUR 1,400)  Rates for university teachers are usually EUR 2,000 for assistant teachers, assistant professors and lecturers, EUR 2,150 for professors.

You can find an overview of other possible benefits in each programme's Call for Applications in the Scholarship database (www.funding-guide.de).

DAAD grants an allowance towards travel expenses in the form of a lump sum. You can find more information on the travel allowance in the respective Call for Applications the Scholarship database.
Important for planning your trip: The DAAD is committed to climate protection and welcomes your decision in favour of environmentally friendly travel. For this reason, the DAAD has developed a Travel Navigator (German version / English version) to help you plan and carry out your project and your trip in a sustainable and as environmentally friendly way as possible.

The DAAD offers in some funding programmes a topping-up for those travelling by bus or train in addition to the travel allowance. You can find an information sheet here.
Alternatively, you can also offset air travel. There are various providers where you can offset (for example Atmosfair) - this is possible both before and after travelling. Many DAAD programmes reimburse these payments. If you would like to find out which programmes this applies to and how you can offset emissions, please see here.

We have compiled more tips on climate-friendly travelling in our brochure.

Under certain conditions, DAAD offers an allowance for accompanying spouses, child allowance and insurance benefits for spouses, registered partners and children ("partner allowance"). For scholarship holders with a funding period of over six months, please read the Call for Applications in the Scholarship database (www.funding-guide.de) to find out if a programme provides for family members. If the funding period is less than 6 months, no family benefits will be granted.

The "partner allowance" is 276 euros per month. If you are not entitled to state child benefit, you can apply for a DAAD child allowance in the amount of the state child benefit. Currently, you receive 255 euros per month per child. Information on state child benefit can be found here.

Scholarship holders and accompanying family members must have health insurance from day one for the entire duration of their stay in Germany.
In many scholarship programmes, insurance benefits are part of the scholarship. The DAAD then usually takes out private health insurance for the scholarship holders and pays the premiums.
Please note:
Most pre-existing conditions (=illnesses that existed before the start of the insurance) are covered by the insurance that the DAAD takes out for you.
However, there are some exceptions. The following pre-existing conditions are not covered by the insurance: HIV, multiple sclerosis, haemophilia (haemophilia), malignant tumour (cancer) including leukaemia and chronic kidney disease. The removal of cosmetic defects and the treatment of anomalies are also excluded from the insurance cover. There is also no obligation to pay benefits for childbirths within 8 months of the start of insurance cover. It only applies to deliveries that take place from the 9th month after the start of the insurance.
If you have one of these pre-existing conditions or are pregnant, please contact your DAAD contact person directly. 
The DAAD can only provide funding if insurance cover is guaranteed for these pre-existing conditions.  The same applies to pregnancies. You cannot start your stay in Germany without adequate health insurance.
Please also read the announcement in the scholarship database under the heading ‘Scholarship benefits’. If your chosen programme does not include insurance, you can take out affordable health, accident and personal liability insurance through the DAAD at your own expense under certain conditions.
If you have any questions about health insurance, please contact the DAAD insurance office: versicherungsstelle at daad.de or (+49) 228/882-8770.
 

Scholarship holders wishing to work part-time during their scholarship period, i.e. pursue gainful employment or an unpaid internship, always require the approval of DAAD. It is necessary that your academic supervisor or course coordinator must also give their consent.

DAAD will verify that the part-time employment does not interfere with the purpose of the scholarship. Additional income exceeding EUR 556 gross per month shall be deducted from the monthly scholarship payment.

A second scholarship from an international provider of up to EUR 556 will not have an effect on your DAAD scholarship. If the second scholarship exceeds this amount, the excess amount shall be deducted from the DAAD scholarship.

A scholarship form another German funding organisation or another state agency in Germany may not be used at the same time as a DAAD scholarship (see also question A.11).

Yes. DAAD does not pay tuition fees for its scholarship holders. Even as a scholarship holder, you should therefore ask your chosen host university whether tuition fees are charged for your programme.

Although tuition fees are not generally charged in Germany, studying at some locations is not always free. In the federal state of Baden-Württemberg, international students from non-EU/EEA countries (Bachelor and Master's level) at state universities have to pay a fee of EUR 1,500 per semester. At the Technical University of Munich (TUM), fees of between 4,000 and 6,000 euros per semester will be charged for Master's degree programmes from the winter semester 2024/2025.

Private universities in all federal states may also charge tuition fees. These can vary. Both state and private universities in all federal states may also charge fees for so-called "weiterbildende Masterstudiengänge" (non-consecutive Master's degrees), that often require previous professional experience or lead to a specific additional qualification. These include, for example, the so-called LL.M degree programmes for law students. Fees for these programmes are sometimes very high so you should find out about them in advance.

Yes, in such cases you can apply for additional benefits which individually supplement the regular scholarship benefits. To do so, please contact the relevant contact person at DAAD following the scholarship selection procedure.

The prerequisite for such a grant is that the additional costs incurred abroad are justified and necessary in order to realise the project in Germany and that these additional costs are not covered by a third party. The application is reviewed individually and the amount of the grant is determined on a case-by-case basis.

Please note: It is not necessary to specify your disability or chronic illness on the application form but under certain circumstances it may be helpful, for example if your disability negatively impacted your studies or academic achievements and this should be taken into account in the selection procedure. For more details, go to Mobility with a disability.

If you are in Germany alone, without accompanying children or spouse/registered partner, and are studying or researching in a place with particularly expensive rents (rent levels III to VII), you may be able to receive a monthly rent subsidy of a maximum of  EUR 350. Whether the application is approved depends, among other things, on what portion of your scholarship you have to spend on rent and whether the accommodation is customary in the locality and appropriate. The amount of the rent subsidy depends, among other things, on the amount of the warm rent for your accommodation.

If you live together with your family (spouse or registered partner and/or children) in a flat in Germany, you can apply for a rent subsidy in any place in Germany. In this case, too, we will first check what share of your scholarship you have to spend on rent and whether the accommodation is customary in the locality and appropriate.