Every year, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) supports well over 100 000 German and international students and researchers around the globe, making it the world's largest funding organisation of its kind. DAAD scholarships are aimed primarily at graduates, doctoral students and postdocs, and DAAD scholarships do not have to be paid back. International students can apply to numerous organisations for a scholarship, for example to the DAAD, to party-related foundations or business-affiliated institutions. Our guide on government scholarships in Europe covers other national programmes.
Last updated: November 2026.
Who are DAAD scholarships for?
DAAD scholarships are aimed primarily at graduates, doctoral students and postdocs and are awarded for study and research visits to universities and non-university research institutions in Germany. In some DAAD programmes, internships are also funded. Our guide on what a fellowship is explains a related kind of award for researchers.
Which DAAD scholarships can you apply for?
The DAAD scholarship options are PhD research grants, Master's degree scholarships, the Hilde Domin Programme and In-Country or In-Region programmes.
🔬 PhD research grants: DAAD awards research grants for PhD students from almost all countries of origin. A grant for a full Doctoral programme in Germany is offered primarily to applicants from developing and emerging countries.
🎓 Master's degree: scholarships for a Master's degree in Germany are available, in particular, for persons from industrial countries. Some study scholarship programs are aimed specifically at students from developing and emerging countries, such as the "Study scholarships for STEM disciplines" and "Development-related Postgraduate Courses (EPOS)" programs.
🛡️ Hilde Domin Programme: students and doctoral candidates who are at risk of being denied educational or other rights in their country of origin have the chance to get a scholarship from the Hilde Domin Programme. You cannot apply yourself: you are nominated by an institution or organisation that is a legal entity domiciled in Germany. The DAAD then contacts suitable candidates and invites them to apply via the DAAD application portal.
🌍 In-Country or In-Region programmes: students and young scientists and researchers are offered DAAD funding for a graduate programme, doctoral programme or postdoc period in their home country or region.
Our guide on Erasmus Mundus covers the EU scholarship for joint Master's programmes.
Do you have to pay a DAAD scholarship back?
No: DAAD scholarships do not have to be paid back. DAAD scholarships usually consist of a monthly scholarship payment (currently, for example, € 992 for students and € 1 300 for doctoral/PhD students, as of November 2026) and a flat-rate travel allowance. In many cases, DAAD also provides you with health, accident and personal liability insurance. Depending on the DAAD scholarship programme, there are also additional benefits such as a one-off research allowance, family benefits or funds for language courses. The call for applications in the scholarship database describes the benefits offered by each scholarship programme. Our guide on scholarships compared with Erasmus+ grants explains how the two kinds of funding differ.
How do you apply for a DAAD scholarship?
To apply for a DAAD scholarship, read the call for applications for your chosen scholarship programme in the scholarship database, paying particular attention to application deadlines.
💻 Application portal: the scholarship database will take you to the application portal.
✍️ Letter of motivation: in a letter of motivation for DAAD funding, you must describe your professional and personal reasons for your planned project in Germany on at least one and no more than three pages. The conditions on pages apply only if not otherwise specified in the scholarship announcements.
🔬 Proposal for research grants: calls for applications for research grants require a proposal, with a maximum of 10 pages unless otherwise stated in the scholarship announcement.
🗣️ German or English: unless otherwise stated in the Call for Applications, you can submit your application either in German or English. Application documents that are not in German or English 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.
Our guide on how to write a scholarship motivation letter covers the letter itself.
How do DAAD committees choose scholarship holders?
DAAD scholarship applications are reviewed by an independent and voluntary selection committee, which may be made up of local and/or German university teachers, researchers and DAAD Lecturers. DAAD staff are not entitled to vote in the scholarship selection procedure. The key selection criteria are:
🎓 Professional qualification: academic achievements, academic progress, knowledge of the language(s) of instruction or working language(s), school-leaving certificate, if applicable, course of studies and, if applicable, relevant internships, work experience.
🧪 Quality of the study or research project: for a study project, quality of the study project and of the preparation and integration of the project into the academic career path. For a research project, quality of research proposal and preparation, feasibility and consistency of study plan and schedule, and incorporation of project within the overall doctorate (in terms of content and 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) and extracurricular commitment (extracurricular knowledge and skills, social commitment).
To ensure equal opportunities, the selection committee may take into account special circumstances, which you can state in the application form, such as disability, chronic or prolonged illness, raising children, caring for relatives, extensive employment required to finance studies or refugee background. Depending on the scholarship programme, additional selection criteria may be relevant, such as language skills. Our guide on how to write a scholarship motivation letter shows how to answer these criteria in writing.
Frequently asked questions
Is DAAD only for German students?
No: the DAAD supports German and international students and researchers. Our guide on government scholarships in Europe covers other national programmes.
Can I use AI in my DAAD application?
Yes: you may use artificial intelligence (AI tools) in application procedures as an aid, provided that certain principles are observed. The authenticity of your application must be maintained. You must clearly indicate the use of AI tools by stating in your documents that text passages were created with the help of an AI tool, with the note "Produced with the aid of (tool used)". Applicants must comply with the principles of good scientific practice, particularly by ensuring the protection of intellectual property and the authenticity of submitted documents. You should note that data entered into AI tools may be reused by the provider. Applicants must declare that the application was prepared independently, with proper attribution of resources and adherence to the principles of good scientific practice. Our guide on using AI to write your motivation letter covers AI in more detail.
Do I need a reference letter?
You need a letter of recommendation when the Call for Applications states that you have to submit one. Letters of recommendation in scientific subjects should be written by university teachers with a doctoral degree. Our guide on how to write a scholarship motivation letter helps with the application.
Where can you go from here?
Our guide on government scholarships in Europe covers other national programmes. Our guide on how to write a scholarship motivation letter helps with the application. The Youth Works Hub pages below cover the next steps.
