DAAD Scholarship

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) runs dozens of scholarship programmes for study and research in Germany. Each programme has its own Call for Applications with its criteria, application procedure and deadline, and the way you apply differs from one programme to another: some go through the DAAD portal, others directly to the university.

On ForsaEdu we list the DAAD programmes suited to international students, each with its own page for criteria, benefits and deadline. This guide helps you choose a programme and explains the rules shared by most DAAD scholarships.

Which programme fits you?

The full criteria, benefits and deadlines of each programme are on its own page in the «Programmes» section below.

EPOS courses are most of what we list: each one is a master's programme at a specific German university (global health, forestry, water, agricultural economics…), funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. Since 1987, more than 9,000 EPOS scholarships have been awarded, at least half of them to women.

How to check that you are eligible

In the official DAAD scholarship database, select your status (graduate, doctoral candidate…) and your country, and only the programmes open to you are shown.

• "Country" is the country you live in and apply from, not necessarily your nationality.
• If your status or country is not on the list, you cannot apply for that programme.

General rules in most DAAD scholarships

These rules apply unless the programme's call says otherwise:

• There is usually no age limit, but there is a maximum time since your last degree. It can be extended for reasons such as pregnancy, caring for a child up to 12 (up to 3 years per child), illness or military service, as long as you state them in the application.
• Final-year students can apply in most programmes and submit the degree before the funding starts.
• If you are already in Germany, you can apply if you have been there for no more than 15 months by the deadline.
• No double funding: if you already receive funding from the DAAD or another German body, you cannot hold a second DAAD scholarship at the same time, and an Erasmus grant cannot be combined with a full DAAD scholarship.
• One study or research scholarship per stage of study (for scholarships of 7 months or more).
• There is no official minimum grade, but academic performance is a key selection criterion.

Language and documents

• You can apply in German or English unless stated otherwise.
• Documents in other languages need a translation into German or English, which does not have to be certified, and you may translate them yourself.
• Certified copies are not required at first. The DAAD may ask for them after you are selected.
• Language certificates must be no more than 3 years old when you apply, and levels follow the Common European Framework of Reference (A1–C2).

Motivation letter and recommendation

• Letter of motivation: one to three pages explaining your professional and personal reasons for your project in Germany. We wrote a full guide: Motivation letter for DAAD scholarships.
• Recommendation letter: written by a university teacher with a doctorate who knows your work and project. See the recommendation letters guide.
• Research proposal: required for research grants, together with confirmation of supervision from a professor in Germany for an individual doctorate.
• Using AI is allowed as an aid, provided you state it in the document (for example "Produced with the aid of" plus the tool's name) and the text stays authentic and yours.
• Some programmes ask for a Europass CV: Europass CV guide.

How the committee selects

Applications are reviewed by an independent committee of university teachers and researchers, and you may be invited to an interview in person or online. The main criteria:

• Academic qualification and how your grades developed.
• Command of the language of instruction.
• Quality and preparation of the study or research project.
• Motivation, extracurricular commitment and work experience, if any.

What to know before you travel

• The DAAD does not pay tuition fees. Most German state universities charge none, but Baden-Württemberg, for example, charges €1,500 per semester to non-EU students, so ask your university before choosing.
• Health insurance is mandatory from day one in Germany. In many programmes the DAAD takes care of it. See the student health insurance in Germany guide.
• Part-time work during the scholarship needs DAAD approval and your supervisor's consent, and income above €603 a month is deducted from the scholarship.

Common mistakes

• Applying through the DAAD portal for an EPOS course: EPOS applications go directly to the university, each with its own deadline.
• Reading third-party pages instead of the official call in the scholarship database, and missing your country's rules.
• A generic motivation letter that links neither your experience to the programme nor your plan after returning home.
• An outdated language certificate (older than 3 years).
• A recommendation from a non-academic or from someone who does not know your work well.
• Combining with another scholarship such as Erasmus without saying so.

Source: the official German Academic Exchange Service website daad.de ("Important information for scholarship applicants", the scholarship database and the EPOS programme page), reviewed in November 2026.