Learning how to apply for a DAAD scholarship starts with the DAAD scholarship database. You find the one programme there that fits your study level and country, check its deadline, and submit through the DAAD portal (or to the university course, for EPOS and Helmut-Schmidt). Your referee fills in a form you generate in the portal. Every file goes up as a PDF before 24:00 German time on the deadline day. Most programmes fund study or research starting in October, and the deadlines fall 9 to 12 months earlier.
For October 2027 intakes, some doors have already closed. The Helmut-Schmidt window ended on 31 July 2026, and the main Doctoral Programmes deadline in many countries was 21 October 2026. Others are still open, including several EPOS courses and some country deadlines for master’s study scholarships. The steps below include what you can still do now and the next dates for 2028 starts.
This guide is about the application process only. For what each DAAD programme pays, tuition and the blocked account, see our Germany scholarships guide. If you held a DAAD scholarship before, the DAAD Re-invitation Programme is a separate scheme for alumni.
How to apply for a DAAD scholarship, step 1: find your programme
DAAD runs dozens of programmes, and most are tied to particular countries. Open the DAAD scholarship database, choose your status (graduate, doctoral candidate, postdoc), your subject and your country of citizenship. Only the programmes it returns are open to you. Blogs that call DAAD open to every country are wrong for most programmes.
The programmes fall into four families, and the family decides where you send your application:
| Programme family | Who it suits | Where you apply | Status for 2027 starts (24 Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study Scholarships, Master Studies | Graduates from eligible countries for a master’s in Germany | DAAD portal | Deadlines set by country; several still ahead |
| EPOS (development-related postgraduate courses) | Professionals from developing (DAC list) countries with 2 years’ work experience | Directly to the course, up to three courses | Each course sets its own date; some still open |
| Helmut-Schmidt Programme | Graduates in public policy, law, economics and governance from selected countries | Directly to the partner universities | Closed; next window 1 June to 31 July 2027 |
| Doctoral Programmes and Research Grants | PhD candidates and early postdocs with a German host | DAAD portal | Main doctoral round closed 21 October 2026 in many countries; deadline 21 October 2027. Research grants have more than one round a year |
If you are aiming at a public policy or governance master’s, read our DAAD Helmut-Schmidt Programme guide for the partner courses and the 1 June to 31 July 2027 window. For development-related courses with their own deadlines, see our DAAD EPOS scholarship guide.
Step 2: Check the general DAAD eligibility rules
Each programme adds its own conditions, but these apply to most of them:
- Your last degree should be no more than six years old at the deadline.
- If you have started a doctorate, it should have started no more than three years before the deadline.
- You must not have lived in Germany for more than 15 months at the deadline.
- Your grades should be above average. EPOS says top third of your class.
- You can apply before you graduate, as long as the final degree certificate reaches DAAD before the funding starts.
DAAD application timeline for an October 2027 start
Work backwards from the start date. This is the typical sequence, based on DAAD’s own pattern of opening in June and closing between late summer and winter:
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 12 to 15 months before | Shortlist programmes in the database; book IELTS, TOEFL or a German test; contact potential PhD supervisors |
| June of the year before | DAAD application periods open; portal access starts for your programme |
| June to July | Helmut-Schmidt window (direct to universities) |
| August to January | EPOS course deadlines, Doctoral Programmes deadline, and master’s study scholarship country deadlines |
| As soon as the portal opens | Generate the reference form in the portal and send it to your referee |
| A few days before | Submit; DAAD warns that the portal can be slow on the last day |
| February to May | Selection committees meet; shortlisted applicants may be interviewed |
| After the award | Admission, language course if offered, visa using the award letter |
| October | Funding starts with the winter semester |
Step 3: Prepare your DAAD documents
Every programme publishes its own list in the database entry, under “Application requirements”. The rules below come from DAAD’s current entries for doctoral and research grants and are typical of the rest. Check yours before you format anything.
| Document | Typical DAAD rule |
|---|---|
| Online application form | Filled in inside the portal |
| CV | Tabular, maximum 3 pages |
| Motivation letter | 1 to 2 pages: your academic and personal reasons for the plan in Germany |
| Research proposal | Doctoral Programmes: up to 10 pages with a schedule, agreed with your German supervisor; short research grants: up to 5 pages |
| Host or supervisor letter | Required for doctoral and research grants; must confirm supervision or a workplace |
| Degree certificate with grades | Can follow later if you have not graduated, but before funding starts |
| Recommendation | One recent letter from a university teacher, on the DAAD form generated in the portal |
| Language certificate | As the programme or course requires (English or German) |
| Translations | Any document not in German or English must be translated; upload the original too |
| Publications list | Optional, maximum 10 pages |
Scanned, uncertified copies are fine for the application. DAAD may ask for certified copies later. For EPOS, the course also asks for proof of at least two years of relevant work after your bachelor’s, and internships do not count.
Step 4: How to apply for a DAAD scholarship in the portal
- Open the database entry: go to your programme in the DAAD scholarship database and open the “Application procedure” section.
- Register in the DAAD portal: the link appears only during the application period, so you cannot start early.
- Request the reference: generate the recommendation form (a fillable PDF) in the portal and send it to your referee. The referee can upload it directly or post it; for posted forms, the postmark counts.
- Fill in the online form: keep dates, grades and titles identical to your CV and certificates.
- Upload PDFs: each file in its named section. Incomplete applications are not considered.
- Submit before 24:00 German time: CET in winter (23:00 GMT), CEST in summer (22:00 GMT). The portal shuts at midnight.
- Send postal documents if asked: a few country or programme entries also ask for paper copies.
- Get technical help early: send portal problems to portal@daad.de well before the deadline.
For EPOS and Helmut-Schmidt, the process is different. You apply to the course using its own form and portal, and the course committee shortlists candidates before DAAD decides. Read the course page as well as the DAAD entry.
For your referee, our recommendation letter guide shows what a specific, useful reference contains.
DAAD deadlines still ahead for 2027 intakes
For the 2027/28 master’s study scholarships, DAAD sets one deadline per country group. The dates below were reported from the DAAD database in early October 2026. Treat them as a starting point and confirm your own country in the database.
| Country group | Reported deadline | Status on 24 Oct 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore | 21 October 2026 | Closed; deadline 21 October 2027 |
| USA, Canada | 30 October 2026 | Open, days left |
| Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and others | 2 November 2026 | Open |
| Central, Eastern and Southern Europe, Western Balkans, Baltic states, Ukraine | 16 November 2026 | Open |
| Nordic countries | 30 November 2026 | Open |
| UK, Ireland, France, Benelux, Austria, Switzerland, Portugal | 1 December 2026 | Open |
| Spain | 19 January 2027 | Open |
Next dates for rounds that have closed are given as the same date one year later (based on this year’s date; confirm on the official page when the call opens).
If your country does not appear in the database for this programme, it is not open to you this year. Many applicants from Africa, South Asia and Latin America use EPOS or Helmut-Schmidt instead. EPOS courses each set their own dates. Some closed in October 2026, others run into early 2027.
Missed the 2027 round?
DAAD updates its deadlines in the second quarter of each year, and they usually fall in the same period as the year before. Applications for October 2028 starts open in June 2027. The next Helmut-Schmidt window is 1 June to 31 July 2027, and the next main Doctoral Programmes deadline is 21 October 2027.
Step 5: After you submit
Independent selection committees review the files. They weigh your grades, the quality and fit of your plan, and, for EPOS, the development value of your work back home. For October starts, committees usually meet between February and May. The programme entry tells you how and roughly when you will hear.
Once you have the award letter, use it as proof of funds for the student visa. A full DAAD scholarship covers the living cost requirement, so you do not need a blocked account on top. Then confirm admission, accept any German language course DAAD offers before the start, and book your visa appointment straight away, since many embassies need about three months.
FAQs
When does the DAAD application open for 2027?
Most DAAD application periods for October 2027 starts opened in June 2026, and many have closed. The periods for October 2028 starts open in June 2027, with the Helmut-Schmidt window running 1 June to 31 July 2027 and the Doctoral Programmes deadline on 21 October 2027.
Can I apply for DAAD before I graduate?
Yes. You can apply in your final year, as long as you send the degree certificate before the scholarship starts.
Do I need IELTS for a DAAD scholarship?
You need whatever language proof your programme or course asks for. English-taught courses usually want IELTS or TOEFL, though some accept proof that your degree was taught in English, and German-taught courses want TestDaF or DSH.
How many DAAD programmes can I apply to at once?
For EPOS you can apply to up to three courses in one round. For other programmes, pick the one that fits your level and country in the database, because each has its own rules and committee.
Sources and updates
Portal steps, reference procedure, document rules, eligibility limits, closing time and the June opening pattern come from DAAD scholarship database entries for Doctoral Programmes in Germany and Research Grants, available through the DAAD website. The DAAD Ghana and DAAD Indonesia office pages were used for past deadline patterns. The 2027/28 master’s country deadlines are as reported by ScholarshipUnion from the DAAD database (checked 6 October 2026); the DAAD database itself could not be fetched for this check. The Helmut-Schmidt window and the 21 October 2026 doctoral deadline were confirmed for our Germany scholarships guide. Checked on 24 October 2026. I will update this page when DAAD posts the 2028 deadlines.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
