2026-27 scholarship deadline calendar: DAAD, Chevening, Erasmus Mundus

Three funding routes, three separate deadlines

DAAD, Chevening and Erasmus Mundus are three of the largest funded routes into European study, and none of them share a calendar. Miss one date and you wait a full year for the next round. Here is what each route needs and when, plus how to build your documents around all three at once.

DAAD: Germany's main scholarship deadline

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) runs dozens of separate scholarship programs, each with its own application window. Most master's and PhD scholarships for entry in 2027 close on October 15, 2026, though a number of programs run later into October and a few open and close earlier in the year, according to program listings summarized by Study Abroad . Check the exact date for your program on the official DAAD deadline list before you plan around a single date.

Chevening: UK's flagship scholarship

Chevening applications for the 2027-28 intake open August 4, 2026 at 11:00 UTC and close October 6, 2026 at 11:00 UTC, per the official Chevening timeline . This deadline is fixed, late submissions are not accepted. If you're shortlisted after the written application, you move to interviews, and you need at least one unconditional offer from a UK university by July 8, 2027 to keep your place.

Erasmus Mundus: no single date

Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters are run by consortiums of at least 3 universities across different countries, and each consortium publishes its own timeline. In past cycles, application portals opened between October and December, with deadlines landing between November and February. There is no single application or deadline for the whole program, so check the specific course page for every Erasmus Mundus master's you apply to, and treat any date you find on a summary site as unconfirmed until you see it on the program's own page.

Bookmark each program's official page rather than a summary article. Dates on DAAD, Chevening and individual Erasmus Mundus programs shift by a few days most years, and only the official page reflects the current cycle.

What each scholarship actually covers

DAAD scholarships fund international students and researchers studying in Germany, and most cover a monthly living stipend, health insurance and travel costs on top of tuition where it applies. Chevening funds a one-year master's degree at any UK university, and covers tuition, a monthly living allowance, and one return flight to the UK. Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters fund a 1-2 year degree taught across at least 2 countries by a consortium of universities, and cover tuition, travel, insurance and a monthly living allowance for the full length of the course.

If you miss a deadline

Missing DAAD's October date usually means waiting for the next annual round, though a handful of DAAD programs open again in spring for a smaller second intake. Chevening runs once a year with no second round, so mark August 4 to October 6 in your calendar well before this cycle starts. Erasmus Mundus works program by program, so a missed deadline on one course doesn't rule you out of a different consortium with a later date the same year.

Build your document pipeline early

• Order transcripts and degree certificates first, they take the longest to arrive from your university's registrar.

• Ask referees for reference letters at least 6-8 weeks before your earliest deadline.

• Draft your motivation letter or personal statement separately for each scholarship, reused text is easy to spot.

• Book language tests (IELTS, TOEFL, or a German-language certificate for DAAD) early, test slots fill up around deadline season.

• For Chevening, line up your UK university applications in parallel, you need an offer in hand months after the scholarship deadline itself.