DAAD Scholarships for European Students: What You Can Apply For
By Muntasir • Published Oct 17, 2024 • Updated Sep 20, 2026 • Education Planning, Study in Europe, Scholarships & Funding
DAAD Study Scholarships pay master's students 992 EUR a month for 10 to 24 months to study in Germany, open to applicants of almost any nationality including other European countries, and they work independently of your home university, unlike Erasmus+.
💶 Master's Study Scholarship pays 992 EUR a month plus a 460 EUR annual study allowance
⏱️ Funding runs 10 to 24 months depending on your programme length
📩 Applications open around June for the following year, check the current deadline on the DAAD database
🎓 Open to graduates of almost any nationality, you do not need a partnership between your home university and a German one
How DAAD differs from Erasmus+
Erasmus+ funds a mobility period built into your existing degree, arranged through your home university's partnership with a host institution, usually for 1 or 2 semesters. DAAD scholarships work differently, you apply directly to DAAD for a standalone period of study or research in Germany, with no requirement that your home university has any partnership in place. This makes DAAD useful if your university has no Erasmus+ agreement with the German institution you want, or if you want a full master's degree rather than an exchange semester.
The Study Scholarship for Master's students
DAAD's Study Scholarship funds a full master's programme in Germany. According to the official DAAD scholarship database , it pays:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly stipend | 992 EUR |
| Annual study allowance | 460 EUR |
| Duration | 10 to 24 months, depending on programme length |
The scholarship also contributes toward health, accident, and personal liability insurance, and funding typically starts on 1 October, matching the German academic year.
Budgeting by city
Rent and living costs vary a lot between German cities, a stipend that comfortably covers a smaller university town can run tight in Munich or Frankfurt. Check average student rent in your specific target city before you commit, rather than relying on a single national average, and factor in the annual study allowance as a buffer for books, materials, or a deposit.
Who can apply
The Study Scholarship is open to graduates from a wide range of countries, including other European countries outside Germany. If you have lived in Germany for more than 15 months before applying, you become ineligible, the scholarship targets students building an international academic path, not those already settled in Germany.
Funding for PhD and postdoctoral researchers
DAAD runs separate funding lines for doctoral candidates and postdocs doing research in Germany, paid at a higher monthly rate than the master's scholarship, on top of the same insurance and travel support. Check the specific programme page in the DAAD database for your field, doctoral funding amounts and durations vary by discipline and by whether you do a full doctorate in Germany or a shorter research stay.
Can you combine DAAD with other funding
DAAD scholarships generally do not stack with another scholarship covering the same period and the same costs, you choose 1 main source of funding for your time in Germany. If you already hold funding from your home country or an Erasmus+ grant for a shorter mobility period, check with DAAD whether your situation counts as double funding before you accept an offer, rules vary by programme.
What the selection process looks like
Many DAAD Study Scholarship decisions include an interview, in person or online, after your written application passes an initial review. Selection committees look at your academic record, the fit between your study plan and your target programme, and your language proficiency for the working language of your course. Prepare to explain your choice of German university specifically, generic answers about wanting to study in Germany rank poorly against candidates who researched their programme in detail.
Finding the right programme line
The DAAD scholarship database lets you filter by subject, academic level, and country of origin, since eligibility and amounts differ across the hundreds of programme lines DAAD runs. A European student's options usually sit under the general Study Scholarships and Research Grants categories rather than the region-specific lines DAAD runs for some other parts of the world, so start your search there.
Required documents
Curriculum vitae, maximum 3 pages
A statement explaining your academic and personal reasons for studying in Germany
An admission letter, or proof of application, from your target German university
Transcripts and your degree certificate
Proof of German or English language proficiency, depending on the programme's teaching language
A letter of recommendation from a university teacher
Application timing
DAAD scholarship applications for the following academic year open around June, with deadlines that vary by programme and get updated annually on the DAAD portal. Since you need a German university admission letter or proof of application as part of your DAAD file, start your German university application well before the DAAD deadline, not after.