DAAD Scholarships and the Studienkolleg Path for Indonesian Students in Germany
By Muntasir • Published Aug 06, 2025 • Scholarships & Funding, Study in Southeast Asia
Most Indonesian high school diplomas do not meet Germany's university entrance bar on their own, so most students complete a one-year Studienkolleg or the Abitur at Jakarta's German school first. DAAD's full scholarships for Indonesian applicants start at master's level, not bachelor's.
🎓 Studienkolleg Jakarta is the only Studienkolleg located outside Germany, built to prepare Indonesian students for German university entry.
📩 You need German at B1-B2 level to start Studienkolleg.
💵 DAAD master's and PhD scholarships for Indonesian applicants typically run from about 10 months up to 4 years depending on the specific programme.
🏠 uni-assist checks and forwards your application documents to most German universities.
Two ways Indonesian students prepare for German university admission
German public universities require an entrance qualification broadly equivalent to the German Abitur. An Indonesian high school diploma (Ijazah SMA) alone does not meet that bar, so most Indonesian applicants take one of two routes before enrolling in a bachelor's degree: a Studienkolleg preparatory year, or the Abitur track at the Deutsche Internationale Schule (DIS) in Jakarta.
Studienkolleg Jakarta
Studienkolleg Indonesia in Jakarta is the only Studienkolleg located outside Germany, run in cooperation with the German government specifically to prepare Indonesian students for German higher education, according to DAAD Indonesia .
You need German at B1-B2 level under the Common European Framework to enter. The one-year course runs in tracks depending on your high school specialization, such as natural sciences, social sciences or languages, and prepares you for the subject area you plan to study at university. At the end, you sit the Feststellungsprüfung, the assessment exam German universities recognize as an entrance qualification alongside your Indonesian high school results.
The DIS Abitur route
Students who complete German-medium schooling through Deutsche Internationale Schule (DIS) in Jakarta and pass the Abitur there qualify for German university entrance directly, without a separate Studienkolleg year. This route suits students who started German-language schooling early, rather than something you switch into during your final years of Indonesian secondary school.
How long the full path takes
Plan for a full timeline of about one year at Studienkolleg followed by a 3 to 4 year bachelor's degree at a German public university, longer for a program with a different structure such as medicine. Build this into your planning early, since it runs longer than going straight from Indonesian high school into an Indonesian or Malaysian bachelor's program.
What tuition costs
Most German public universities charge no tuition for bachelor's and master's degrees, aside from a semester contribution fee of a few hundred euros that covers administrative and student-services costs. Baden-Württemberg is a notable exception, charging non-EU international students separate tuition on top of the standard fee, unlike most other German states. Confirm the current fee position of any state before you commit, since a small number of states have changed their stance on non-EU tuition over the years.
Health insurance and the blocked account
Germany requires proof of your ability to support yourself before it issues a student visa, usually shown through a blocked account (Sperrkonto) that releases a fixed monthly amount, or through a scholarship or sponsor letter that covers the same purpose. You also need German public health insurance from the day you enroll, which most universities help arrange during orientation. Confirm the current blocked account threshold with the German embassy in Jakarta before you apply, since it adjusts periodically.
DAAD scholarships for Indonesian students
DAAD, Germany's national academic exchange agency, does not offer full scholarships open to individual undergraduate applicants. DAAD degree scholarships for Indonesian applicants exist mainly at master's level, typically running from about 10 months up to 4 years depending on the specific programme, according to DAAD Indonesia .
DAAD does support students who pass the Feststellungsprüfung at Studienkolleg Indonesia or the Abitur at DIS with study assistance once they reach that stage, rather than funding the preparatory year itself. Search DAAD's scholarship database directly for current master's and PhD calls in your field, since available programmes and deadlines change by intake.
Applying to a German university
Complete Studienkolleg with the Feststellungsprüfung, or the DIS Abitur, to meet Germany's entrance qualification requirement.
Apply through uni-assist, the centralized service many German universities use to verify international applicants' documents before forwarding an application to the university itself.
Apply for a German student visa once admitted, showing proof of funds through a blocked account (Sperrkonto) or an accepted scholarship or sponsor letter.
Search DAAD's database for master's or PhD funding in your field if you plan to fund postgraduate study through a scholarship rather than self-funding.
Where to start
DAAD Indonesia's Jakarta office runs information sessions and holds current details on Studienkolleg admission, scholarship deadlines and document requirements. Check daad-indonesia.org before you start your application, since requirements and available scholarship rounds shift by year.
German language study before you leave
Start German lessons in Indonesia well before your Studienkolleg application, since reaching B1-B2 from zero takes most students well over a year of regular study. Goethe-Institut Indonesia and several university language centers in Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta and Surabaya run structured German courses that align with the Common European Framework levels German institutions ask for, which makes your progress easier to prove on paper. Budget for course fees and exam fees on top of your German university costs, since language preparation in Indonesia runs as a separate expense before you ever apply to Studienkolleg or a German university.