DAAD Doctoral Scholarships 2027 in Germany | Fully Funded

Applications are now open for the DAAD Doctoral Scholarships 2027, a fully funded opportunity for international students who wish to pursue a PhD at a recognized university or research institution in Germany.

The scholarship provides €1,400 per month, health insurance, travel support, research funding, German language support, and several additional allowances. Applicants may pursue either a full doctoral degree in Germany or a bi-national (Cotutelle) doctoral programme.

DAAD Doctoral Scholarships 2027 Summary

• Host Country: Germany
• Funding Organization: German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
• Study Level: PhD
• Eligible Countries: All Countries
• Scholarship Type: Fully Funded
• Scholarship Value:
  • €1,400 monthly stipend
  • Health insurance
  • Travel allowance
  • Annual research allowance
  • German language support
  • Family and rent allowances (where applicable)
• Application Deadline: October 21, 2026

About the DAAD Doctoral Scholarships

The DAAD Doctoral Scholarships support outstanding international graduates who wish to complete doctoral research at state-recognized universities or research institutions in Germany.

Applicants can choose between:

• Completing an entire PhD in Germany.
• Undertaking a bi-national (Cotutelle) doctoral programme jointly supervised by institutions in Germany and another country.

The programme is funded by the German Federal Foreign Office and administered by DAAD to strengthen international academic cooperation and research.

Scholarship Benefits

Successful applicants will receive:

• Monthly stipend of €1,400
• Health, accident, and personal liability insurance
• Travel allowance
  • Up to three round trips for Cotutelle scholars
• Annual research allowance of €460
• Funding for supervisors’ travel and accommodation (Cotutelle only)
• Monthly rent subsidy (where applicable)
• Family allowance for eligible accompanying family members
• Additional financial support for applicants with disabilities or chronic illnesses
• German language support, including:
  • Online language course
  • Pre-study German course (where applicable)
  • Reimbursement of TestDaF or DSH examination fees

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for the DAAD Doctoral Scholarships, applicants must:

• Have above-average academic performance.
• Hold a Master’s degree, German Diplom, or in exceptional cases, a Bachelor’s degree before the scholarship begins.
• For Cotutelle applicants, obtain admission to a doctoral programme before funding starts.
• Have completed their most recent university degree within the last six years before the application deadline.
• If already enrolled in a PhD programme, have started it no more than three years before the application deadline.
• Not have lived in Germany for more than 15 months before the application deadline.
• Meet any additional subject-specific requirements for medicine, dentistry, or veterinary medicine.
• Demonstrate appropriate language proficiency:
  • German is generally required for arts, humanities, social sciences, and law.
  • English is acceptable for many natural sciences and engineering programmes where English is the working language.
• Obtain written confirmation from the proposed academic supervisor regarding the research project and working language.

How to Apply

To apply for the DAAD Doctoral Scholarships:

1. Decide whether you will pursue a full doctoral programme in Germany or a Cotutelle doctorate.
2. Identify a suitable German university, research institute, doctoral programme, or academic supervisor.
3. Discuss your research proposal and supervision arrangements with your prospective host.
4. Register on the DAAD online application portal.
5. Generate the official DAAD recommendation form from the portal.
6. Ask a university lecturer to complete the recommendation form.
7. Prepare all required supporting documents.
8. Translate any documents that are not in English or German.
9. Scan all documents in PDF format.
10. Complete the online application form.
11. Upload all required documents under the appropriate categories.
12. Submit the completed application online.
13. Download the application summary after submission.
14. If instructed for your country or region, mail the printed application summary to the designated DAAD office.