2025 DAAD STEM Study Scholarships for Developing and Emerging Countries for Master

Eligibility Criteria

• High-achieving students from developing and emerging countries who have completed their studies with a first degree recognised in Germany (e.g., Bachelor’s degree) by the application deadline.
• Individuals with a Master’s degree are not eligible to apply.

Offered Benefits

• Monthly scholarship payments of 934 euros
• Payments towards health, accident, and personal liability insurance cover
• Travel allowance
• Annual study allowance of 460 euros
• Additional benefits may include:
  • Monthly rent subsidy
  • Monthly allowance for accompanying family members
  • Subsidy for justified additional costs due to a disability or chronic illness
  • Reimbursement of carbon offset payments for air travel
  • Language improvement benefits such as course fees for online language courses, German language courses in Germany, allowance for a personally chosen German language course, and reimbursement of TestDaF or DSH test fees.

Application Process

This is what you have to do:

1. Register in the DAAD portal ( Read notes about registering in the portal)

2. Request recommendation form
You can generate the recommendation form in the DAAD Portal as a writable PDF under 'Request recommendation form'. It can only be generated during the application period. Please send it to your university teacher and ask him or her to complete the form in full. When you have received it back, upload it in the portal under 'Letter of Recommendation'.

3. Applying online in the DAAD portal ( Read notes on applying in the portal)

• Prepare application documents
• If necessary, translate documents (unless they are already in German or English).
• Scan paper documents and save in PDF format. You can only upload PDF files to the portal.
• Fill out the application form and upload the application documents to the portal in PDF format. Translations, if applicable, should be uploaded together with the document issued in the original language.
• Submit the application online.

Please note

• Your application is only valid if you submit all the required documents to the DAAD portal by the application deadline.
• The DAAD portal closes at 24.00 hrs. (CET or CEST) on the last application day. If possible, please do not send your application on the final date in case technical problems occur.
• Incomplete applications cannot be considered. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their applications are complete.
• The application documents remain with the DAAD. Data relating to applicants is saved by the DAAD in accordance with the Federal Data Protection Act and with the EU Data Protection Regulation insofar as this data is needed to process the application.

Required Documents:

• Online application form
• Full curriculum vitae in tabular form (max. 3 pages)
• letter of motivation, 1 - 3 pages: statement about the academic and personal reasons for the planned study project in Germany. Please also read our  important information for scholarship applicants / Section B, Point 1. Upload the letter of motivation under 'study project/motivation' in the DAAD portal.
• Letter of admission to the study programme at the host university in Germany. If you have not yet received notification of admission at the time of application, you must submit this before the funding period begins.
• Form 'Information about your preferred master programmes', duly completed (you can enter up to 5 Master‘s programmes). Please note that the DAAD does not consider and formally excludes Master's programmes that charge tuition fees. Upload the form under 'course profile' in the DAAD portal.
• Current overview of grades/ transcript of records with individual grades (to be uploaded under 'transcript of records/academic achievements' in the DAAD portal)
• All university degree certificates already obtained, indicating final grade(s) and transcripts with individual grades for all academic years; if you do not yet have your degree certificate, you must submit it prior to the start of the scholarship at the latest. In this case, upload a provisional doc-ument to the portal instead. Please upload your certificate(s) or the preliminary document under 'university degree certificates' in the DAAD portal.
• Certificate of language(s) of instruction of the chosen study programme (should be no older than 2 years), at least level B1. Please refer to 'Application requirements' to find out which certifi-cates can generally be submitted. Depending on the country, specific documents may be required, which are listed below, if applicable. Please submit certificates via the DAAD portal under 'language certificate', even if the university does not require proof of language skills.
• One recent, supporting letter of recommendation (on a DAAD-form) from a university teacher which provides information about your qualifications. Please regard the instructions given on the tab 'Submitting an application'.
• Passport/national identity card and personal data page of the passport/national identity card and, if applicable, other documents containing information about your identity and your current residence status. For refugees: Refugee ID card and UNHCR registration/official proof of asylum. Please upload in the portal under ‘miscellaneous’.
• Other documents you think might be of relevance to your application (e.g. certificates of employment, proof of extracurricular engagement)

If you submit documents in your national language, please include German or English translations.

The application is made online through the DAAD portal.
Please note that the access to the application portal only appears while the current application period is running. After the application deadline has expired, the portal for this programme is not available until the next application period.