Study Abroad Scholarships 2026 for Indian Students: Fully Funded, Visas and Letters of Recommendation
Scholarships for Indian students to study in the United Kingdom, Germany, the European Union, Japan and the United States, and the Government of India's National Overseas Scholarship: who can apply, what each one pays and whether it is fully funded, how selection works, the letters of recommendation, and how to get the student visa. Every guide is written from the scholarship's own documents; sources that are not government documents are named and marked.
Compare them side by sideLetters of recommendationStudent visasScholarships in India
Study in the United Kingdom 4
Fully funded: fees, monthly stipend, travel and visa
Who can apply, amount and how to apply Commonwealth Master's (UK)Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (funded by the UK FCDO)Fully fundedStudy in United KingdomFully funded: fees, monthly stipend and airfare
Who can apply, amount and how to apply Rhodes Scholarship (Oxford)Rhodes Trust (a registered charity, not a government body)Fully fundedStudy in United KingdomFully funded: Oxford fees, stipend, flights and visa
Who can apply, amount and how to apply Gates CambridgeGates Cambridge Trust (a charitable trust, not a government body)Fully fundedStudy in United KingdomFully funded: Cambridge fee, maintenance, flights and visa
Who can apply, amount and how to applyStudy in Germany 2
Monthly stipend, insurance and travel
Who can apply, amount and how to apply DAAD Doctoral (Germany, PhD)DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service), funded by the German Federal Foreign OfficeMonthly stipendStudy in GermanyMonthly stipend, insurance, travel and research allowance
Who can apply, amount and how to applyStudy in the European Union 1
Study in Japan 1
Study in the United States 1
From the Government of India: study in any country 1
No scholarship matches these filters.
Study abroad scholarships compared
Each row is from the scholarship's own documents; open a guide for the rules, the selection steps and the sources.
| Scholarship | Country | Level | Money | How many get it | Letters | This year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) | Any country | Postgraduate, PhD and research | Full: tuition, yearly maintenance, travel, visa and insurance | 125 a year | None asked | Rounds in April-May and Sept-Oct |
| Chevening (UK) | United Kingdom | Postgraduate | Fully funded: fees, monthly stipend, travel and visa | Not published for India | 2 | 2027-28 round closed in Oct 2026 |
| Commonwealth Master's (UK) | United Kingdom | Postgraduate | Fully funded: fees, monthly stipend and airfare | Not published | At least 2 (the form asks for 3 referees) | CSC closes 20 Oct 2026 |
| Rhodes Scholarship (Oxford) | United Kingdom | Postgraduate, PhD and research | Fully funded: Oxford fees, stipend, flights and visa | 5 for India | 4 to 5 | Applied 1 Jun to 23 Jul 2026 (closed) |
| Gates Cambridge | United Kingdom | Postgraduate, PhD and research | Fully funded: Cambridge fee, maintenance, flights and visa | About 70 a year, worldwide | 1 Gates Cambridge reference, plus 2 academic references for the course | 8 Dec 2026 or 6 Jan 2027, by course |
| Fulbright-Nehru Master's (USA) | United States | Postgraduate | Funded: tuition, living costs, airfare, J-1 visa support and health cover | Not published | As listed in the USIEF applicant instructions | See usief.org.in for the current round |
| DAAD EPOS (Germany, master's) | Germany | Postgraduate, PhD and research | Monthly stipend, insurance and travel | Not published | 1 | Set by each course |
| DAAD Doctoral (Germany, PhD) | Germany | PhD and research | Monthly stipend, insurance, travel and research allowance | Not published | 1 | Portal opens 1 June each year |
| Erasmus Mundus (Europe) | European Union | Postgraduate | Full scholarship: participation costs and EUR 1,400 a month | Set by each programme | Depends on the programme | Usually October to January |
| MEXT Japan (research students) | Japan | Postgraduate, PhD and research | Fully funded: monthly stipend, no fees and airfare | To be announced (2027) | 1 from your university (and one from your present employer where the Embassy asks for it) | 2027 forms were due 15 May 2026 |
Letters of recommendation: how many and from whom
Each guide says how the letters are sent and what they should cover, and has a helper that turns your examples into notes and a starting draft. Your referee must write the letter in their own words and sign it.
| Scholarship | Letters | From whom |
|---|---|---|
| Chevening (UK) | 2 | Two referees: two professional, two academic, or one of each. A professional or personal contact who knows you well, not a friend or relative. |
| Commonwealth Master's (UK) | At least 2 (the form asks for 3 referees) | The CSC page does not say who the referees must be. |
| Rhodes Scholarship (Oxford) | 4 to 5 | At least three academic referees who taught and graded you (they also give an estimated class ranking), and at least one character referee who can speak about your character and extra-curricular, service or leadership work. Not friends, peers or relatives. |
| Gates Cambridge | 1 Gates Cambridge reference, plus 2 academic references for the course | Someone of standing who can judge you against the scholarship's criteria: a current or former academic adviser, an employer, or a senior member of an organisation where you volunteered. One of your academic referees can write it if they address the criteria. Not a friend or family member. |
| Fulbright-Nehru Master's (USA) | As listed in the USIEF applicant instructions | The USIEF page checked does not state the number or type of reference letters; read the Applicant Instructions and Checklist on the USIEF page. |
| DAAD EPOS (Germany, master's) | 1 | Your current employer. |
| DAAD Doctoral (Germany, PhD) | 1 | A university teacher. |
| Erasmus Mundus (Europe) | Depends on the programme | Each programme sets its own rules. |
| MEXT Japan (research students) | 1 from your university (and one from your present employer where the Embassy asks for it) | The president or dean, or your academic adviser, at your current or last university. Working applicants may also be asked for a letter from their present employer. |
Student visas at a glance
The first steps for each visa, from the official visa pages; each guide has the full steps. Fees and rules change, so check the official page before you apply.
| Visa | For | First steps | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student visa of your country of study | National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) | The guidelines leave the visa to you: the Government of India gives no help in getting it. For the USA you must get a J-1 visa and apply only to universities that sponsor J-1 visas; with an F-1 visa you are not eligible. | Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment |
| UK Student visa | Chevening (UK) · Commonwealth Master's (UK) · Rhodes Scholarship (Oxford) · Gates Cambridge | Get an offer of a place from your UK university (it must be a licensed student sponsor). Apply online from India no earlier than 6 months before your course starts. | GOV.UK (UK Government) · GOV.UK (UK Government) |
| US J-1 exchange visitor visa | Fulbright-Nehru Master's (USA) | Your programme sponsor gives you Form DS-2019; a J-1 visa needs it. Fill in the online visa form DS-160 and pay the visa fee. | U.S. Embassy and Consulates in India · U.S. Department of State |
| German national (D) visa for study or research | DAAD EPOS (Germany, master's) · DAAD Doctoral (Germany, PhD) | Start on the Consular Services Portal of the German Missions in India: a questionnaire decides your visa type. Keep ready: a passport issued within the last 10 years with 2 empty pages, school and degree certificates with marksheets, language certificate, admission letter, motivation letter, CV and health insurance. | German Missions in India (Federal Foreign Office) |
| Student visa of the country where your programme starts | Erasmus Mundus (Europe) | Each programme moves between universities in different countries; the scholarship contributes to your visa costs. Ask the programme which country's long-stay student visa you need first and which letters it will give you for the embassy. | European Commission |
| Japanese Student visa | MEXT Japan (research students) | MEXT scholars must newly obtain a Student visa at the Japanese diplomatic mission in their country before travelling to Japan. Entering Japan without a newly obtained Student visa suspends the scholarship payment. | Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan |
Your chances: what JanWatchdog shows and what it does not
Each guide has an eligibility check built from the scholarship's published rules, and the number of awards where the scholarship publishes it. JanWatchdog does not give a percentage chance of winning: no selector publishes one, and a made-up number would mislead. Where the awards are a fixed number, compare it with how many students compete in your State or field; where every eligible student is paid (for example AICTE Saksham), the check tells you whether you qualify.
Scholarships to study in India
Government of India and State scholarships, with this year's National Scholarship Portal dates, are on the Scholarships in India page.