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DAAD Doctoral (Germany, PhD) 2026: eligibility, amount, selection and how to apply

Monthly stipend Study in Germany Sources include non-government documents, named below

DAAD Research Grants: Doctoral Programmes in Germany, given by DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service), funded by the German Federal Foreign Office. Monthly stipend, insurance, travel and research allowance.

Given byDAAD
LevelPhD and research
MoneyMonthly stipend, insurance, travel and research allowance
How many get itNot published
This yearPortal opens 1 June each year

DAAD: Doctoral ProgrammesCheck if you can applyLetter of recommendation helperVisa

Who can apply for DAAD Doctoral (Germany, PhD)

You can apply if

  • A master's degree (in exceptional cases a bachelor's) by the start of funding, with above-average results
  • Your last degree not more than six years old at the deadline; if the doctorate has started, not more than three years before
  • Not living in Germany for more than 15 months at the deadline

Check if you can apply

Answer from your own documents. The questions are the scholarship's published rules; your answers stay in this browser.

Will you have a master's degree (above average) by the start of funding?
Is your last degree six years old or less?
Do you have a German supervisor or a place in a structured doctoral programme?
Have you lived in Germany for 15 months or less?

Answer the questions to see if you meet the published conditions.

JanWatchdog does not give a percentage chance: the scholarship does not publish one. Meeting every rule makes you eligible to apply; selection then depends on the steps below.

What DAAD Doctoral (Germany, PhD) pays

Monthly stipend, insurance, travel and research allowance. EUR 1,400 a month, health, accident and liability insurance, a travel allowance (on application) and an annual research allowance of EUR 460, for up to four years.

What it covers

How DAAD Doctoral (Germany, PhD) selection works

  1. An independent committee of specialist scientists judges your qualifications, the quality of the research project and your potential
  2. DAAD India says shortlisted candidates are interviewed, at the DAAD New Delhi office or online

How to apply for DAAD Doctoral (Germany, PhD), step by step

  1. Find a German supervisor and get a letter confirming supervision, or admission to a structured doctoral programme.
  2. Apply on the DAAD Portal (it opens on 1 June; the deadline is in the database entry and is updated each year).
  3. Upload a CV, publication list, motivation letter, research proposal, a schedule agreed with the supervisor, degree certificates and one recommendation from a university teacher.

Dates: Funding starts in 2027; the portal opens on 1 June and the deadline is updated each year in DAAD's database.

Documents to keep ready

DAAD: Doctoral Programmes

Letters of recommendation for DAAD Doctoral (Germany, PhD)

How many1
From whomA university teacher
How they are sentGenerate the recommendation form in the DAAD Portal during the application period, have your teacher fill it in, and upload it under Letter of Recommendation

Who should write them: A university teacher.

How they are sent: Generate the recommendation form in the DAAD Portal during the application period, have your teacher fill it in, and upload it under Letter of Recommendation.

What the letter should cover

DAAD gives the form; the points are suggestions for your referee, not DAAD rules.

Prepare notes and a starting draft for your referee

Fill in what you can. The helper puts your examples under each point the scholarship asks about and writes notes and a plain starting draft. Your referee must write the letter in their own words, check every fact and sign it: scholarships check references, and a letter your referee does not stand behind can cost you the scholarship.

Visa: German national (D) visa for study or research

  1. Start on the Consular Services Portal of the German Missions in India: a questionnaire decides your visa type.
  2. 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.
  3. Show money to live on: a blocked account of EUR 11,904 (at most EUR 992 a month can be withdrawn), or proof of a German or EU scholarship.
  4. Most Indian applicants need an APS certificate; it is not needed if your stipend is from German or EU public funds, or for PhD and postdoc study.

Fees and rules change: check the official visa pages before you apply.

Visa sources

Sources

Everything on this page comes from these documents and pages. Checked 18 Oct 2026.

JanWatchdog is not connected with any scholarship. Apply only on the official website; applying is free and no agent is needed.

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