DAAD Scholarship 2026

DAAD pays a monthly stipend of €992 for graduates and €1,300 for doctoral candidates — roughly ₹1.1 lakh and ₹1.4 lakh at current rates. DAAD's EPOS listing states the doctoral rate rises to €1,400 from February 2026, while DAAD's main scholarships page still shows €1,300, so confirm the figure in your specific call. It also pays a flat-rate travel allowance and contributes to health, accident and personal liability insurance, with a rent subsidy and family allowance on some programmes. Note that DAAD does not generally list tuition as a benefit, because most German public universities charge no tuition to begin with — only a semester contribution of roughly €150–350.

There is no single DAAD deadline. Each programme runs its own call, and dates differ widely — EPOS courses, Research Grants, WISE and the Helmut Schmidt Programme all close at different points in the year. Check the deadline printed on your specific programme listing in the DAAD scholarship database, and note that many close roughly 9–12 months before the intake starts. IMA tracks these and alerts students accordingly.

DAAD does not publish a single global cut-off. Its requirement is an above-average academic record, and each programme sets its own bar in its call for applications — some ask for a specific grade, others rank applicants comparatively. Treat any fixed figure quoted elsewhere as an estimate, and read the criteria on your actual programme listing. In practice DAAD is competitive, so a strong record matters.

Not necessarily. Many DAAD scholarships fund English-taught programmes where German is not required. However, for German-taught programmes, you need TestDaF (Level 4) or DSH-2 certification. IMA offers German language classes (A1 to C1) in Faridabad to help you meet this requirement.

Key DAAD programmes for Indians: (1) DAAD Masters Scholarships — fully funded 1–2 year Masters. (2) DAAD Research Grants — for doctoral students and researchers. (3) DAAD Study Scholarships — for stays of 1–4 semesters. (4) DAAD WISE Scholarships — internship-based research scholarships for undergrads. (5) Helmut Schmidt Programme — for public policy professionals.

Yes. You can apply for DAAD in parallel with your university application. In fact, many universities partner with DAAD for scholarship funding. You submit your DAAD application independently and, if awarded, your university tuition is waived automatically.