Skip to content
Studying in Germany on scholarship
Scholarship map · 2026

€300 to €3,186 a month
to study or PhD in Germany

DAAD, the 13 Stiftungen, Deutschlandstipendium, Erasmus Mundus, IMPRS Max Planck, Marie Skłodowska-Curie — the full map for Pakistani, Indian, and Bangladeshi students applying to Germany and Europe.

€934–€1,650

Master's degree

€1,200–€1,365

PhD via scholarship

€2,100–€3,186

PhD via salary

€1,400–€2,500

EU-wide

Scenario 1 · Master's degree

You're applying for a master's

€934–€1,650

per month + travel + health insurance

DAAD Study Scholarship pays €934/mo + travel allowance (~€1,200 for Pakistan/India/Bangladesh) + €120 insurance + €460 study allowance. The 13 Stiftungen pay up to €1,650/mo (€992 basic + Büchergeld €300 + leadership programmes). Deutschlandstipendium adds €300/mo at 300+ universities. Most deadlines fall October–January for the next autumn cohort.

  • DAAD = the default — apply 12 months before start; Oct 31 deadline typical
  • Stiftungen = pick the foundation aligned with your values (political/religious/business)
  • Deutschlandstipendium = no nationality test; apply directly to your university
  • Erasmus Mundus = if you want 2 years across multiple EU countries
Read the DAAD playbook
Scenario 2 · PhD via scholarship

You want a PhD with a scholarship

€1,200–€1,365

per month + travel + family allowance (DAAD)

DAAD PhD Research Grant covers €1,200–€1,365/mo + €1,200 travel + family allowance (€326/mo + €276/child). The Cotutelle variant lets you split between Germany + home country. The 13 Stiftungen pay €1,450/mo + research allowance for PhDs. Both require an invitation from a German supervisor + a research proposal (3–5 pages).

  • Find supervisor first via DAAD Research Explorer / hochschulkompass.de / institute pages
  • Cold-email 6–10 supervisors with concrete research questions; ~20% reply rate
  • Co-draft your research proposal with the supervisor — iterate 2–3 rounds
  • Submit DAAD application Oct 31; decision by April for following October start
Read the DAAD PhD guide
Scenario 3 · PhD via salary

You want a PhD with a salary

€2,100–€3,186

per month net (TV-L E13) or gross (IMPRS)

Most German STEM/social-science PhDs are paid positions on a TV-L E13 contract — typically 75% (€2,126–€2,975 net/mo). IMPRS Max Planck programmes pay 65% E13 (€3,186 gross/mo) within a structured cohort across 70+ institutes. Industry PhDs (Siemens, Bosch, Bayer, Fraunhofer) offer €2,000–€3,500/mo. All include full GKV insurance + pension + 30 days leave.

  • TV-L E13 75% = the common rate; full benefits + pension contributions
  • IMPRS = 70 elite programmes, structured cohort, top €3,186 gross/mo
  • Industry PhDs = Siemens, Bosch, Bayer, Fraunhofer — direct application
  • §18d AufenthG research visa — straightforward with contract in hand
Read the TV-L PhD guide
Scenario 4 · EU-wide

You want EU-wide mobility

€1,400–€2,500

per month + travel + tuition (EMJM / MSCA)

Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters (EMJM) is the flagship 2-year master across 2+ European universities — €1,400/mo + full tuition + travel + visa support. Very competitive (top 15%). MSCA Doctoral Networks fund PhD positions across Europe at €1,500–€2,500/mo + family + mobility allowance, with a 2026 EU budget of €593M. Both require you to move between countries during the programme.

  • EMJM = 80+ programmes; apply via individual programme consortium
  • MSCA-DN = 15-person doctoral cohorts across 2+ EU countries
  • Mobility rule: must move to a country you haven't lived in for 12+ months
  • Industrial Doctorates variant = 50% time in industry, 50% academia
Read the Erasmus Mundus guide

Plus four more programmes worth knowing

The 5 common failure patterns

Most scholarship rejections happen for the same five reasons. Avoid these and you'll outcompete 80% of the applicant pool.

  1. 1. Generic motivation letter. Name specific supervisors, labs, or programmes. Don't say "I want to help my country."
  2. 2. Missing language proof. IELTS 6.5+ / TOEFL 90+ / TestDaF TDN4 must be in hand 6 months before deadline. Don't promise it for later.
  3. 3. Unavailable recommenders. Secure commitments 8+ weeks early. Give them a template + deadline reminder.
  4. 4. Weak research proposal (PhD). Cold-email the supervisor first. Co-draft the proposal in 2–3 rounds. Don't apply with a generic 1-pager.
  5. 5. Profile–programme mismatch. Cross-check admission criteria + supervisor publications + recent student outcomes before applying.

Scholarship rates change annually. Every figure on this page is verified to 2026 sources at the time of publication; always confirm current amounts on the official scholarship portal before applying.

Information, not legal or career advice. §20 RDG applies. We're not affiliated with DAAD, Stiftungen, Max Planck, or the European Commission.

Need help picking the right scholarship?

Our visa wizard answers the "which programme fits my profile?" question in 7 minutes. Or browse all 8 scholarship guides for the deep mechanics.

Browse all benefit posts Open visa wizard