DAAD Scholarship 2027/28: Final Checklist for the 15 and 21 October Deadlines

DAAD scholarship 2027/28: which deadlines fall this month

Deadlines differ by programme and country. This is what the DAAD scholarship database shows for India and Nepal on 12 October 2026, plus three EPOS courses checked on university sites.

EPOS has no single date. DAAD's EPOS course list for 2027/2028 says "see website of the course" against every entry.

And the Master Studies for All Academic Disciplines scholarship doesn't list India or Nepal as eligible. Select India and the page shows no deadline and says you currently can't apply. DAAD India's own scholarship list leaves it out too. New to DAAD? Start with what DAAD is.

When the DAAD portal actually closes

DAAD's rule: "The DAAD portal closes at 24.00 hrs. (CET or CEST) on the last application day." That's already the early hours of the next morning in India, and DAAD asks you not to leave it to the final day in case of technical problems.

• Use a laptop. DAAD says the portal only partly works on mobile devices.
• Upload PDFs only. Scans don't need certifying at this stage, and nor do translations into English or German, which you can do yourself.
• After the deadline, that programme's portal stays shut until the next application period.
• Technical trouble: [email protected] or +49 228 882-8888, weekdays 9-12 and 14-16 German time.

EPOS is different: you only use the DAAD portal if the course proposes you for a scholarship.

Checklist: arts scholarships closing 15 October

For Fine Art, Design, Visual Communication and Film and the Performing Arts, upload:

• A tabular CV and a motivation letter of 1 to 3 pages.
• DAAD's "Information about your preferred master programmes" form, even if you've picked one university or already have admission.
• Your admission letter if you have it. Otherwise it's due before funding starts.
• Transcript and degree certificates. A missing final certificate can follow.
• Proof of your current level in the language of instruction, no older than three years.

The portfolio goes to the DAAD media database through a link DAAD emails after its formal check, so prepare it now. Fine Art and Design allow no more than 30 pages, ideally one PDF under 50 MB. Film applicants get up to 20 minutes, with no showreels or trailers. Performing Arts starts with a self-introduction of about 3 minutes, then samples such as two drama excerpts of 5 to 10 minutes each.

Your degree should, as a rule, be no more than six years old at the deadline, and you can't have lived in Germany for over 15 months. The award only counts if the university you named admits you, and DAAD won't pay for its entrance exam.

Checklist: EPOS master's courses closing 15 October

For EPOS you apply to the course, not to DAAD. You can rank up to three courses, but each must get the same motivation letter explaining your choice and order. DAAD's warning: "If this information is ignored, the application cannot be considered or an already awarded scholarship might be withdrawn."

• The signed EPOS checklist, the EPOS application form and a Europass CV.
• A recommendation from your current employer on letterhead, signed, stamped and recently dated.
• Employment certificates for two years of relevant work after your bachelor's. Freiburg doesn't accept internships or voluntary work.
• IELTS or TOEFL (not the institutional TOEFL), plus degrees and transcripts.
• An APS certificate if you're Indian: Freiburg, Charite and Oldenburg all ask for one. Nepal isn't on their lists.

Submission rules differ by course:

• Freiburg, Environmental Governance: one merged PDF by email. Referees email their letters directly before 15 October. A language result can follow by 31 October only if you upload proof of registration for a test dated on or before 15 October.
• Charite Berlin, International Health: an online form open until 15 October 2026, then documents by email with the course's file labels.
• Oldenburg, SuRE: uni-assist only, no paper or email applications.

Checklist: DAAD doctoral grants closing 21 October

Doctoral Programmes in Germany pays EUR 1,400 a month plus a research allowance of EUR 460 a year, for up to four years. Upload:

• Your German supervisor's confirmation or, for a structured programme, proof of contact with its coordinator plus the module plan.
• Your proposal and previous research, 10 pages at most, plus a schedule agreed with your supervisor.
• A CV of up to 3 pages, a motivation letter of 1 to 2 pages and any publications list.
• DAAD's declaration from your German supervisor on safety and ethical aspects of the project.
• Degree certificates and transcripts.
• One recent recommendation from a university teacher on DAAD's form, which you can only generate inside the portal during the application period. If your professor hasn't got it yet, send it today.

Then post one copy of the portal's "Application summary" to DAAD's Regional Office in New Delhi. Cotutelle applicants also upload the "Sandwich Declaration" and a confirmation signed by both supervisors. Doctoral interviews are held in New Delhi at the beginning of February.

DAAD India's step-by-step page for this grant still shows 21 October 2024 and EUR 1,300. Go by the database.

Missed the DAAD deadline? The next dates

• 21 October 2026: the doctoral and Cotutelle grants.
• 30 October: University Summer Courses (HSK), for students enrolled at a university in India with at least B1 German. It covers a four-week course, accommodation, a one-off EUR 475 and a travel allowance.
• Later EPOS courses: Hohenheim's Agricultural Economics lists 15 November to 15 December. Its page dates from December 2025, so confirm this cycle's dates.
• 4 March: Research Grants in Germany, for doctoral candidates enrolled outside Germany and postdocs up to four years after the PhD, at EUR 1,400 a month.
• Self-funded: Oldenburg's SuRE takes regular applications until 15 January 2027.
• Next cycle: DAAD says deadlines usually fall in the same period each year, and the arts and doctoral programmes take applications from 1 June. The Helmut-Schmidt public policy programme ran from 1 June to 31 July 2026.

For what an award pays beyond the monthly rate, see DAAD amounts and eligibility and our DAAD guide for Indian students. Outside DAAD, look at the Deutschlandstipendium and merit-based scholarships for Indian students.

Not sure which form is yours?

Can't tell whether you're an EPOS, arts or doctoral applicant, or whether you clear the six-year and two-year rules? Get a free profile evaluation before Thursday 15 October, not after it.

Sources

• DAAD: Study Scholarships - Fine Art, Design, Visual Communication and Film (India, 2027/28)
• DAAD: Study Scholarships - Performing Arts (India, 2027/28)
• DAAD: Doctoral Programmes in Germany (India, 2027/28)
• DAAD: Bi-nationally Supervised Doctoral Degrees/Cotutelle (India, 2027/28)
• DAAD: Master Studies for All Academic Disciplines (India selected)
• DAAD: Study Scholarships - Architecture (India)
• DAAD: Study Scholarships - Music (India)
• DAAD: Development-Related Postgraduate Courses (EPOS)
• DAAD: EPOS List of Application Deadlines, Intake 2027/2028 (Stand 06/2026)
• DAAD: Research Grants in Germany (India)
• DAAD: University Summer Courses (HSK)
• DAAD: Helmut-Schmidt-Programme 2027 call for applications (05/2026)
• DAAD: Important information for scholarship applicants
• DAAD: Additional information, Fine Art, Design/Visual Communication and Film
• DAAD: Additional information, Performing Arts
• DAAD India: Scholarships for Study and Research in Germany
• DAAD India: Research Grants - Doctoral Degree in Germany (PhD)
• University of Freiburg: MSc Environmental Governance, DAAD scholarship
• Charite - Universitaetsmedizin Berlin: DAAD EPOS scholarships, MSc International Health
• University of Oldenburg: SuRE application (changed 1 October 2026)
• University of Hohenheim: DAAD Scholarships, M.Sc. Agricultural Economics (updated 4 December 2025)