Top 10 Fully Funded Scholarships in Germany 2026: DAAD & the Humboldt Foundation

Germany already offers tuition-free public university education, so a fully funded scholarship there typically means living costs covered on top. That combination makes German awards especially good value. These are the ten to know for 2026.

1. DAAD Scholarships in Germany for Development-Related Postgraduate Courses (EPOS). The German Academic Exchange Service's main programme fully funds master's and PhD study for students from developing countries.

2. Alexander von Humboldt Foundation: Humboldt Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers. Funds experienced academics at German institutions.

3. Alexander von Humboldt Foundation: Humboldt Research Fellowships for Postdoctoral Researchers. The postdoc tier of the same programme funds early-career researchers for 6 to 24 months.

4. Alexander von Humboldt Foundation: International Climate Protection Fellowship. Funds researchers from developing and emerging countries working on climate protection at German host institutions.

5. DAAD Research Grants for Doctoral Candidates and Young Academics. Fund short research stays in Germany for doctoral candidates and early-career researchers.

6. Deutschlandstipendium. The German national scholarship provides 300 EUR per month for talented students at German universities, often topped up by private sponsors.

7. DAAD Konrad Zuse School of Excellence relAI. A fully funded master's scholarship in reliable artificial intelligence for strong students.

8. DAAD Zuse School SECAI. A second fully funded AI master's scholarship at the School of Embedded Composite Artificial Intelligence.

9. CAS-DAAD Joint Fellowship Programme. Funds doctoral students from the Chinese Academy of Sciences to spend research time in Germany.

10. DLR-DAAD Research Fellowship Programme. A fully funded fellowship for postdoctoral researchers at the German Aerospace Center.

DAAD's main programmes have fixed application windows once or twice a year, so check the deadlines early. Most German awards require strong academic records and, for research programmes, a convincing proposal. Because public tuition is already free, even a partial award can cover most of your costs.

Because public universities charge no tuition for most programmes, the scholarship question in Germany is mostly about living costs. That changes how you should read the list: an award that covers a monthly stipend is worth more than one that covers tuition at an institution that charges none.

DAAD is not a single application. It administers hundreds of programmes keyed to level, subject and nationality, so the useful move is searching its database for your subject and degree level rather than waiting for a general call. Development-related postgraduate courses are the ones that ask for professional experience, usually around two years, and that requirement is checked against your CV rather than your transcript.

The Humboldt Foundation and the research institutes sit at a different level: they fund postdoctoral researchers and doctoral candidates attached to a project, which is closer to a job than to a scholarship. If you are looking for a doctorate rather than a master's, the institute's own vacancy page is often more useful than any scholarship list.

Two practical items decide the visa. A blocked account is normally required unless a scholarship covers living costs at the required level, and the semester contribution has to be paid at enrolment even when tuition is free. Budget for both before you accept an offer.