DAAD Scholarship for African Students

Below: exactly what DAAD covers, who can apply, the deadline picture, and how to apply — explained honestly.

What is the DAAD scholarship?

DAAD stands for the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (German Academic Exchange Service) — Germany’s national agency for international academic exchange, funded by the German government. It runs hundreds of scholarship programmes, but for African students the two that matter most are:

• DAAD EPOS — Development-Related Postgraduate Courses. Master’s-level (PhD in exceptional cases) scholarships in development-relevant fields such as economics, engineering, public health, agriculture, governance and the environment.
• DAAD Study Scholarships — Master Studies — open across all disciplines for a master’s degree in Germany.

A few things make DAAD stand out among scholarships for African students:

• It is mostly postgraduate. The headline DAAD scholarships fund master’s and PhD study, not bachelor’s. If you want a first degree in Germany, DAAD is usually not your route.
• It is open to African students broadly — unlike Stipendium Hungaricum, which is limited to countries with a bilateral agreement, DAAD’s main programmes accept applicants from developing and emerging countries, which includes all of the African countries we focus on (each programme still sets its own rules — check the one you want).
• It funds study at Germany’s tuition-free public universities — so the scholarship covers your living costs while German public tuition is already €0. See our study in Germany guide for how that works.

Demand is high and DAAD is selective. These are full scholarships with limited places, awarded on academic strength, a convincing study/career plan and (for EPOS) relevant work experience. Treat it as competitive — no one can guarantee a DAAD award.

What does the DAAD scholarship cover?

DAAD scholarships are genuinely full scholarships for the study period. For its master’s-level programmes, a DAAD scholarship typically covers:

For PhD / doctoral scholarship holders, the stipend is higher — €1,300/month, plus the same insurance and travel support.

Because German public universities charge no tuition (you pay only a small semester contribution of roughly €250–350), a DAAD stipend goes a long way — it is funding your living costs, not your fees. That makes DAAD one of the better-value full scholarships for African postgraduates.

One thing to keep straight: the €934/month is the DAAD stipend. It is not the same as the €11,904 blocked account that self-funded German student-visa applicants must show. A DAAD scholarship award can itself serve as your proof of funds for the visa — so DAAD holders do not also need to fund a blocked account. The German national visa fee (€75) is also waived for publicly funded scholarship holders.

Who can apply? (eligibility)

DAAD is open to African students broadly, but each programme has its own rules. For the main master’s-level scholarships (EPOS and Study Scholarships), you generally need:

1. Citizenship of a developing or emerging country — this includes all the African countries we focus on (Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Egypt) and many more. DAAD is not limited to a small fixed country list (each programme still sets its own eligibility).
2. A completed bachelor’s degree (usually a strong one), normally obtained no more than 6 years ago at the time you apply.
3. Relevant work experience — for EPOS especially. EPOS development scholarships typically expect at least two years of relevant professional experience after your first degree. Study Scholarships are more academic and may not require this.
4. A clear, convincing plan — a strong motivation/statement showing why this programme, and (for EPOS) how it connects to development work back home.
5. Language proof — English (IELTS/TOEFL) for English-taught programmes, or German for German-taught ones, at the level the course requires.
6. Certified documents — degree certificates, transcripts and certified translations.

APS does not apply here. APS is Germany’s Akademische Prüfstelle and is required only for applicants from China, Vietnam and India — not for any African country. Many agency blogs wrongly tell Nigerian and Ghanaian students they need APS for Germany; they do not. Germany recognises your qualifications through the anabin database and certified documents, with no APS step.

Eligibility, the maximum degree age and the work-experience rule vary by individual programme. Always read the specific scholarship’s page in the official DAAD scholarship database before you apply. Our advisors check this for you as part of the scholarship application service.

Deadline and timeline

DAAD does not have a single global deadline. This is the most important thing to understand, and where many applicants slip up:

• EPOS scholarships: the deadline varies by course. You apply to the EPOS master’s programme itself, and each course sets its own application window — often roughly August to October of the year before you start, but this differs per programme.
• Study Scholarships — Master: these usually run on an annual call, with the application round typically opening and closing in mid-year (around Q2) for study beginning the following year.

Because deadlines are set per programme, there is no one date to memorise. Find your exact course in the official DAAD scholarship database, note its specific deadline, and work backwards — sitting your English test and gathering certified documents takes weeks. Always re-confirm the date on the official DAAD page, as it changes each cycle and per course.

How to apply for a DAAD scholarship

The DAAD application is mostly done through the DAAD Portal, but the exact steps depend on the programme. Here is the typical path for a master’s scholarship:

1. Choose your DAAD programme and a course. Decide whether EPOS (development-related fields) or a Study Scholarship (all disciplines) fits you, then find the specific master’s programme in the official DAAD scholarship database. Confirm your nationality is eligible and check that programme’s exact deadline and degree-age rule.
2. Check you meet the requirements. Confirm your bachelor’s degree, its age (usually ≤6 years), your work experience (≥2 years for EPOS), and the language level the course needs.
3. Prepare your documents. This usually means a CV, a motivation/statement explaining your study and career plan, academic transcripts and certificates, certified translations, references/recommendation letters, and your language test result (each programme lists its exact requirements).
4. Submit through the DAAD Portal by the programme’s deadline. Most DAAD scholarships are submitted online; some EPOS courses ask you to apply to the university course and the scholarship together. Follow that programme’s instructions exactly.
5. Selection, interview and result. Shortlisted candidates may be invited to an interview or selection step. Final decisions are made by DAAD’s selection committees; if awarded, you receive your scholarship offer and then arrange your student visa.

The single biggest mistake is treating DAAD as one application with one deadline. It isn’t — each programme is separate, with its own deadline and rules. Pick your exact course early, read its page carefully, and prepare your documents well ahead. Our team helps eligible African postgraduates choose the right DAAD programme and build a strong application through our scholarship application service.

Programmes and fields

DAAD funds study across Germany’s public universities, which are tuition-free for international students. The strongest fit for DAAD scholarships is postgraduate study, and the development-focused EPOS courses concentrate on:

• Economics and development studies
• Engineering and technology
• Public health and medicine-adjacent fields
• Agriculture, food security and the environment
• Governance, public policy and social sciences

DAAD Study Scholarships are open across all disciplines at master’s level. Remember that English-taught study in Germany is overwhelmingly at master’s level — only a small share of bachelor’s programmes are in English — which is one more reason DAAD’s postgraduate focus fits the German system well.

For a fuller picture of Germany’s universities, tuition and student life, see our study in Germany guide.

Tips for a strong DAAD application

DAAD is competitive — here is how to give yourself the best honest chance:

• Apply early, not on deadline day. Per-programme deadlines sneak up, and certified translations take time.
• Make your motivation specific. Say why this programme and how it connects to your career and (for EPOS) to development at home — not a generic “I want to study in Germany.”
• Lead with relevant work experience if you are applying for EPOS — it is part of what they assess.
• Check your degree age. If your bachelor’s is close to the ~6-year limit, confirm you still qualify before you invest time (the limit can differ by programme).
• Get strong, specific references. Recommendation letters from people who know your work carry weight.
• Don’t pay anyone for “guaranteed” selection. No one can guarantee a DAAD scholarship. Anyone who promises one is a red flag.

How we help

World Study helps eligible African postgraduates apply for DAAD scholarships — confirming which programme fits (EPOS vs Study Scholarship), checking your degree age and work-experience eligibility, preparing a focused motivation statement and clean certified documents, and tracking each programme’s separate deadline. We are honest about your odds: DAAD is competitive, and we will tell you straight whether you are a realistic candidate.

If DAAD is not the right fit — for example, if you want a bachelor’s degree, or your degree is older than the limit — we will point you to other fully funded scholarships you can actually win.

Talk to an advisor on WhatsApp or take the free 2-minute eligibility check → to see whether the DAAD scholarship — or another scholarship — fits you.