Finding Scholarships

Welcome to our scholarship database!
Here you will find information about our DAAD scholarship programmes for international students and researchers as well as offers from other selected funding organisations.

Please note:
The usage of the application portal is possible only to a limited extent with mobile devices. Please use your desktop computer. Technical requirements

Eine Druckversion dieser Ausschreibung (PDF) steht Ihnen in den weiteren Registerkarten (z.B. „Bewerbungsvoraussetzungen“) zur Verfügung.

A print version of this announcement (PDF) is available in the further tabs (e.g. “Application requirements”).

Objective

This call refers to a joint scholarship programme of DAAD and Secihti. Interested applicants must apply to both the DAAD call and the Secihti call and go through a parallel application process. Please see the respective Secihti call here for further information on their selection process.


The aim of the scholarship programme is to support the qualification and employability of young academics and future professionals from Mexico. It offers the opportunity to continue their academic and professional career in innovation-driving fields in Germany with a Master’s degree.

Who can apply?

The scholarship programme aims to support the professional development and employability of young academics and future professionals who are Mexican citizens who would like to complete a Master’s degree at a German university.
You can apply if you have completed all necessary courses for your studies with a first degree recognised in Germany (e.g. Bachelor's degree) by the application deadline at the latest. If you do not yet have your degree certificate, you must submit it by 31 August 2026 at the latest.

Please note that the scholarship programme is open to almost all disciplines. However, applicants from the area of business administration, financial sciences, artistic disciplines and architecture cannot apply. Please see Ciencias y Humanidades archivos - Secihti for further information on approved study programmes for this scholarship programme.

For applicants from artistic disciplines and the field of architecture, the DAAD offers the following scholarship programmes:


What can be funded?

Funding is available for a complete Master's degree (full-time, on-campus) at a state or state-recognised university in Germany.
If you decide for a Master programme which includes a study period abroad, funding for this period abroad is usually only possible under the following conditions:

  • The study visit is essential for achievement of the scholarship objective and an obligatory part of the selected study programme,
  • the visit does not take place in the home country, and
  • it is no longer than a quarter of the scholarship period (for joint and double-degree programmes up to 50%, if this is specified in the study regulations). Longer periods cannot be funded, even partially.


Funding is not possible for a Master’s degree programme that has already begun in Germany. Funding is only available for degree programmes starting in winter term 26/27 or in the summer term 2027.

Please note that the DAAD does not cover tuition fees (see also our important information for scholarship applicants / Section F, point 7).
Please, consult the upcoming phase 2 call of Secihti for possibilities to cover tuition fees from Secihti funds

Duration of the funding

Funding is provided for 10 months to a maximum of 24 months.
It depends on the standard period of study of the chosen full-time Master's degree programme.
Please state the entire period for which you wish to apply for a scholarship in your application. For example, if you are planning a 2-year degree programme, you must directly indicate two years as the desired scholarship duration in your application.
After the first year of study, your academic achievements will be assessed. If this shows that you will successfully complete your programme within a rea-sonable period of time, the scholarship will continue as planned.

Funding should generally begin in 2026. The scholarship usually begins on 1st October 2026 or 1st of April 2027 if DAAD is notified by August 8th of the later beginning. Please, be aware, that the overwhelming majority of study programmes does not offer the possibility to start in the summer term.

Value

  • monthly scholarship payments from DAAD of 140 euros
  • monthly scholarship rate from Secihti of 1100 euros
  • payments towards health, accident and personal liability insurance cover (see also our important information for scholarship applicants / Section F, point 4)

Under certain circumstances, you can apply for the following additional benefits after start of funding:


  • from Secihti: monthly allowance for members of family of 235 euros
  • In case of a disability or chronic illness: on application, a subsidy may be provided for justified additional costs incurred abroad that are necessary to realise the project in Germany and that are not covered by a third party; whether and to what extent a subsidy will be paid will be reviewed and determined on an individual basis (see important information for scholarship applicants, section F, point 8)

To allow you to improve your language skills, the DAAD offers the following benefits on application

  • online language course after receipt of the Scholarship Award Letter before the start of the scholarship
or
  • on-site language course in Mexico after receipt of the Scholarship Award Letter before the start of the scholarship (including partial financial support for housing in Mexico City)
  • Allowance for a personally chosen German language course during the scholarship period
  • Allowance for a personally chosen German language course for accompanying members of family.

Please note that the DAAD does not cover tuition fees. (see important information for scholarship applicants / Section F, point 7).
Please, consult the upcoming phase 2 call of Secihti for possibilities to cover tuition fees from Secihti funds

Selection

Only complete applications with all mandatory documents will be considered. Incomplete applications will be excluded for formal reasons.
A pre-selection will be made based on the submitted application documents which takes particular account of academic achievements and language skills. The pre-selected applicants will be invited to an interview with an independent selection committee of university teachers. The interview can take place on site or virtually. The personal interview is a decisive element in assessing the au-thenticity of the application and the individual qualities of the applicants and evaluating them appropriately.

Please note: There will be an additional separate selection process with Secihti. Please see the respective Secihti call for further information on their selection process: Ciencias y Humanidades archivos - Secihti.

The Selection criteria are:

Academic qualification

  • Academic achievements
  • Course of studies
  • Knowledge of the language(s) of instruction or working language(s)
  • If applicable, relevant internships, work experience

Quality of the study plan
  • Quality of the match of the selected study programmes with previous qualifications and future aspirations and of the preparation (preliminary information, choice of degree programme, host university and establishment of contacts)
  • Integration of the chosen master programmes and the study stay abroad into the academic career path

Potential of the applicant
  • Motivation: academic and personal reasons for the stay in Germany, German language skills (if different from the working language);
  • Prospects: Significance of the stay in Germany for further academic, professional and personal development.
  • Extracurricular commitment: extracurricular knowledge and skills, social commitment.

In addition, the selection committee will give due consideration to aspects of equal opportunities, on which you can provide information in the application form. Examples of ‘special life circumstances’ are:
  • disability
  • chronic or prolonged illness
  • raising children
  • caring for relatives
  • refugee background
  • extensive employment required to finance previous studies


For further information on the selection procedure, please refer to the Important Scholarship Information / Section E.

What requirements must be met?

Please check if the following criteria are fulfilled:

  • As a rule, your university degree should not date back more than 6 years at the time of the application deadline. Please read our important information for scholarship applicants / Section A, point 2.
  • The legal and subject-specific admission requirements for a Master's degree programme in Germany must be fulfilled. Please note that Master's programmes at German universities are generally consecutive. This means that the Master's programme builds on the Bachelor's programme.
  • Please note that you yourself are responsible for ensuring your application for admission to the German university for your chosen study programme is submitted by the due date. It is therefore important that you find out about admission requirements, application and enrolment deadlines at your host university and regulations regarding entry into Germany in good time. If you have not yet received a notification of admission at the time of application, you must submit an official letter of acceptance with no academic conditions by June 19th, 2026, at the latest. A scholarship from the DAAD is only valid if you have been admitted studying a Master’s degree programme in Germany.
  • Your application cannot be considered, if you have been resident in Germany for longer than 15 months at the application deadline.
You must demonstrate above-average academic performance.

Language skills

The language of instruction for study programmes in Germany is German. In international programmes, the language of instruction is English, or German and English. The language requirements are set out in the admission requirements for the Master's programmes of the universities. Please check whether you fulfil the necessary language requirements.
When you apply to the DAAD for a scholarship, you must provide proof of your current level of proficiency in the language of instruction (German, English, or German and English) in your chosen study programme.
For your application you must already provide proof of language skills that meet the requirements of your chosen universities with the scholarship application at least level B2 in the language of instruction (should be no older than 2 years). Please list the language level required by the universities of your choice in the form "Information on the desired degree programmes" (see "Application documents" in the tab "Application procedure"). Please read our important information for scholarship applicants / Section A, point 9.

  • If the language of instruction is German, the following certificates are usually eligible: TestDaF, DSH, Deutsches Sprachdiplom der Kultusministerkonferenz (DSD), Goethe-Zertifikat, Österreichisches Sprachdiplom, telc Deutsch and onSET Deutsch.
  • If the language of instruction is English, the following certificates can be submitted, for example: Cambridge English, Cambridge Business, IELTS, ISE, TOEFL iBT, TOEFL Essentials, TOEIC, PTE Academic and onSET English.
In the section 'Application procedure' under 'Application documents', find out whether specific certification is required for your country of origin.

Application deadline

Application deadlines are updated annually in the second quarter. In most cases, they are in the same period as the previous year. You can find the current dates here: April 22nd, 2026

Application documents

After registering on the DAAD portal, please complete the online application in full. Then upload the application documents listed below to the DAAD portal in the section ‘Attachments’.
Certificates, proof of credits, certifications and translations may be scanned in non-certified form and uploaded to the DAAD portal. The DAAD reserves the right to request certified copies of the documents.
If you submit documents in your national language, please include German or English translations.

Documents to be submitted to the DAAD portal:

  • Full curriculum vitae (max. 3 pages)
  • Letter of motivation, 1 - 2 pages: statement about the academic and personal reasons for the planned study project in Germany. Please also read our important information for scholarship applicants / Section B, Point 1. Upload the letter of motivation under 'study project/motivation' in the DAAD portal.
  • Letter of admission to the study programme at the host university in Germany, with no academic conditions. If you have not yet received notification of admission at the time of application, you must submit this before June 19th, 2026.
  • Form 'Information about your preferred master programmes', duly completed (you can enter up to 5 Master‘s degree programmes). Upload the form under 'course profile' in the DAAD portal.
  • Current overview of grades/ transcript of records with individual grades (to be uploaded under 'transcript of records/academic achievements' in the DAAD portal)
  • All university degree certificates already obtained, indicating final grade(s) and transcripts with individual grades for all academic years; if you do not yet have your degree certificate, you must submit it by 31 August 2026 at the latest. In this case, upload a provisional document to the portal instead. Please upload your certificate(s) or the preliminary document under 'university degree certificates' in the DAAD portal.
  • Certificate of language(s) of instruction of the chosen study programme (should be no older than 2 years). Please refer to 'Application requirements' to find out which certificates can generally be submitted.
  • One recent, supporting letter of recommendation (on a DAAD-form) from a university teacher which provides information about your qualifications. Please regard the instructions given on the tab 'Submitting an application'.
  • Passport/national identity card and personal data page of the passport/national identity card and, if applicable, other documents containing information about your identity and your current residence status. For refugees: Refugee ID card and UNHCR registration/official proof of asylum. Please upload in the portal under ‘Passport / identity card’.

Optional:
  • Other documents you think might be of relevance to your application (e.g. certificates of employment, proof of extracurricular engagement)

The application is made online through the DAAD portal.
Applications for this scholarship programme are possible in the period from February until the stated application deadline.
Please note that the access to the application portal only appears while the current application period is running. After the application deadline has expired, the portal for this programme is not available until the next application period.


Please note

  • Your application is only valid if you submit all the required documents to the DAAD portal by the application deadline.
  • Please note: There will be an additional separate application process with Secihti. Please see the respective Secihti call for further information on their application process. Ciencias y Humanidades archivos - SECIHTI for further information on their application process.

  • The DAAD portal closes at 24.00 hrs. (CET or CEST) on the last application day. If possible, please do not send your application on the final date in case technical problems occur.
  • Incomplete applications cannot be considered. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their applications are complete.
  • The application documents remain with the DAAD. Data relating to applicants is saved by the DAAD in accordance with the Federal Data Protection Act and with the EU Data Protection Regulation insofar as this data is needed to process the application.

Information and advisory centres

Regional Office Mexico City
Servicio Alemán de Intercambio Académico
Calle Kepler 157, Col. Nueva Anzures, Del. Miguel Hidalgo
C.P. 11590 Mexico City
Mexico
Tel.: +52 (55)/525018-83, -84, -85
E-Mail.: info.mexico@daad.de
WWW.: https://www.daad.mx

More detailed information

General information on the application via DAAD portal

Applications for this scholarship programme are possible in the period June until the stated application deadline.
Click on 'Application portal' at the bottom of the page to go to the DAAD portal. There you will be provided with an online application form to enter your application data.

This is what you have to do:

1. Register in the DAAD portal (Read notes about registering in the portal >>)

2. Request recommendation form
You can generate the recommendation form in the DAAD Portal as a writable PDF under 'Request recommendation form'. It can only be generated during the application period. Please send it to your university teacher and ask him or her to complete the form in full. When you have received it back, upload it in the portal under 'Letter of Recommendation'.

3. Applying online in the DAAD portal (Read notes on applying in the portal >>)

  • Prepare application documents
  • If necessary, translate documents (unless they are already in German or English).
  • Scan paper documents and save in PDF format. You can only upload PDF files to the portal.
  • Fill out the application form and upload the application documents to the portal in PDF format. Translations, if applicable, should be uploaded together with the document issued in the original language.
  • Submit the application online.

Please note:
If you have any technical questions or problems your local information and advice centres could not help you with, please do not hesitate to contact portal@daad.de via e-mail.
You can also call the technical portal hotline on weekdays from 9-12 and 14-16 (CET/CEST) on +49 (0) 228 882-8888.
Please consider possible processing times of your request when you are planning your application.
Do you have any questions about DAAD scholarships? You will find the answers here!
Please also take note of our important scholarship information.