The Danida Fellowship Programme is one of the more unusual scholarships you will read about. It is fully funded, it pays for a two-year Master's at a Danish university, and it covers almost every cost from your English test to your flight. But you cannot simply find it online and apply. Applications come by invitation through the Danish embassy, and only people working in organisations that already collaborate with Denmark are considered. You can read the full scholarship details on our scholarship page, and this guide explains how the programme works and whether it is realistic for you.
The programme is run by the Danida Fellowship Centre and funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. Its purpose is development cooperation: building knowledge and capacity in Denmark's partner countries. That purpose shapes everything about who gets selected.
The Danida programme in one table
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Provider | Danida Fellowship Centre / Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark |
| Funding | Fully funded |
| Level | Master's (two-year programmes); PhD is also listed as an eligible level, so confirm what is open to you |
| Number of awards | Approximately 28 Master's scholarships each year |
| Age limit | Under 33 for Master's scholarships |
| Deadline | Varies. Confirm on the official site |
| Country | Denmark |
| Official site | dfcentre.com |
Why this is an invitation-only scholarship
This is the single most misunderstood point. The Danida Fellowship Centre does not accept unsolicited applications. Participation is limited to partners in Danida financed projects and programmes, and to professionals from eligible institutions who meet the application requirements.
For the Master's scholarship specifically, you must be affiliated with an organisation that collaborates with Denmark under the Strategic Sector Cooperation, and the Danish embassy in your country has to endorse you. The embassy invites you to apply, sends you the link to the online application site, reviews your application and decides whether to nominate you. Without that chain, there is no application.
So the honest question for a Pakistani student is not "Am I good enough?" but "Does my employer already work with Denmark?" Fresh graduates with no job, or people working in organisations with no Danish partnership, will not qualify however strong their grades are.
Where Pakistani applicants stand
The scholarships require residency in an eligible partner country and nomination by the local Danish embassy. Selection gives priority to young talents in Denmark's African partner countries. Six to eight scholarships each year target young people from partner organisations in Asia and Latin America.
The programme does not name Pakistan in its eligibility list. If you are in Pakistan, check whether Pakistan is an eligible partner country and whether your organisation is part of the Strategic Sector Cooperation before investing time in this. The quickest way to find out is to contact the Danish embassy, which is also the first official step in the process anyway.
Be realistic about the numbers too. With roughly 28 awards a year and only six to eight set aside for Asia and Latin America combined, competition for those places is tight even among people who are eligible.
What the full funding actually pays
The coverage is broad and practical. It includes:
- Full tuition fees at the Danish university
- Accommodation
- Per diems for daily living
- One international return flight from your home country to Denmark
- Residence permit fees
- Reimbursement of the fee for one English language test
- Reimbursement of one university application fee
Notice the word "one" in the last three items. If you take an English test twice or apply to several universities and pay several fees, expect only one of each to be reimbursed. Plan your test date and your university choice carefully so you are not paying out of pocket for repeats.
Accepted fellows also become members of the global Danida Fellows Network and can take part in specialised learning activities and professional communities.
Fields that fit the green agenda
The scholarship focus is on the green agenda. The eligible fields are renewable energy, environmental protection, sustainable food production, water, circular economy, health, food safety, statistics and digitalisation.
Your chosen programme should connect to your job. The selection logic is about strengthening your institution's capacity, so a water engineer at a utility applying for a water management Master's makes sense. Someone in a statistics office applying for a renewable energy degree with no link to their work makes much less sense.
The six eligibility conditions
For a Master's scholarship you must:
- Be under the age of 33
- Be affiliated to an organisation collaborating with Denmark under the Strategic Sector Cooperation
- Be endorsed by the Danish embassy in your country
- Be proficient in written and spoken academic English
- Hold a relevant Bachelor's degree that is less than 10 years old
- Not already hold a Master's degree
Two of these trip people up. The 10-year rule counts from when you got your Bachelor's, so check the date on your degree before anything else. And the "no Master's degree" rule means that if you already finished an MS or MPhil in Pakistan, this scholarship is not for you, even if your new field is different.
Paperwork the application asks for
- Basic information about yourself and your workplace
- A list of a maximum of three Master's programmes you wish to apply for
- Passport biometrics
- Your Bachelor's degree certificate, officially endorsed by the university where you obtained it
- Your Bachelor's transcript, officially endorsed by the university
- A supporting letter from your organisation or workplace
- A letter of recommendation from the relevant sector counsellor at the Danish embassy
The degree and transcript must be endorsed by your own university. Pakistani universities can be slow with this, so start early. Our documents checklist for international scholarships covers how to organise these papers in general.
From embassy conversation to university admission
- Discuss the programme with the Danish embassy to confirm it is relevant to your work and to the Strategic Sector Cooperation.
- If suitable, the embassy invites you to apply and sends a link to the Danida Fellowship Centre online application site.
- Submit your application with all required documents through that portal.
- The embassy reviews applications and nominates candidates based on eligibility and alignment with development priorities.
- The Danida Fellowship Centre carries out the final review and notifies approved candidates directly with an official advance pledge.
- Approved candidates then apply for admission to the Danish university running the selected Master's programme.
The order matters. You get the funding pledge first and apply to the university afterwards. That is the reverse of many scholarships, where you need an admission letter before the funding decision.
Timing and intakes
There is no single published deadline. The embassy consultation and nomination stage varies, so confirm current dates on the Danida Fellowship Centre website and with the embassy. Danish universities mainly start the academic year in September (the autumn intake). Some programmes also have a January/February winter intake where relevant.
Because the embassy controls the first step, the practical deadline is really whatever the embassy sets for its nominations. Contact them well before you think you need to.
Mistakes that cost applicants a place
The biggest mistake is treating this like an open scholarship and waiting for a call for applications. It does not work that way. Start by checking with your employer whether your organisation is an active partner in Denmark's Strategic Sector Cooperation. If it is not, look elsewhere; our scholarships guide for Pakistani students lists open alternatives.
Other avoidable problems:
- Picking three Master's programmes that have little to do with your job or your institution's duties
- Leaving the employer letter and the embassy sector counsellor letter until the last week
- Not checking that the Bachelor's degree is under 10 years old
- Assuming a past Master's in a different subject does not count
Who should seriously consider Danida? A young professional under 33 working in a government department, utility or organisation that already has a Danish sector partnership, in a field like energy, water, health or food safety. For most other Pakistani students, the Danida route will be closed, and it is better to know that early. For other options, see all Denmark scholarships.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply to Danida directly without the embassy?
No. The Danida Fellowship Centre does not accept unsolicited applications. You must be invited and endorsed by the Danish embassy in your country of residence.
Are Pakistani students eligible?
The programme requires residency in an eligible partner country, with priority given to African partner countries and six to eight places for partner organisations in Asia and Latin America. Pakistan is not named, so check with the Danish embassy whether you qualify.
Is there an age limit?
Yes. For Master's scholarships you must be under 33.
How many programmes can I list?
A maximum of three Master's programmes. Choose ones that link directly to your professional field and your institution's work.
Does Danida cover living costs?
Yes. Alongside full tuition, the scholarship provides accommodation and per diems, plus one international return flight and residence permit fees.
Can I apply if I already have a Master's degree?
No. Applicants must not have already obtained a Master's degree.
Before you do anything else, check current requirements on the Danida Fellowship Centre website and speak to the Danish embassy, then revisit the Danida Fellowship scholarship page for a summary.