Germany gives Pakistani students more funded routes than almost any other country we cover, but most of them sit under a few big names. The DAAD runs the national programmes, including the Master's schemes built for students from developing countries. A group of political foundations funds students who are active in public life. Universities add their own awards, and there are research fellowships and internships for people already doing serious academic work. One arts residency in Stuttgart rounds things off.
This hub lists all 36 scholarship guides we have for Germany. If you are a graduate with a few years of work experience in a development-related field, the DAAD options are where you should start. If you are already enrolled at a German university, or planning to be, the foundations and the Deutschlandstipendium matter more. Researchers and PhD applicants have their own section further down.
Every Germany scholarship guide at a glance
Deadlines below are shortened. Many German awards have no single national date, so "varies" is common and means you have to check the specific course or call. Open each guide for the full wording.
DAAD programmes: the main route for Pakistani graduates
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is the name most Pakistani applicants know, and with good reason. Its awards are listed as fully funded or full/partial, and several are aimed squarely at students from developing countries. The catch is that DAAD is a family of programmes, each with its own rules and calendar, so you need to know which one you are applying to.
General DAAD scholarships
Start with DAAD Scholarships for Pakistani Students, which covers Master's, PhD and postdoctoral funding for Pakistani applicants and notes that most doctoral and research grants have deadlines in late August. DAAD Scholarship (Germany) explains the national programme for Master's and PhD study, with Master's deadlines typically in October-November for intake the following year (full details).
DAAD Scholarships (Germany) is useful for a different reason. It treats DAAD as a database of over 200 funded programmes, covering Master's, PhD and some Bachelor's exchange, with deadlines commonly between August and October. Read it if you have not yet picked a programme (full details).
For Master's study in any subject, see DAAD Study Scholarships: Master Studies for All Academic Disciplines, where deadlines vary by country and region. DAAD Study Scholarships for All Disciplines (Germany) covers the wider study and research visit awards for graduates, doctoral students and postdocs, including monthly stipends, travel allowances and insurance. Our data lists it as partial funding, so read the guide before you assume every cost is covered.
EPOS: development-related Master's courses
For many Pakistani professionals, EPOS is the strongest option on this page. It funds postgraduate study in development-related fields for graduates from developing countries, and it is listed as fully funded. The one rule people miss: you apply directly to the university offering the course, never to DAAD centrally. DAAD EPOS Scholarship explains this route in detail (full details).
We also have DAAD EPOS Scholarship (full details) and Development-Related Postgraduate Courses (EPOS), which says deadlines typically fall between August and October for the following academic year. Because each course sets its own date, shortlist your courses early.
Technische Universität Berlin is one of the participating universities. Its EPOS route is covered in TU Berlin DAAD EPOS Scholarship 2027 in Germany, which notes that it targets professionals with relevant work experience. You can also read TU Berlin DAAD EPOS Scholarship 2027 (DAAD EPOS view) and TU Berlin DAAD EPOS Scholarship 2027 (graduate studies view). All three list the deadline as varying, so confirm it on the course page.
Helmut-Schmidt-Programme: public policy and good governance
If your interest is government, policy or civil society, this is the DAAD scheme to look at. It funds Master's degrees in public policy and good governance at selected German universities for future leaders from developing countries, and every guide lists it as fully funded.
Our guides give different deadline information, which is a reason to check the official call before you plan around any date. DAAD Helmut-Schmidt-Programme Master's Scholarships and DAAD Helmut-Schmidt-Programme Master's Scholarships both give July 31 annually. DAAD Helmut-Schmidt-Programme Master's Scholarships 2027 lists the deadline as 9 days from publication date, DAAD Helmut-Schmidt-Programme Master's Scholarships 2027 (Germany) as 7 days from listing, and Helmut-Schmidt-Programme (Master's Scholarships for Public Policy and Good Governance) says it varies (full details).
Doctoral research, postdocs and internships in Germany
DAAD Research Grants for Doctoral Researchers (Germany) funds doctoral students from almost all countries to carry out research at universities or non-university research institutions in Germany. It is listed as partial funding, and the deadline varies by country and call (full details). DAAD Research Grants: Doctoral Programmes in Germany covers both research stays and a full doctorate at a German university, with funding listed as full or partial.
LMU SIST Doctoral Scholarships 2027 offers partial funding for PhD students. German Research Foundation DFG Research Fellowship is for researchers in the postdoctoral training phase who want to run their own project in Germany or abroad, and proposals may be submitted at any time (full details).
Computer science students should read Max Planck Institute Research Internship (Germany). It is a fully funded 12-14 week internship at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, covering a stipend, free housing and return airfare, and it is open to Bachelor's, Master's and PhD students. The deadline is November 1 for a May-August start, and for other cycles you apply 5 months before your desired start (full details). For a Pakistani undergraduate, this is one of the few fully funded German options open before graduation.
German political foundation scholarships
Germany's political foundations, the Stiftungen, fund students at German universities and in some cases abroad. They care about grades, but they care just as much about your social or political engagement and whether it fits their values. A Pakistani applicant with a real record of volunteering, activism or community work has a fair case here. Someone with only grades will struggle.
The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom funds students and doctoral candidates who advocate for liberal values and an open society, at undergraduate, Master's and PhD level, at state or state-recognised universities in Germany, the EU and Switzerland. It is listed as fully funded with deadlines on 30 April and 31 October at 11:59 pm. See Friedrich Naumann Foundation Scholarship (full details) and Friedrich Naumann Foundation Scholarship (Germany).
The Rosa Luxemburg Foundation supports domestic and international students and PhD candidates with high academic achievement and social or political engagement. It is listed as fully funded. Rosa Luxemburg Foundation Scholarship gives 1 October 2026, while Rosa Luxemburg Foundation Scholarship (Germany) gives 1 May 2026 or 1 October 2026 depending on the programme track.
The Heinrich Böll Foundation funds undergraduate, Master's and doctoral students in all fields, in Germany and abroad, and expects you to share its values of democracy, ecology, solidarity and non-violence. It also aims to support educational equity and underrepresented groups. Deadlines are March 1 for spring and September 1 for autumn intake; for the current cycle, the spring 2027 round closes on 1 March 2027. Read Heinrich Böll Foundation Scholarship (full details) and Heinrich Böll Foundation Scholarship.
The Friedrich Ebert Foundation supports talented and socially engaged students and doctoral candidates from Germany and abroad, funded by federal resources. Funding is listed as full or partial and the deadline varies. See Friedrich Ebert Foundation Scholarship (Germany) and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Scholarship (full details).
University awards and need-based support in Germany
The Deutschlandstipendium pays 300 euros per month to high-achieving students at public and state-recognised universities, open to all nationalities, in both first and higher semesters. You apply to your university, so it works best as a top-up once you have an admission. See Deutschlandstipendium (full details) and Deutschlandstipendium.
SBW Berlin Scholarship (Germany) is a need and merit-based award for students from developing countries who want to study in Berlin or Potsdam. It covers a €480/month stipend, free housing, full tuition and return flights, and there is no fixed deadline, so you can apply year-round (full details).
Humboldt-Universitaet Berlin International Scholarships is an information portal for scholarships and study financing at that university, with deadlines that vary by programme. Heidelberg University International Scholarships is thinner: our data notes that the official source page currently returns a 404 error, so treat it as a lead to check, not a confirmed opportunity.
Finally, MyStipendium.de German Scholarship Database is not a single award. It is a database of over 3,260 public and private funding programmes that matches your profile to grants. Use it once you know your city and subject (full details).
For artists and writers: Akademie Schloss Solitude
Akademie Schloss Solitude Fellowship is a residential fellowship in Stuttgart for artists, writers, musicians, designers and researchers. It offers a furnished studio, a monthly stipend and 6-9 months of working time. The call opens roughly every two years; the 2026-2028 call closed in mid-November 2025, and the next is expected around 2027-2028 (full details).
Picking the right German scholarship for your profile
Match the award to where you are now. These are the pairings that make the most sense from the data:
- Graduate with work experience in a development field: EPOS first, then the general DAAD Master's awards.
- Interested in policy, governance or public service: the Helmut-Schmidt-Programme.
- Already admitted to a German university: the Deutschlandstipendium and the political foundations.
- PhD applicant or postdoc: the DAAD research grants, LMU SIST, or the DFG fellowship.
- Computer science student at any level: the Max Planck internship.
- Planning to study in Berlin or Potsdam with financial need: SBW Berlin.
Our view: EPOS and Helmut-Schmidt are the best fits for most Pakistani applicants, because they are fully funded and designed for people from developing countries. The foundations are strong too, but they reward a track record of engagement that you cannot build in a few weeks.
Getting your documents ready for German applications
Many German deadlines are tied to a course or a call rather than a fixed national date, and some lists show deadlines just days after publication. That makes early preparation the safest plan. Keep your degree certificates, transcripts, CV, motivation letter and reference letters updated well before a call opens. For EPOS, prepare evidence of your work experience, since programmes target people with relevant experience. For the foundations, gather proof of your social or political involvement.
Our documents checklist for international scholarships walks through the paperwork, and the scholarships guide for Pakistani students covers the wider process.
Frequently asked questions
Which German scholarships are fully funded?
In our data, the fully funded options include the DAAD EPOS and Helmut-Schmidt programmes, the general DAAD scholarships, the Friedrich Naumann and Rosa Luxemburg foundation scholarships, SBW Berlin, the DFG fellowship, the Max Planck internship and the Solitude fellowship. Several others are listed as full or partial.
Do I apply for EPOS through DAAD?
No. According to our EPOS guide, applications go directly to the university offering the course, never to DAAD centrally.
Is there a German scholarship with no deadline?
Yes. SBW Berlin has a rolling deadline, and DFG proposals may be submitted at any time.
Can undergraduates get funding in Germany?
Some awards cover undergraduates. The Heinrich Böll and Friedrich Naumann foundations fund undergraduate students, the Deutschlandstipendium covers first-semester students, and the Max Planck internship accepts Bachelor's students.
How much does the Deutschlandstipendium pay?
Our guide lists 300 euros per month. It is partial funding, so you will still need to cover the rest of your costs.
Each scholarship above has its own guide with eligibility, documents and application steps. Read the guide for the one you want, then check the official website for the current call, since German deadlines and conditions change from cycle to cycle.