DAAD Study Scholarship for Fine Art, Design, Visual Communication and Film in Germany: last date 15 October

The deadline, and the two dates behind it

• Applications close 15 October 2026.
• Selection is in April 2027.
• Funding begins from October 2027.

DAAD also says there is a period of up to seven months between submitting your application materials and being notified. Plan your year on that, not on hope.

Is this actually open to Indians? Yes, and here is how to check it yourself.

Every entry in the DAAD scholarship database carries its own list of eligible countries of origin, with the warning: "If your status and/or country is not included in the list, you cannot apply for this scholarship programme." For this programme the list runs to 177 countries and India is on it. Set status to Graduates and country of origin to India on the official page linked above, and the deadline on this page appears.

That test matters, because it fails for DAAD's better-known scholarships. The all-disciplines Master's programme lists 65 countries and India is not among them, and the STEM programme lists 25 and India is not among them either.

Who can apply

You can apply if you have gained a first university degree in the field of arts.

Three conditions people miss:

• Full-time and attendance study is a prerequisite. DAAD states that extra-occupational or part-time programmes, and programmes with a predominant share of e-learning, cannot be taken into account.
• Your degree should not, as a rule, date back more than six years at the application deadline.
• Your application cannot be considered if you have been resident in Germany for more than 15 months at the deadline.

What can be funded

At a state or state-recognised German university of your choice, either:

• a Master's or postgraduate degree course leading to a final qualification, or
• a complementary course without a degree — not an undergraduate course. This can be a study year in Germany as part of your programme at your home university, or an independent project or complementary study with a professor or instructor in Germany. A connection to a German university in the field of art is mandatory and must be verified with a confirmation of supervision.

A Master's or postgraduate programme already started in Germany cannot be funded.

How long

• Master's or postgraduate degree: between 10 and 24 months, matched to the length of the chosen programme, up to a maximum of 24 months.
• Complementary studies: one academic year, usually 12 months.

The start is usually 1 October of the following year, or earlier if you take a German language course first.

Income: DAAD states no family income limit for this programme.

How you are chosen — the portfolio comes second, and only if you pass

This is a two-gate process and the order is not obvious:

1. You upload your application documents to the DAAD portal.
2. DAAD runs a formal check — are the requirements met, is the application complete?
3. Only if you pass are you asked for your artistic portfolio, and sent a link to the DAAD media database to upload it, together with a supplementary list.

The final decision is made by a special DAAD committee of professors from German art, design and film schools, on the written application and the artistic portfolio together. DAAD publishes the portfolio criteria separately, under 'Additional Information on DAAD Study Scholarships in the Fields of Fine Art, Design/Visual Communication and Film'. Read that before you assemble anything — a portfolio that would win a place at an Indian art school is not automatically the portfolio this committee has asked for.

Documents to upload to the DAAD portal

• Full CV in tabular form
• Letter of motivation, 1 to 3 pages, on your academic and personal reasons for the planned study project in Germany
• For a Master's or postgraduate programme: the form 'Information about your preferred master programmes'. Upload it even if you have only one university in mind, or already hold an admission letter — DAAD asks for it to see the full picture of your choices
• Documents may be uploaded as plain, uncertified scans; DAAD reserves the right to ask for certified copies
• Anything in another language needs a German or English translation

What the scholarship pays

The same package across all four of these programmes:

• 992 euros a month
• A travel allowance — but only on application, so ask for it
• A one-off study allowance
• Payments towards health, accident and personal liability insurance cover

After funding starts you can apply for more, depending on your circumstances:

• A monthly rent subsidy
• A monthly allowance for accompanying family members
• In case of a disability or chronic illness, a subsidy for justified additional costs incurred in Germany that no third party covers, assessed individually
• A Green Mobility Top Up for climate-friendly travel, or reimbursement of carbon offset payments for air travel

Language money on top of that: DAAD pays the course fee for an online language course once you have your Scholarship Award Letter; funds a 2, 4 or 6 month German course in Germany before your studies begin where needed (compulsory if your host institution teaches or works in German); gives an allowance for a German course you choose yourself during the scholarship; and reimburses the fee for a TestDaF or DSH test taken either at home after your award letter or in Germany during funding.

What it does not pay: tuition fees. DAAD states this plainly. Most German public universities charge none, which is why this comes close to full funding anyway — but check your own university, not this page.

How the application actually works

Applications are possible between 1 June and the stated deadline, and DAAD warns that the application portal only appears while the window is running — after the deadline it disappears until next year. So you cannot open it early to look around, and you cannot open it late at all.

1. Register in the DAAD portal.
2. Complete the online application form in full. State the entire period you want funded: if you are planning a two-year degree, ask for two years now, not one. Your progress is reviewed after the first year and funding continues if you are on track.
3. Upload your documents under 'Attachments'.
4. Submit.

The portal closes at 24:00 CET or CEST on the last application day. Submit a few days early — DAAD says so itself — because late or incomplete applications cannot be considered and completeness is your responsibility. Certificates and translations may be uploaded as plain scans, but DAAD reserves the right to demand certified copies.

Where to ask questions from India: the DAAD Regional Office in New Delhi is the advisory centre for India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, and www.daad.in is its site.

One thing to decide early. The complementary-course route and the Master's route need different evidence — the first needs a named professor in Germany willing to confirm supervision, the second needs a form listing the degree programmes you are aiming at. Work out which one you are applying for before you start collecting anything, because the two document sets barely overlap.

Checked on 29 August 2026 in the DAAD scholarship database with country of origin set to India. DAAD updates its deadlines at least once a year, so open the official page linked above before you apply.