DAAD Study Scholarship for Music in Germany: last date 24 September

The deadline, and the two dates behind it

• Applications close 24 September 2026.
• Selection is in February 2027.
• Funding begins from October 2027.

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, and the clause that matters if India does not offer your degree

The programme is aimed at graduates in Music. You are eligible if:

• you will have obtained a first degree in music by the time the scholarship begins, or
• you have exhausted all training opportunities for your instrument or subject in your home country, if no degree is offered in your country of origin.

That second clause is unusual and it is worth reading twice. DAAD is saying that where India offers no degree in your instrument or discipline, the absence of a degree does not disqualify you — having run out of training here is itself the qualification. Very few international scholarships make that allowance and almost nobody writes about it.

What can be funded

At a state college of music (Staatliche Musikhochschule) in Germany of your choice:

• Degree studies — a Master's or postgraduate course leading to a degree. Funding covers the so-called 2nd cycle (Master's) or 3rd cycle (Konzertexamen, Meisterklasse).
• Advanced studies without a degree — either as part of graduate studies at your home university that include a stay in Germany, or as an independent project or advanced study with a lecturer in Germany. A connection to a German college of music is mandatory and must be proven by a written confirmation of supervision.

A Master's or postgraduate programme in Germany that you have already started cannot be funded. If your programme includes a period abroad, that period can usually only be funded if it is essential to the scholarship's purpose, does not take place in your home country, and lasts no more than 25% of the scholarship period.

Two bars that disqualify people every year

• The six-year rule. As a rule your last relevant university degree should not date back more than six years at the time of the application deadline.
• The fifteen-month rule. Your application cannot be considered if you have been resident in Germany for longer than 15 months at the application deadline.

And one more that catches people who are already halfway: a Master's or postgraduate programme you have already started in Germany cannot be funded. Apply before you go, not after.

Income: DAAD states no family income limit for this programme. That is not the same as saying income is irrelevant to your own planning — it means the scholarship does not ask.

How long

• Degree studies (Master's, Konzertexamen, Meisterklasse): 2 to 4 semesters, matched to the standard period of study — 10 months up to a maximum of 24.
• Advanced studies without a degree: 2 semesters, 12 months. In individual cases the scholarship may be extended on application.

Language: by the start of the scholarship at the latest you should have enough of the language of instruction to meet your university's requirements.

How you are chosen — this one is decided by your recordings

A special DAAD committee of professors from German colleges of music makes the final decision, on the written application and video or sound recordings that you must submit. The criteria are:

• your artistic qualification and artistic maturity, measured by study achievements and work samples
• the quality of the proposed project, measured by the study plan and letter of motivation. DAAD spells out what quality means here: the justification for the application, how plausible and feasible the project is, how well prepared you are for the stay, how the stay fits into your artistic development, and how it relates to your professional prospects

Equal opportunities are also given due consideration, and you can write about them in the form.

So the motivation letter is not a formality. Four of those five sub-criteria are about the argument you make, not the notes you play.

Documents to upload to the DAAD portal

• Full CV in tabular form
• Letter of motivation, 1 to 3 pages, on your academic and personal motivation for the project in Germany
• For a Master's or postgraduate course: the letter of admission from the German host university if you already have it, uploaded under 'Admission/Recognition'; if possible a confirmation of supervision from a German university teacher, uploaded under 'Contact Host Institution'; and the form 'Information on your desired Master's degree programmes' under 'Study course profile'
• For advanced studies without a degree: confirmation of supervision from a lecturer at the German host college, under 'Contact host institution'

In the form itself, state the entire period you want funded. If you plan a two-year programme, ask for two years. After the first academic year your achievements are reviewed, and if you are on course to finish in reasonable time the scholarship continues as planned.

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.

A practical note on the recordings. They are not uploaded with the rest of the application; DAAD points to its own extra-information pages for the specification. Read that specification before you book studio time, because the requirements are set by the committee and not by you.

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.