DAAD scholarship for Pakistani students 2027 and your study visa

Yes. Pakistani graduates can apply for DAAD scholarships for 2027 study in Germany, at master's, PhD and research level, but not for a bachelor's. The main master's route is EPOS, which pays €992 a month and needs at least two years of work experience. Each course sets its own deadline; the ones we checked fall between August and December 2026. After selection you still apply for a Germany study visa yourself.

Which DAAD scholarships can Pakistani students apply for in 2027?

DAAD is the German Academic Exchange Service. Its Pakistan office lists scholarships for master's study, PhDs and postdoctoral research. There are no DAAD bachelor's scholarships on that list, so the route after FSc is self funded study, not DAAD.

DAAD Pakistan also lists master's scholarships for architecture, fine art and design, music and performing arts. Their deadlines are "generally" between the end of September and the end of November, so check the current call if you work in fine art, design or the performing arts.

For the PhD and research grants, DAAD says deadlines are updated each year in the second quarter and are in most cases in the same period as the year before. Applications are possible from 1 June until the deadline, so plan for June to August 2027 for funding that starts in 2028.

What is DAAD EPOS and who is eligible?

EPOS funds working professionals from developing countries to do a development related master's in Germany. Pakistan is on the eligible country list. The typical scholar works for a government body or a company on development projects.

DAAD's eligibility headlines for EPOS are:

• a bachelor's degree, normally four years, in a related subject, with results in the upper third of your class;
• at least two years of related work experience after your first degree, completed by the time you apply;
• a degree that is normally no more than six years old;
• not having lived in Germany for more than 15 months at the deadline;
• proof of English, such as IELTS or TOEFL, for English taught courses. DAAD does not accept the institutional TOEFL.

Courses add their own rules. Hohenheim, for example, says teaching or research jobs at a university generally do not count as relevant experience, and that an English proficiency letter from your university is not enough. If you still need a test, our guide to the IELTS fee in Pakistan has current British Council and IDP prices.

What does EPOS pay for?

Besides the monthly payment, DAAD pays towards health, accident and personal liability insurance, and gives a travel allowance unless another funder covers travel. In some cases there is a rent subsidy and an allowance for family members who come with you. Funding lasts 12 to 42 months, depending on the course.

What are the DAAD EPOS deadlines for 2027?

DAAD's EPOS list for the 2027/2028 intake, dated June 2026, names more than 20 master's courses and says "see website of the course" for every deadline. Here are five, checked on each university's own page on 14 October 2026, for courses starting in October 2027.

Three points stand out:

• Deadlines fall a year early. Freiburg and Oldenburg close one year before the course starts, so the EPOS application for October 2027 is due in late 2026.
• The same dates repeat. Freiburg says 15 October "of every year" and Göttingen says 1 October to 15 November "of each year", so if you miss 2027, you can plan for 2028 now.
• Late means rejected. Göttingen says all late applications are rejected, whatever the reason.

Göttingen offers six to seven EPOS scholarships a year. That number shows how few places each course has.

How do you apply for a DAAD scholarship from Pakistan?

For EPOS, DAAD sets out four steps:

1. Send your complete application to the course. DAAD says applications sent to DAAD will not be forwarded.
2. The course's selection committee suggests candidates for a scholarship.
3. DAAD contacts those candidates and asks them to upload the full application to the DAAD portal.
4. DAAD finalises the selection and informs candidates. Göttingen, for example, sends decisions between January and March.

Documents DAAD asks for

Submit them in this order, in English or German:

• the signed DAAD checklist and the EPOS application form;
• a CV in reverse order with no unexplained gaps (Europass is suggested);
• one letter of motivation that explains your course choices and your ranking of them;
• a recommendation letter from your current employer, on letterhead, signed, stamped and dated;
• employment certificates proving at least two years of relevant work after your bachelor's;
• recent IELTS or TOEFL results;
• degree certificates and full transcripts, with an explanation of the grading system.

If a course uses uni-assist, uni-assist asks Pakistani applicants for HEC attestation stamps on the degree and transcript. Start that early.

For the Doctoral Programmes and Research Grants, you apply online through the DAAD portal. If your doctorate is in English, DAAD asks for proof such as IELTS 6.5, TOEFL iBT 79 or PTE Academic 59, no older than three years.

Are there HEC and DAAD joint scholarships?

Yes, but you apply to HEC, not DAAD. DAAD Pakistan says it administers a number of HEC funded scholarship schemes in Germany, including the HEC Overseas Scholarship Programme for PhD and two UESTP faculty training programmes. HEC shortlists candidates and then sends them access to the DAAD portal by email.

HEC's latest overseas call, Phase III Batch IV for MS and PhD study at top 200 QS or THE ranked universities, closed on 28 August 2026. For PhD applicants it set an age limit of 35, or 40 for employees of public sector universities and government bodies. Watch hec.gov.pk for the next batch.

Do you still need a study visa after winning a DAAD scholarship?

Yes. A scholarship does not replace the national study visa. You apply through the Consular Services Portal of the German Missions in Pakistan, upload your documents, and are given an appointment after an initial screening. Our guide to the Germany student visa appointment from Pakistan covers the portal step by step.

For proof of money, the German Missions accept a blocked account (€11,904 a year since 1 January 2025), a formal obligation letter, or a German or foreign official scholarship. They state that a scholarship from a Pakistani university is not enough, and that HEC scholarships are accepted. Ask DAAD which award letter to submit with your visa file.

What if you do not get a DAAD scholarship?

Most applicants are not selected, so keep a second plan. Many public universities in Germany charge no tuition for English taught master's, and you can still apply as a self funded student, often with a later deadline than the EPOS one. Our guide to a master's in Germany in English from Pakistan lists six programmes with their 2027 deadlines, and our roundup of fully funded scholarships for Pakistani students covers Commonwealth, Erasmus Mundus and the rest.

Can a study visa consultant apply for DAAD on your behalf?

No. DAAD applications go from you to the course, and later from you to the DAAD portal. Via Nova cannot apply on your behalf, and no consultant, teacher or agent can guarantee selection. Be careful with anyone who promises otherwise.

What a counsellor can do is help you plan: check whether your work experience counts, shortlist EPOS courses that fit your degree, review your motivation letter for clarity, plan your IELTS date, and prepare your study visa file once you are selected.

Not sure where you stand?

Send your degree, CGPA, years of work experience, budget and the courses you are considering to a Via Nova counsellor on WhatsApp at +92 316 4448062. You will get an honest view of whether DAAD is realistic for you this year, and what a self funded plan would look like, through our Germany study visa service. Our counsellors sit in Lake City Meadows (Ex State Life), next to DHA Phase 5, Lahore, and also advise online.