KAAD Scholarship 2026 in Germany: Programme 1 Historical Reference
A historical reference for KAAD Scholarship Programme 1, which supports selected graduates and researchers from developing or emerging countries with postgraduate study or research in Germany through partner committees.
KAAD Scholarship 2026 in Germany: Programme 1 Historical Reference
Status of the 2026 cycle
This page is a historical reference for the 2026 KAAD Scholarship Programme 1 cycle. The official KAAD Programme 1 page still describes the scholarship as an active programme, but it does not publish a separate 2026 call or announce a new cycle deadline. KAAD applications are handled through partner committees and regional structures, so there is not one universal deadline that applies to every applicant.
The most recent recurring second-stage date shown in KAAD’s official deadline guidance is 30 June, with a scholarship decision associated with the September round. Because that date has passed for the 2026 cycle and no later cycle has been announced on the official programme page, the metadata records 2026-06-30 and marks this page as historical. Do not treat this archive entry as proof that applications are open now. Before preparing a new application, contact KAAD or the relevant partner committee and ask whether your country is included in the next round, which programme applies to you, and what local deadline they will use.
What KAAD Programme 1 is
The Catholic Academic Exchange Service, known in German as the Katholischer Akademischer Ausländer-Dienst and usually abbreviated to KAAD, runs scholarship programmes for graduates and researchers from selected regions of the Global South and other partner regions. Programme 1 is the route for people who come from and currently live in a developing or emerging country in Africa, Asia, the Middle East or Latin America and want to pursue postgraduate study or research at a German university.
The official programme description covers a Master’s degree, a PhD or another postgraduate course, as well as post-doctoral work and research stays of two to six months for academics. This is not a general undergraduate scholarship and it is not an unrestricted direct-admission grant for every country. KAAD works with focus and partner countries, and applications from countries outside those structures are considered only in exceptional cases.
KAAD also describes other scholarship routes. Programme 2 is for students from countries of the Global South who are already studying for a Master’s degree or PhD in Germany; Catholic university chaplaincies have the right to propose suitable applicants. The Eastern Europe Programme has its own regional scope and partner arrangements. If you are already in Germany, or if you are applying from a country covered by another KAAD programme, do not assume that the Programme 1 instructions on this page are the correct route.
Funding and what is not published
KAAD’s current English Programme 1 page does not state a fixed euro amount, a standard monthly stipend, or a universal benefits schedule. For that reason, this page does not quote a made-up award figure or label the scholarship as a guaranteed package of living costs, insurance, travel, tuition, and language support. The financial terms need to be confirmed with KAAD or the partner committee handling your application.
The official page does say that KAAD can provide for a German language course of up to six months in Germany. It also says that applicants are expected to have German skills before entry and that preparatory German courses in the home country are expected. A language course is therefore a stated possibility, not a reason to assume that every applicant receives the same funded course or that it replaces the language requirement.
Ask the committee for the written terms that apply to your case. In particular, confirm the amount and duration of financial support, whether travel or insurance is included, whether a language course can be requested, what costs you must cover yourself, and whether the award is a scholarship or could be treated as a loan if the reintegration condition is not met. The official Programme 1 page explicitly says that support can be considered a loan when the planned study or research is not oriented toward permanent reintegration in the home region.
Eligibility
The official KAAD criteria describe a focused applicant profile:
- You must come from and currently reside in a developing or emerging country in Africa, Asia, the Middle East or Latin America.
- You must have a university degree and professional experience in your home country.
- Your proposed activity must be a Master’s degree, PhD, other postgraduate study, post-doctoral project, or research stay at a German university. For academics, KAAD gives a research-stay range of two to six months.
- You need German skills before entry. KAAD states that B1 is expected for participation in its compulsory educational programme, with at least A2 accepted for an English-language degree programme. Preparatory study in the home country is expected.
- You should demonstrate above-average performance potential for the planned study or research.
- Your plans should support permanent reintegration into your home region.
- You should show religious and social commitment or a willingness to engage in interreligious dialogue.
Faith is part of the programme’s stated selection context. The official page says that Catholic applicants can apply and that applicants who generally belong to a Christian denomination are especially relevant for candidates from the Near and Middle East. An applicant of another religion may be funded when proposed by Catholic partners and able to document a willingness to engage in interreligious dialogue. This is not an incidental preference to hide in the final paragraph; it is part of the fit KAAD asks applicants to explain.
The page does not publish a universal age limit, fixed grade cutoff, single eligible-country list for every route, or guaranteed admission to a German university. Those details should be checked with the partner committee and the university or department separately. Meeting the broad profile does not by itself create an entitlement to an award.
How the application works
Programme 1 is committee-led. The official KAAD instructions say that KAAD works with focus and partner countries in each region and that applications proceed via partner committees. Applicants from other countries can be considered only in exceptional cases. This means the first practical task is not to send an unsolicited central application; it is to identify the partner structure for your country and ask whether it is accepting candidates for the next round.
Use this sequence when a new round is announced:
- Open the official KAAD Programme 1 page and confirm that the programme, eligible region, and application link are still current.
- Check the partner-country or regional information and contact the appropriate partner committee. Ask for its local deadline, document list, language expectations, and country-specific nomination process.
- Confirm the academic plan with the German university or research host. A KAAD application does not replace university admission, supervision, or any visa requirement.
- Prepare the initial information requested by the committee, including your academic record, professional experience, proposed course or research, language level, and explanation of your social or religious engagement.
- Submit through the committee or partner structure by its local deadline. Do not wait for the central second-stage date if the committee requires an earlier submission.
- If the committee advances your application, complete the second-stage materials KAAD sends or requests. KAAD’s official regional guidance describes a two-step process in which the necessary documents are sent to applicants who qualify for the second stage.
- Respond to interview, clarification, admission, language, and funding requests promptly. Keep copies of everything submitted and obtain written confirmation of the financial terms before making irreversible travel or enrolment commitments.
For candidates already studying in Germany, Programme 2 may be the relevant route. KAAD’s scholarship overview says that Catholic university chaplaincies can propose suitable applicants for that programme. Contact the chaplaincy at your university and ask about its internal process instead of using the home-country Programme 1 route automatically.
Documents and preparation
The exact list is set by the committee, so no single generic checklist can replace its instructions. A sensible preparation file should include a current curriculum vitae, degree and transcript records, evidence of professional experience, a clear study or research plan, information about the German university or host, language evidence, and references. Be ready to explain the problem or need in your home region that the proposed qualification addresses and what role you will take after returning.
Your study plan should be concrete. Name the field, explain why the German course or research environment is necessary, identify the skills or evidence you expect to gain, and connect the work to a credible return plan. A broad statement that you want an international career is a weak fit for a programme whose official criteria emphasise permanent reintegration. The same applies to references: choose people who can speak about your academic ability, professional record, community involvement, and ability to carry out the proposed work.
Start German preparation before a new call opens. KAAD expects prior language knowledge and says that preparatory courses in the home country are expected. If your degree is in English, the official minimum stated for participation in the educational programme is still A2. If your degree is in German, the stated expectation is B1. Keep evidence of courses and exams, but ask the committee which proof it accepts.
Deadline guidance for future applicants
There is no verified new deadline on the official KAAD Programme 1 page as of this review. The official regional deadline guidance lists 15 January for a March scholarship award and 30 June for a September scholarship award each year, but the local partner committee can require materials earlier. Those recurring dates should be treated as guidance for planning, not as confirmation that every country or every KAAD programme uses the same schedule.
The 2026 date recorded here is closed. If KAAD publishes a new round, update this page only after checking the official announcement or the relevant partner committee. Replace the historical flag and deadline only when the new cycle, route, and date are actually confirmed. Until then, readers should use this page to understand the programme and to locate the official contact route, not as an open application listing.
Official source
Read the current KAAD Scholarship Programme 1 page for the official eligibility wording and application route. KAAD’s overview of scholarship programmes explains the distinction between Programme 1, Programme 2, in-country and third-country scholarships, and the Eastern Europe Programme. The official regional page also provides the two-step deadline guidance and partner-committee context used for the archived 2026 date.
Because KAAD’s process is regional and committee-led, confirm the next cycle directly with the organisation before collecting paid translations, accepting an offer, booking travel, or making a visa appointment. This page preserves the 2026 information as a reference while the next official cycle remains unannounced.