# Fully funded PhD in Germany: EUR 1,550 a month, apply by 1 October

Source: Searchable (https://searchable.pk/news/education/fully-funded-phd-in-germany-eur-1550-a-month-apply-by-1-october)
Type: News article
Author: Searchable Editorial
Published: 19 Sept 2026
Updated: 19 Sept 2026
Retrieved: 19 Sept 2026

> The Rosa Luxemburg Foundation's scholarship for international doctoral students pays EUR 1,450 plus a EUR 100 mobility allowance for up to three years. Pakistani applicants need German at B2 and a German university place first.

If you hold a Pakistani degree and want a funded PhD in Germany, one of the few scholarships open to international doctoral students closes on **1 October 2026**, which is twelve days away.

The Rosa Luxemburg Foundation's scholarship programme for international doctoral students pays **EUR 1,450 a month** plus a **EUR 100 mobility allowance**, with health insurance subsidies on top. At the interbank rate of Rs 318.41 to the euro on 19 September, EUR 1,550 is about **Rs 493,500 a month**.

## What it pays and for how long

| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly grant | EUR 1,450 |
| Mobility allowance | EUR 100 a month |
| Health insurance | subsidy available |
| Base duration | 2 years |
| Extensions | two extensions of 6 months each, on academic grounds |
| Further extension | up to 1 year for illness, disability or parental leave |

So a candidate who uses both academic extensions gets three years of funding at roughly EUR 18,600 a year.

## Who can apply

- International doctoral candidates in **any discipline except medicine**.
- You must already hold, or be in the process of securing, **admission to a doctoral programme at a state or state-recognised higher education institution in Germany**. The scholarship does not get you the place; you get the place first.
- **German at B2 level, with proof**, even if you will write the dissertation in English. This is the requirement that ends most Pakistani applications, so treat it as the first task, not the last.
- A very good graduate degree, and supervision arranged at a German university.
- You must not have been in Germany for more than **15 months** at the time of applying, with limited exceptions.
- The foundation is explicit that it looks for social engagement consistent with its own politics, which sit on the democratic socialist left. That is a stated selection criterion, not a formality.

## The deadlines

Applications close on **1 April** and **1 October** every year. The next one is **1 October 2026**. If your German certificate or your admission letter will not be ready, aim at 1 April 2027 instead and use the intervening six months on the B2.

## What to get moving on this week

1. **German B2 proof.** Goethe-Institut has centres in Karachi and Lahore, and TestDaF and telc are also accepted. Book the exam date before anything else; slots are the bottleneck.
2. **A supervisor.** Email German professors in your field with a two-page research outline and your transcript. A supervisor's agreement is what converts into admission.
3. **HEC attestation and equivalence.** Get your degrees attested and, where needed, an equivalence certificate, because German universities will ask for verified documents.
4. **Documents.** Transcripts, degree certificates, CV, research proposal, references and evidence of your social or political engagement.

## Before you pay anyone

No scholarship of this kind charges an application fee to the candidate, and no consultant can secure you a place. Applications go through the foundation's own portal and through the German university you are applying to. If someone is asking for money to "confirm" a scholarship, that is the scam, not the scholarship.

If Germany is not the right fit, the same month brings several other funded routes for Pakistanis, including doctoral stipends in Australia and the United States. Whichever you pick, budget for the up-front costs: visa, blocked account, flights and attestation add up well before the first stipend lands. Our [dollar rate](/data/usd-pkr) and [euro rate](/data/eur-pkr) pages will tell you what those bills cost in rupees on the day you pay them.

## Frequently asked questions

**What is the deadline for the Rosa Luxemburg doctoral scholarship?**

Applications close on 1 April and 1 October each year. The next deadline is 1 October 2026.

**Do I need German for a PhD scholarship in Germany?**

For this scholarship, yes. The Rosa Luxemburg Foundation requires proof of German at B2 level even if the dissertation will be written in English.

**How much does the scholarship pay?**

EUR 1,450 a month plus a EUR 100 mobility allowance, with health insurance subsidies, for two years, extendable twice by six months on academic grounds.

## Sources

- Rosa Luxemburg Foundation: Scholarship Programme for International Doctoral Students (DAAD scholarship database): https://www2.daad.de/deutschland/stipendium/datenbank/en/21148-scholarship-database/?detail=10000220
- Doctoral scholarship: eligibility and duration (Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung): https://www.rosalux.de/en/foundation/studienwerk/scholarships/doctoral-scholarship
- Fully-Funded PhD in Germany With EUR 1,500 Monthly Announced for Pakistanis (18 Sep 2026) (ProPakistani): https://propakistani.pk/2026/09/18/fully-funded-phd-in-germany-with-e1500-monthly-announced-for-pakistanis/

How to cite: "Fully funded PhD in Germany: EUR 1,550 a month, apply by 1 October", Searchable, 19 Sept 2026, https://searchable.pk/news/education/fully-funded-phd-in-germany-eur-1550-a-month-apply-by-1-october