Japan’s MEXT is offering fully-funded government scholarships to international students for graduate research programs at Japanese universities. The scholarship program is open to students under 35, offering monthly stipends of up to Rs 84,700 and airfare. The last date to apply for scholarships for Indian students is May 15, 2026.
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan is offering scholarships to international students who wish to study in graduate courses at Japanese universities as Research Students. The scholarships are available to both regular and non-regular students under the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Program.
Research Students are those who are enrolled in a master’s course, a doctoral course, or a professional graduate course at a graduate school, or who are conducting research in a specialized field at an undergraduate department, graduate school, or institute attached to a university.
Applicants for the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Program must be under 35 years old, specifically born on or after April 2, 1992. Eligibility for the Master’s or Doctoral courses requires that applicants have completed 16 years of school education and possess a bachelor’s degree.
Qualifications and Conditions
In addition to the existing qualifications and eligibility criteria, candidates for the Master’s course must possess a Bachelor’s Degree with at least 70% marks, obtained by September 30, 2027, for the October 2027 batch. For the Doctoral course’s first phase, the same requirements apply, while the second phase requires a Master’s degree with 70% marks and relevant practical experience gained by the same deadline. For humanities and social sciences, a Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 65% is needed. Those who are expected to graduate at the time of application and cannot satisfy the condition for academic background by the deadline given are not eligible to apply.
Those who want to apply for the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Program will have to get a Student visa at the Japanese diplomatic mission located in the applicant’s country, before traveling to Japan, and then enter Japan with the newly obtained “Student” resident status. The First Screening must be conducted at the Japanese diplomatic mission in the country whose citizenship the applicant chooses.
Scholarships Allowance
Students receiving preparatory education earn 143,000 yen monthly, while regular master’s or professional degree students receive 144,000 yen, and doctoral students earn 145,000 yen per month.
In Indian currency, students receiving preparatory education earn approximately Rs 83,100, while regular master’s or professional degree students receive approximately Rs 84,700, and doctoral students earn approximately Rs 85,300.
A supplemental regional allowance of 2,000 yen or 3,000 yen per month ( around Rs 2,000) will be added to the monthly scholarship amount for the grantees studying or conducting research in specially designated regions.
Fees for entrance examinations, matriculation, and tuition at universities are waived. However, entrance examination fees will be the responsibility of the grantees if they are unable to continue to master’s or doctoral courses or gain admission to the university. Round-trip airfare for traveling expenses will also be provided.
MEXT will provide an economy-class airline ticket for grantees arriving in Japan, covering travel from the nearest international airport to Japan, and also for the return journey to their home country.
Courses Offered for Scholarships
Some of the courses offered for the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Program include Humanities, Social Science, Mathematical Science, Physics, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Biology and Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical Science, Civil Engineering, Architecture, Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronics & Communications Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, Information Technology.
Application Timeline
The scholarship period will start in April, September or October 2027 until the end of March 2029. Non-regular students who will arrive in April 2027 will have scholarships from April 2027 to March 2029, while those who arrive in October 2027 will have theirs from September or October 2027 to March 2029.
The deadline for submitting application documents differs for each Japanese diplomatic mission. It is essential to verify the deadline on the website of the Japanese diplomatic mission in your country of nationality.
For Indian students, the deadline for submission is 15 May 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Application screening is scheduled from early May to late July 2026, with results from the preliminary application form notified in early June. A written examination will take place on June 28, 2026, followed by online interviews in early July. Requests for provisional acceptance to Japanese universities can be made by September 1, 2026, and the results of selection and university placement will be announced between January and March 2027.
Disclaimer: This article is intended for general awareness only. Scholarship terms, eligibility conditions, stipend amounts, and application timelines are not exhaustive and subject to revision by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan. Rupee equivalents of stipend amounts are indicative and based on prevailing exchange rates, which may fluctuate. Prospective applicants are advised to consult the official MEXT scholarship guidelines and the Japanese Embassy website in India/ abroad for the most accurate and up-to-date information.