Japanese Government MEXT Scholarships (Master, PhD)

Applications for the 2027-2028 Japanese Government MEXT Scholarships for Master’s and PhD students are currently being received. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) of Japan offers scholarships to international students who wish to study graduate courses at Japanese universities as research students under the Japanese Government MEXT (Monbukagakusho) Scholarships.

The program is open for candidates 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, etc., without the aim of completing the course. This scholarship program to study in Japan is also open for candidates who are receiving preparatory education in the Japanese language and other subjects prior to placement at the university, etc. (excluding Young Leaders’ Program students or Teacher Training Students).

Applicants must choose and fill in the application form for either the April or October term. April term applicants must be able to arrive in Japan between April 1, 2027, and April 7, 2027, while October term applicants must be able to arrive in Japan during the period specified by the accepting university within two weeks before and after the starting date of the university’s relevant academic term (September or October) for that year. Applicants should note that they are not permitted to change the arrival period after the submission of the Application.

Applicants wishing to apply for an undergraduate or a bachelor’s degree program should click on the following link: MEXT scholarship program for undergraduate studies. Those who wish to apply for other government scholarships should click here.

Program Details

• Host institutions: Higher Educational Institutions in Japan.
• Fields of study: Must be the same as or closely related to your previous major. Restricted by the Japanese embassy or consulate in your country. Medical, dental, or welfare students cannot do clinical work without a Japanese license.
• Number of awards: Not fixed – depends on the budget and the number of qualified applicants.
• Duration:
  • April arrivals: April 2027 to March 2029 (two years).
  • October arrivals: September/October 2027 to March 2029 (shorter first year).
  • Regular master’s/doctoral students get the standard period of their degree (e.g., two years for a master’s, three for a doctorate).
• Eligible countries: Nationals of countries with diplomatic relations with Japan. Dual nationals who hold Japanese citizenship must renounce it before arriving in Japan.

Japanese Government MEXT Scholarships Benefits

Winners of the Japanese MONBUKAGAKUSHO scholarship will receive the following benefits:

1. Monthly allowance (subject to annual budget changes):
   • Preparatory education / non‑regular students: 143,000 yen
   • Regular master’s or professional degree students: 144,000 yen
   • Regular doctoral students: 145,000 yen
   • An extra 2,000 yen or 3,000 yen per month will be added to the monthly scholarship amount for the grantees studying or conducting research in specially designated regions. If you are absent from the university for a long period, the payment stops.
2. Education fees: Entrance examination, matriculation, and tuition are all waived. (But if you fail to enter a master’s or doctoral course, you pay the exam fee yourself.)
3. Travel to Japan: MEXT gives you an economy class ticket from the nearest international airport to your residence (in principle, your country of nationality) to an airport in Japan. You pay for domestic travel to that airport, airport taxes, insurance, and any extra luggage. If you arrive outside the specified April or October period, you get no ticket.
4. Return travel: After you graduate and return home, MEXT provides another economy ticket from Japan to your nearest home airport.

Japanese Government MEXT Scholarships Eligibility

To apply for the Japanese MONBUKAGAKUSHO scholarship to study in Asia, applicants must satisfy the following criteria:

1. Nationality: Applicants must have the nationality of a country that has diplomatic relations with Japan. However, persons with dual nationality who hold Japanese nationality and whose place of residence at the time of application is outside of Japan are eligible to apply as long as they choose the nationality of the other country and renounce their Japanese nationality by the date of their arrival in Japan.
2. Age: Applicants, in principle, must have been born on or after April 2, 1992. Exceptions are limited to cases in which MEXT deems that the applicant could not apply within the eligible age limit due to the situation or circumstances of the applicant’s country (military service obligation, loss of educational opportunities due to disturbances of war, etc.)
3. Academic Background: Applicants must satisfy any one of the following conditions for admission to either a Master’s or doctoral course

• Master’s course / Doctoral course (first phase)
  1. Applicants who have completed 16 years of school education in countries other than Japan.
  2. Applicants who have completed a program with the standard study period of three years or more at universities or equivalent educational institutions in countries other than Japan and received a degree equivalent to a bachelor’s degree.
  3. Other than the above ① and ② conditions, applicants who are eligible for enrollment in a master’s course /doctoral course (first phase) at a Japanese graduate school.
• Doctoral course (second phase)
  1. Applicants who have been awarded an overseas degree equivalent to a master’s degree or professional degree.
  2. Applicants who have graduated from universities and have been involved in research studies at universities or research centers (including overseas universities and research centers) for two years or more and are recognized as having academic competency equivalent to persons with a master’s degree by the graduate school.
  3. Other than the above ① and ② conditions, applicants who are eligible for enrollment in a doctoral course (second phase) at a Japanese graduate school.
• Doctoral course (faculties of medicine, dentistry, veterinary sciences, and certain parts in pharmaceutical fields)
  1. Applicants who have completed 18 years of school education in countries other than Japan.
  2. Applicants who have completed a program with the standard study period of five years or more at universities or equivalent educational institutions in countries other than Japan and received a degree equivalent to a bachelor’s degree.
  3. Applicants who have completed 16 years of school education in countries other than Japan and have been involved in a research study at universities or research centers (including overseas universities and research centers) for two years or more and are recognized as having academic competency equivalent to university graduates in medicine, dentistry, veterinary sciences, or certain parts of pharmaceutical fields by the graduate school.
  4. Other than the above ①, ②, and ③ conditions, applicants who are eligible for enrollment in a doctoral course (faculties of medicine, dentistry, veterinary sciences, and certain parts in pharmaceutical fields) at a Japanese graduate school.
• Japanese Language: Applicants must be willing to learn Japanese. Applicants must be interested in Japan and be willing to deepen their understanding of Japan after arriving in Japan. Applicants must also have the ability to do research and adapt to living in Japan.

How to Apply for the Japanese Government Scholarship

Eligible applicants who would like to apply for this government scholarship program must submit the required documents to the Japanese diplomatic mission in their country by the designated deadline. The application process has two stages. First, you apply to the Japanese embassy or consulate in your country. Second, if you pass, you directly contact Japanese universities for a provisional acceptance letter. You have until September 1, 2026 (Japan time) to obtain that letter. Without it, you will almost certainly be rejected. Please get in touch with the diplomatic mission in your country to get more details on application requirements and the submission period.

1. Find your local Japanese diplomatic mission – contact them or check their website for the exact deadline (usually around mid‑April to late July 2026). Each mission sets its own date.
2. Prepare the required documents (see below). Submit them to the mission by their deadline. The first screening includes document review, written exams (English and Japanese), and an interview.
3. If you pass the first screening, the mission will give you a certificate. You then contact up to two Japanese universities directly to request a provisional acceptance letter. Use the copies of your application documents stamped by the mission. Do not contact more than two universities at once, and do not ask for more than two letters total.
4. Submit a Placement Preference Application Form to the mission by the deadline (around mid‑September to early October 2026). List up to three universities in order of preference, but only those that have given you a provisional acceptance or that you are still waiting to hear from. You cannot include universities that rejected you.
5. MEXT conducts the second screening (November 2026 onward) and decides your final placement. You will be notified by the mission between January and early March 2027.

Required Documents

1. Application Form (2027) – with a clear photo (4.5 x 3.5 cm, taken within six months).
2. Placement Preference Application Form (2027) – do not send this to universities.
3. Field of Study and Research Plan (2027) – describe your past and planned research. Very important for placement.
4. Academic transcript for all years of university (and graduate school if applicable). Must show the grading scale.
5. Graduation certificate or degree certificate (or prospective graduation certificate if still a student).
6. Recommendation letter from the president/dean or your academic advisor. Sample format is available; any style is accepted.
7. Medical certificate (2027) – must be filled out by a physician.
8. Abstracts of theses – if you have written any (graduation thesis or papers).
9. Language proficiency certificates (Japanese or English) – copies only, no original needed. Issue date must be within two years of your application date. Submit three copies.
10. Employer recommendation – only if you are currently employed (free format).
11. Art works or musical performance recordings – only if you are majoring in fine arts or music.

Ensure that there is no missing information in the application form when printing out.

The deadline to submit applications for the Japanese Government MEXT Scholarships varies according to each Japanese diplomatic mission.

Make sure to confirm the deadline on the website of the Japanese diplomatic mission in your country of nationality or in some other ways. Please find here Past Examination Questions. For more details, please visit the official page.