Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship for 2026

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan is pleased to announce the call for applications for the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Program for Research Students in 2026.

This scholarship program aims to foster human resources who will become bridges of friendship between the grantee’s country and Japan through study in Japan and who will contribute to the development of both countries and the wider world.

Eligibility Criteria:

Nationality: Applicants must have the nationality of a country that has diplomatic relations with Japan.

Age: Applicants must have been born on or after April 2, 1991.

Academic Background: Applicants must satisfy any one of the following conditions for admission to either a master’s or doctoral course at a Japanese graduate school:

• Completion of 16 years of school education in countries other than Japan.
• Completion of 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.

• Eligibility for enrollment in a master’s course / doctoral course (first phase) at a Japanese graduate school.
• Awarded with an overseas degree equivalent to a master’s degree or professional degree.

• Graduated from universities and have been involved in research study at universities or research centers for two years or more, and recognized as having academic competency equivalent to persons with a master’s degree by the graduate school.

Japanese Language: Applicants must be willing to learn Japanese and have the ability to conduct research and adapt to living in Japan.

Health: Applicants must submit a health certificate in the prescribed format signed by a physician attesting that the applicant has no physical or mental conditions hindering the applicant’s study in Japan.

Fields of Study:

Applicants should apply for the field of study they majored in at university or its related field(s). However, subjects that require practical training in specific technologies or techniques at factories or companies are not included in the fields of study under this scholarship program.

Scholarship Benefits:

Allowance: The amounts listed below shall be paid depending on the course enrolled in:

• Students receiving the preparatory education and non-regular students: ¥143,000 per month
• Regular students enrolled in master’s or professional degree courses: ¥144,000 per month
• Regular students enrolled in doctoral courses: ¥145,000 per month

Education Fees: Fees for the entrance examination, matriculation, and tuition at universities are waived.

Traveling Expenses: MEXT stipulates the travel schedule and route, and provides an airline ticket to grantees who will arrive in Japan during the specified period stated in “3. (6) Arrival in Japan”.

Application Documents:

Applicants must submit the following documents to the Japanese diplomatic mission in the country of the applicant’s nationality by the designated deadline:

1. Application Form
2. Placement Preference Application Form
3. Field of Study and Research Plan
4. Academic transcript for all academic years of university attended
5. Certification of graduation or degree certificate of the university attended
6. Recommendation letter from the president/dean or the academic advisor at the current or last university attended
7. Medical certificate
8. Abstracts of theses
9. Certificate of language proficiency
10. Recommendation letter from the present employer
11. Photograph(s) showing applicant’s own works of art or a digitally recorded media of musical performance

First Screening:

The Japanese diplomatic missions will conduct the First Screening of applicants by means of examination of submitted application documents, written examinations of language proficiency, and interviews.

Second Screening and University Placement:

MEXT conducts the Second Screening based on the results of the First Screening conducted by the Japanese diplomatic mission in the applicant’s country, and selects the applicants as the MEXT Scholarship Students as long as their placement at a university has been decided.

Academic Pathway for Research Students:

The following chart indicates possible academic pathways as a MEXT Scholarship Research Student:

Arrival in Japan → Preparatory education → Non-regular students → Regular students in Master’s course → Regular students in Doctoral course → Completed

Important Notes:

1. The grantees should learn, before departing for Japan, the Japanese language and acquire information about Japanese weather, climate, customs, university education, and conditions of the university to be attended in Japan.
2. The first installment of the scholarship payment will be made from one month to one and a half months after the grantee’s arrival in Japan. The grantee is recommended to bring at least approximately US$2,000 with him/her to Japan to cover immediate living expenses and other necessary expenses.
3. The scholarship payments will be transferred to the bank account of Japan Post Bank (JP Bank) opened by each grantee after the arrival in Japan.

Application Deadline:

The deadline for submission of application documents varies according to each Japanese diplomatic mission.

Make sure to confirm the deadline at the website of the Japanese diplomatic mission in the country of your nationality or in some other way.

Applicants MUST read through the Application Guidelines below and follow the instructions.

Application Forms along with Certificate of Health, and Recommendation Letter should be submitted to the Japanese embassy or consulate general in your country.

These documents can be printed out and filled in by hand-written, typed out, or filled in with software applications and printed out.

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