The Hanns Seidel Foundation, a German political foundation, funds international Master’s and doctoral students at German universities for 12 to 36 months. Bachelor’s study is funded only in exceptional cases.
This record covers the intake run by its India office, which pre-selects candidates before they reach the foundation’s portal in Germany. Alongside the stipend, scholars get personal mentoring, seminars, training and an international network.
Benefits & funding
- Up to €992 a month for Master’s students (12 to 24 months) or up to €1,300 a month for doctoral students (12 to 36 months), paid as fixed amounts
- Up to €102 a month towards health insurance in Germany
- A one-off travel reimbursement of up to €500
- Mentoring, seminars, skills training and an international network
Eligibility
- This route is for applicants whose home country is India: the foundation sends international applicants through its office in their home country
- People living in Germany, and German citizens with a German Abitur, apply through the foundation’s domestic procedure instead
- Under 45 years old (Master’s / study route only; no age limit stated for doctoral applicants)
- An above-average university degree (good or very good grades); Master’s applicants need admission to a German university, doctoral applicants a supervising professor’s approval
- German at B2 when applying, English-taught programmes included, rising to C1 after the first year in Germany
- Constant, very active NGO volunteering; interest in political and civil-society developments; commitment to democracy, the rule of law and human rights
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Eligible nationalities
India
Residence required
USA · Canada · Mexico · Guatemala · Costa Rica · Nicaragua · Honduras · El Salvador · Panama · Belize · Cuba · Haiti
+ 223 more
Jamaica · Bahamas · Barbados · Dominican Republic · Dominica · Grenada · Antigua and Barbuda · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Trinidad and Tobago · Anguilla · Aruba · Bermuda · Bonaire · Saba · Sint Eustatius · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Curaçao · Montserrat · Puerto Rico · Guadeloupe · Sint Maarten · Turks and Caicos Islands · US Virgin Islands · Greenland · Brazil · Argentina · Chile · Colombia · Peru · Ecuador · Paraguay · Bolivia · Uruguay · Venezuela · Guyana · Suriname · Falkland Islands · UK · France · Italy · Spain · Portugal · Netherlands · Belgium · Luxembourg · Switzerland · Austria · Sweden · Norway · Denmark · Finland · Iceland · Faroe Islands · Gibraltar · Guernsey · Jersey · Isle of Man · Åland Islands · Svalbard and Jan Mayen · Ireland · Poland · Czechia · Hungary · Romania · Serbia · Greece · Bulgaria · Estonia · Latvia · Lithuania · Ukraine · Russia · Albania · Andorra · Belarus · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Croatia · Cyprus · Kosovo · Liechtenstein · Malta · Moldova · Monaco · Montenegro · North Macedonia · San Marino · Slovakia · Slovenia · Vatican City · China · Hong Kong · Macau · Taiwan · Japan · South Korea · North Korea · Singapore · Malaysia · Thailand · Vietnam · Indonesia · Philippines · India · Nepal · Brunei · Pakistan · Bangladesh · UAE · Saudi Arabia · Israel · Türkiye · Mongolia · Cambodia · Laos · Myanmar · Timor-Leste · Sri Lanka · Bhutan · Afghanistan · Armenia · Azerbaijan · Bahrain · Georgia · Iran · Iraq · Jordan · Kazakhstan · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Lebanon · Maldives · Oman · Palestine · Qatar · Syria · Tajikistan · Turkmenistan · Uzbekistan · Yemen · South Africa · Kenya · Nigeria · Egypt · Morocco · Ghana · Uganda · Cameroon · Algeria · Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cabo Verde · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · Côte d'Ivoire · DR Congo · Republic of the Congo · Djibouti · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Eswatini · Ethiopia · Gabon · Gambia · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · Niger · Rwanda · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Somalia · Somaliland · South Sudan · Sudan · Tanzania · Togo · Tunisia · Zambia · Zimbabwe · Western Sahara · Saint Helena · Australia · New Zealand · Fiji · Papua New Guinea · Samoa · Solomon Islands · Tonga · Vanuatu · Kiribati · Marshall Islands · Micronesia · Nauru · Palau · Tuvalu · American Samoa · Cook Islands · French Polynesia · Guam · New Caledonia · Northern Mariana Islands · Pitcairn Islands · Niue · Tokelau · Wallis and Futuna
Education required
Bachelor · Master
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Application process
- 1Email all required documents as one PDF to india(at)hss.de by 30 November (summer semester) or 31 May (winter semester).
- 2Include two recommendation letters: one confirming NGO voluntary work, one confirming academic achievement.
- 3The India office runs pre-selection; those who pass receive access to the foundation’s online portal in Germany and upload there.
- 4Candidates the office strongly recommends get an online interview; selection rounds run in February and August.
Program timeline
India office deadline (summer semester)
30 November 2026
Foundation’s portal in Germany open
15 December 2026 – 15 January 2027
Online selection round
February 2027
India office deadline (winter semester)
31 May 2027
Online selection round
August 2027