Scholarships for Iraqi Students 2027/2028: Europe and Asia Guide

Iraqi students have several realistic scholarship routes for the 2027/2028 intake, especially in Europe and Asia. The strongest options are usually Hungary’s Stipendium Hungaricum, Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters, Germany’s DAAD scholarships, Italy’s MAECI scholarships, Spain’s AECID Africa-Med scholarships, France’s Eiffel Scholarship, and selected Asian opportunities such as Japan’s MEXT Scholarship.

Because most 2027/2028 scholarship calls are not yet open as of July 2026, this guide uses the latest official 2026/2027 eligibility information where available. Students should always re-check the official call once the new cycle is published.

Best scholarships for Iraqi students

1. Stipendium Hungaricum, Hungary

This is one of the most important scholarships for Iraqi students. The official Stipendium Hungaricum partner information for the latest cycle listed the Republic of Iraq as eligible for full-degree bachelor’s, master’s, one-tier master’s and doctoral studies in any academic field. It also listed a separate Kurdistan Region of Iraq route, with more limited eligible levels and fields.

For Iraqi applicants applying through the Republic of Iraq route, Stipendium Hungaricum can be especially useful for:

• Bachelor’s degrees

• Master’s degrees

• One-tier master’s programmes, such as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy or architecture

• Doctoral studies

The scholarship normally includes tuition-free education, a monthly stipend, accommodation contribution and medical insurance, but students should remember that the stipend may not fully cover all living expenses in Hungary.

Typical timeline

For the 2027/2028 cycle, students should expect a similar pattern to previous years:

2. Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters

Erasmus Mundus is open to excellent students worldwide, so Iraqi students can apply if they meet the academic and language requirements of the programme. Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters can offer full scholarships that cover participation costs and contribute to travel, visa and living costs.

This is one of the best routes for Iraqi students applying for master’s programmes in:

• Engineering

• Climate and environment

• Data science

• Marine science

• Public policy

• Development

• Health

• Education

• Agriculture

• Law and human rights

Students should apply to each Erasmus Mundus programme directly. Deadlines vary, but many close between October and January.

3. DAAD scholarships, Germany

Germany is a strong destination for Iraqi students, especially for master’s and PhD studies. DAAD offers many scholarships by country, field and academic level. The DAAD EPOS programme is especially relevant for applicants from developing and newly industrialised countries who have at least two years of professional experience.

DAAD EPOS is best for Iraqi applicants with work experience in:

• Development

• Engineering

• Public policy

• Water

• Energy

• Environment

• Public health

• Agriculture

• Economics

• Urban planning

Students should check each course deadline carefully because EPOS deadlines vary by university and programme.

4. MAECI scholarships, Italy

Iraq appears in the official eligible country list for the Italian Government MAECI scholarship. MAECI can support master’s, PhD, research, AFAM arts programmes and Italian language or culture courses, depending on the annual call.

Italy is also attractive because Iraqi students may combine university admission with regional financial aid, such as DSU-style support, if they prepare the required family income and asset documents.

5. AECID Africa-Med scholarships, Spain

The latest AECID Africa-Med Master call included Iraq among eligible African and Middle Eastern countries. The programme offered scholarships for official in-person master’s study in Spain, and applicants needed admission to an eligible Spanish master’s before applying.

This is a strong option for Iraqi students interested in:

• Public policy

• International relations

• Development

• Governance

• Spanish-speaking academic pathways

• Mediterranean cooperation

6. Eiffel Scholarship, France

The Eiffel Scholarship is open to foreign students and is used by French institutions to attract excellent international candidates at master’s and PhD level. Students do not apply directly to Campus France. A French institution must submit the application. Eiffel provides an allowance and support services, but it does not cover tuition fees.

For Iraqi students, Eiffel is most realistic for strong academic profiles in engineering, ecological transition, public policy, law, economics, management and science.

7. MEXT Scholarship, Japan

MEXT is the Japanese Government scholarship. The general MEXT research student guidelines require applicants to have the nationality of a country with diplomatic relations with Japan, and applications are generally submitted through the Japanese embassy or consulate responsible for the applicant.

Iraqi students interested in Japan should check the Japanese Embassy in Iraq for the annual MEXT call. MEXT is especially strong for engineering, robotics, disaster risk reduction, urban planning, environmental science and technology.

What Iraqi students should prepare

Iraqi applicants should prepare:

• Valid passport

• Academic transcripts

• Graduation certificate

• English language proof, if required

• CV

• Motivation letter

• Recommendation letters

• Work certificates for DAAD EPOS

• Research proposal for PhD or MEXT

• Translated and legalised documents where required

• Family income documents for Italian regional aid

Recommended strategy

A strong Iraqi student should not rely on only one scholarship. A good plan could include:

• Stipendium Hungaricum as the main fully funded European option.

• Erasmus Mundus for a competitive European master’s.

• DAAD if the student has work experience.

• MAECI or Italy regional aid as a practical European route.

• MEXT for Japan if the student has a strong academic or research profile.

Need help applying? We can help Iraqi students choose realistic scholarships, prepare documents, write motivation letters and build a complete 2027/2028 application calendar.