MEXT Scholarship in Japan 2027

The MEXT scholarship is funded by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. It runs seven categories — undergraduate study, research degrees, technical college, specialised training, Japanese studies, teacher training and the Young Leaders Program — and it is awarded through two routes: Embassy Recommendation, run by the Japanese embassy or consulate in the applicant’s country, and University Recommendation, run by a Japanese university. Tuition is waived, a monthly stipend is paid and return airfare is provided.

Overview

MEXT — the Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho) Scholarship — is Japan’s national scholarship for international students. It covers undergraduate, master’s, doctoral and non-degree study at Japanese universities. The main route is Embassy Recommendation: each Japanese embassy or consulate recruits, selects and recommends applicants every year, usually in the spring, for study starting the following year. The second route is University Recommendation, where a Japanese university nominates the student directly. Note that MEXT has announced the University Recommendation (General Program) will not recruit for 2027 entry — check the chosen university’s own MEXT page for the routes it offers.

Scholarship Benefits

The monthly stipend is JPY 117,000 for undergraduate, technical college, specialised training and Japanese studies students; JPY 143,000–145,000 for research students (143,000 for non-degree research students, 144,000 for master’s students and 145,000 for doctoral students); JPY 143,000 for teacher training students; and a tentative JPY 242,000 for Young Leaders Program students. Tuition, entrance and examination fees are waived, round-trip economy airfare is provided, and a regional top-up of JPY 2,000–3,000 a month applies in designated areas. There is no application fee. Domestic travel, airport taxes and insurance are paid by the student.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must hold the nationality of a country that has diplomatic relations with Japan; Japanese nationals are not eligible, and applicants with dual Japanese nationality must renounce their Japanese citizenship before applying. Age limits depend on the category and are set as birth-date cut-offs that move each cycle — the exact cut-off is stated in the application guidelines for the applicant’s country (for the 2027 cycle: born on or after 2 April 2002 for undergraduate, technical college and specialised training applicants; 2 April 1992 for research students; 2 April 1991 for teacher training applicants). Applicants must be willing to learn Japanese, provide a medical certificate in the set format, and apply to only one MEXT programme per cycle. Past grantees generally cannot reapply. Each embassy may add its own screening criteria, so check the Japanese embassy or consulate in your country.

Available Fields

Research students can apply across master’s, doctoral and research programmes; undergraduate applicants choose from the bachelor’s programmes offered by Japanese universities; the technical college and specialised training routes cover diploma-level engineering and vocational fields.

Required Documents

Applicants complete the set application form and guidelines published by the Japanese embassy or consulate in their country, provide academic records, and submit a medical certificate in the required format. Research students also submit a field of study and research plan. The exact document list is in the application guidelines for the applicant’s country — do not send any documents directly to MEXT in Japan.

Application Process

There are two routes. Embassy Recommendation is the main route: apply through the Japanese embassy or consulate in your country, following its own guidelines and deadline — the embassy runs the first screening (documents, written examinations and an interview) and recommends candidates to MEXT. University Recommendation is the second route, where a Japanese university nominates the student directly and sets its own deadline. Do not send application documents directly to MEXT.

Important Dates

There is no single global deadline — each Japanese embassy and consulate sets its own dates. For the 2027 intake, recruitment ran between April and May 2026 and first screening took place between May and July 2026; all categories for the 2027 cycle are now closed. Recruitment for the 2028 intake is expected in April–May 2027 — check the Japanese embassy or consulate in your country for the exact dates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is MEXT fully funded?

Yes — it covers tuition, a monthly stipend and return airfare, with no application fee.

Can I apply to more than one MEXT category?

No — only one MEXT programme per cycle.

When do applications for the next intake open?

Recruitment for the 2028 intake is expected in April–May 2027; check the Japanese embassy or consulate in your country for the exact dates.

Official source: Study in Japan — MEXT Scholarship for 2027, Embassy Recommendation