Opp Type:	SCHOLARSHIP
Level	Master, PH.D, Research
Number of Opportunity
Language Requirement	Not required
Gender	Male/female
Field of study	Various Fields
Funding Type	Fully Funded
Duration	Based On Program
Deadline
Location	Japan

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) in Japan provides fully funded scholarship opportunities for students from Afghanistan and other countries who wish to pursue their Master’s or Doctoral degrees in Japan. This scholarship is available for those who plan to begin their academic studies or research in 2026. MEXT Scholarships are offered through university and Embassy recommendations. The application procedure and deadline vary based on the embassy and university.

Details of the MEXT Scholarship for Afghanistan and other countries

Important dates:

• Application submission opens – Mid-April 2025
• Deadline: varies by country.
• Afghanistan timeline:
  • deadline is May 31. 
  • Written test: June 19, 2025
  • Interview: July 2025
• First screening – May to July 2025
• Request provisional university acceptance – Until September 1, 2025
• Submit Placement Preference Form – Mid-September to early October 2025
• Second screening & university placement – From November 2025
• Final results notification – January to March 2026

Note: the dates from the Japanese Embassy in Afghanistan announced today.

– Deadline for submission of application: 31 May 2025
– Written Examinations (paper test) in Kabul: 19 June 2025

-Examinations (interview) in Kabul: July 2025
– Notification of final result: TBD

Fields of Study:

When applying for graduate studies in Japan, it’s crucial for applicants to choose a field of study that is related to their university major. The field of study should also be aligned with the research that can be conducted at Japanese universities during graduate courses. It’s important to note that certain fields, such as medicine, dentistry, and welfare science, require a relevant license from the Japanese Minister of Health, Labor, and Welfare before starting clinical training, like medical care and operative surgery.

Benefits of MEXT Scholarships

The MEXT Scholarship of Japan is a fully funded scholarship that covers the following expenses:

• Monthly allowance of around 143000  Yen(for preparatory program and non-regular students) (ap, 144K Yen for Master’s degree and 145K Yen for doctoral students (approx $1000) for living expenses
• A supplemental regional allowance of 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.
• Offers tuition-free education, including entrance exam, matriculation, and tuition
• Provide a round-trip Air flight ticket to travel to/from Japan (domestic travel etc,  to be paid by the student)

Who can apply for MEXT Scholarships?

To qualify for the  MEXT scholarship program, applicants must:

• Be an Afghan national under the age of 35  (applicants of other countries can contact the Japanese embassy in their country.)
• Hold  a bachelor’s degree ( B.A. or equivalent ) with outstanding academic records, and
• be in good physical and mental health.
• They should also possess the necessary motivation and dedication to contribute to the Afghan-Japanese relationship.
• be proficient in written and spoken English or Japanese (depending on the language of instruction).
• Successful candidates will be required to travel to Japan in April 2026.

Required Documents for Application:

To apply for Japan MEXT Scholarships, prepare the following documents:

1. Application Form (downloadable from this page)
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

Only if applicable
8. Abstract of the thesis
9. Certificate of language proficiency
10. Recommendation letter from the present employer

11. photographs showing applicants’ works of art or a digitally recorded medium of musical performance (for art students )

Download the forms from the attachments below.

How to apply?

To apply for the MEXT Scholarship, individuals can obtain the necessary application form, health certificate, and recommendation letter sample attached below. Afterward, they can send digital copies of their documents to the embassy email address below, provided for screening purposes. Only those who are shortlisted will be invited to submit their original documents on the interview day.

The Embassy of Japan in Afghanistan will do the selection process in cooperation with the Aga Khan Foundation.

Note: If you are from countries other than Afghanistan and are willing to apply to the MEXT Scholarship program, please check the website of the Japanese embassy in your country or contact them for the procedure. Check the Japan embassy address in different countries HERE

Submission email address

Email Address: japan.scholarship2026.af@gmail.com 

The selection procedures:

According to previous years,10-20 individuals will be chosen and notified for the written exams and interviews. The Embassy of Japan will select the most promising candidates to recommend to MEXT, which will ultimately screen and select successful applicants.

Follow the steps below: 

• Download and fill out the application forms attached below
• Prepare your documents and submit them to the email.
• Attend the exam and interview if you are shortlisted and invited
• Then contact the university you wish to enroll in and request provisional acceptance (after your results of the first screening (exam and interview) are clear – during August ). Submit the above-mentioned documents stamped by the embassy, along with the certificate of passing the first screening issued by the embassy.  Note: Do not submit a placement application form to the university.
• Submit the completed placement reference application Form to the embassy
• From October, the second screening and university placement will be done and your result will be announced.

Important!

Please note that the information provided above is a general explanation of the scholarship and Applicants who wish to apply should carefully review the application guidelines before submitting their application. All required information is well-explained in the guidelines. If you successfully pass the initial screening and paper tests, you will need to contact the universities directly. The Embassy will provide you with links to Japanese universities where you can pursue your research plan.

Read  here the previous version of this scholarship offered for all degrees

Attached Files

Click to download application forms

Level

• master
• phd
• research