Scholarships for Bangladeshi Students in Europe 2026/2027

Europe is the single richest scholarship region in the world for a Bangladeshi student, but it does not work like the United States or Australia: there is no one “Europe scholarship.” Instead there is a layered system — one giant EU-level programme (Erasmus Mundus), a set of powerful national government schemes (Germany’s DAAD, France’s Eiffel, Hungary’s Stipendium Hungaricum, Italy’s Invest Your Talent, Sweden’s Swedish Institute Scholarship and others), and university-level awards in countries such as the Netherlands. Bangladeshi citizens are explicitly eligible for the flagship schemes in this guide, and several of them are genuinely fully funded: tuition paid, a monthly stipend, insurance and travel support included.

This guide maps that system for applicants from Bangladesh targeting 2026/2027 entry. It compares the main programmes in one table, explains each scheme’s real funding package and eligibility rules, walks through how applications actually work (they differ more than you might expect — some you apply to a programme, some to a country, some to a university first), and finishes with a realistic multi-programme strategy and calendar. For country-specific depth, pair this roundup with our dedicated guides to scholarships for Bangladeshi students in Germany and scholarships for Bangladeshi students in Hungary, and browse the wider scholarships directory for new calls.

European Scholarships Open to Bangladeshis at a Glance

Read the table with one discipline: “fully funded” means different things in different rows. Erasmus Mundus and Stipendium Hungaricum cover essentially all core costs. Eiffel is a generous monthly allowance but deliberately does not pay tuition — in France that is often manageable because public-university tuition for Eiffel scholars is frequently waived or low, but you must confirm the arrangement with your institution. DAAD EPOS sits between: a strong stipend and add-ons in a country where most public programmes charge no tuition at all. The sections below give each scheme its own honest profile.

1. Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters — The EU Flagship

Erasmus Mundus is the European Union’s prestige scholarship for master’s study, and for Bangladeshi graduates it is arguably the best-funded master’s opportunity in the world. An Erasmus Mundus Joint Master is a complete degree designed and delivered by a consortium of universities in at least two European countries; you study in at least two of them, moving between countries as part of the programme, and graduate with a joint or multiple degrees. The scholarship, funded under Erasmus+, covers your participation costs (tuition and fees) in full and pays a monthly allowance of €1,400 for up to 24 months, from which travel, visa, installation and living costs are met; the consortium also arranges insurance. The official programme information is published by the European Commission on the Erasmus+ website.

Eligibility is refreshingly nationality-neutral: applicants from all over the world may apply, Bangladesh included, with no quota negotiation through Dhaka. You need a bachelor’s degree (or to be in your final year, graduating before the programme starts), and you apply to each consortium directly — there is no central Erasmus Mundus application form. Each programme sets its own deadline, mostly between October and January for an autumn start, and its own academic and English requirements (IELTS 6.5 is a common benchmark, but requirements genuinely vary by consortium). You may apply to multiple programmes, which is precisely what strong Bangladeshi candidates do: a shortlist of three to six well-matched consortia, each with a tailored motivation letter, beats one hopeful application. Programmes exist across engineering, public health, data science, environmental studies, law, development and dozens of other fields, and the catalogue on the Erasmus+ site is the authoritative list. Because selection is by the consortia on academic merit, your CGPA, the relevance of your bachelor’s degree, and evidence of direction (research, internships, work in the field) matter more than any nationality factor.

2. Germany: DAAD EPOS and the No-Tuition Advantage

Germany combines two advantages no other large European country matches: most public universities charge no tuition even to international students, and the DAAD — the world’s largest funding organisation of its kind — runs scholarship lines open to Bangladeshis. The flagship for Bangladeshi professionals is DAAD EPOS (Development-Related Postgraduate Courses), which funds master’s and PhD study on a defined list of development-focused courses at German universities. Current verified rates are €992 per month for master’s students and €1,300 per month for doctoral candidates, rising to €1,400 for doctoral candidates from February 2026 in current calls, plus travel allowance, insurance and possible rent and family supplements. EPOS typically requires a bachelor’s degree completed within the last six years and at least two years of relevant professional experience after the degree — a rule that surprises fresh graduates, who should instead target the many no-tuition German programmes and university-level or foundation funding. Full programme details and the course list are published by the DAAD; our dedicated Germany guide for Bangladeshis covers the blocked-account requirement (€11,904 per year for the student visa where proof of funds is required for non-scholarship routes), language pathways and university choices in detail. Students comparing German universities can explore profiles through our universities directory and check standings in the rankings section.

3. France: Eiffel Excellence Scholarship

France’s Eiffel programme, run by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, recruits top international students to master’s and PhD programmes at French institutions. The current verified allowance is €1,200 per month at master’s level and €2,100 per month at doctoral level (the doctoral rate rose to €2,100 from January 2026; older pages showing €1,700 or €2,000 are superseded). Eiffel also covers international travel under Campus France implementation rules, national health-insurance support and cultural activities — but it explicitly does not cover tuition fees, the point applicants most often misread. In practice many Eiffel scholars pay low public-university fees or receive institutional waivers, but you must clarify your exact tuition position with the French institution before accepting. There is no direct application: French institutions select and submit candidates, so your real deadline is the institution’s internal one, typically in the autumn before the ministry’s January submission window. Age limits apply (master’s applicants must be within the limit stated in the current call, doctoral applicants likewise), and Bangladeshi citizens are eligible. Start from the official programme page via Campus France.

4. Hungary: Stipendium Hungaricum

Hungary operates the European scheme most explicitly built for Bangladeshi applicants: Stipendium Hungaricum, the Hungarian government’s bilateral scholarship, where Bangladesh is a named sending partner with its own nomination pathway. The award covers tuition in full, a monthly stipend of HUF 43,700 for bachelor’s, master’s and non-degree students, free dormitory accommodation or a HUF 40,000 monthly housing contribution, and medical insurance; doctoral stipends are higher at HUF 140,000 per month in the first (training) phase and HUF 180,000 in the research phase. Applications run from around November to mid-January through the online system, with Bangladeshi candidates also passing through the sending-partner nomination step — read our full Hungary guide for the Bangladesh-specific document and nomination details. One honest caveat: HUF 43,700 is a contribution toward living costs rather than a lavish allowance, and some travel costs fall to the sending side or the student depending on the year’s arrangements — budget a personal top-up, particularly in Budapest. Official information: stipendiumhungaricum.hu.

5. Italy, Sweden and the Rest of the Map

Italy — Invest Your Talent in Italy targets master’s students in engineering, technology, economics, management, design and architecture at partner Italian universities, combining tuition exemption with a monthly grant and a free Italian language course; Bangladesh has been among the listed eligible countries in recent calls — confirm the country list in the current call before relying on it. Separately, Italy’s regional “right to study” (DSU) grants can fund low-income enrolled students generously, but they are assessed after enrolment on documented family income and are not a pre-departure scholarship you can bank on from Dhaka. Sweden — the Swedish Institute Scholarship funds master’s study for citizens of a defined list of countries, which has included Bangladesh in recent calls; it covers full tuition and a monthly living grant plus a travel grant, and its distinctive feature is sequence: you first apply for Swedish master’s programmes through the national admissions portal (mid-October to mid-January), then apply to the SI Scholarship in February with your application number. The Netherlands has no large national full-ride for Bangladeshis since the old Holland Scholarship era ended, but individual universities offer competitive merit awards — treat these as partial funding unless the university states full coverage. Ireland’s Government of Ireland International Education Scholarships provide a stipend plus a full tuition waiver for one year of master’s (or a year of PhD) study at Irish institutions and are open internationally through institutional nomination. Norway no longer offers tuition-free study to non-EU students as a general rule, a change many blogs still have not caught up with. The pattern to internalise: in Europe, verify each scheme country by country, call by call — which is exactly what the official links in this guide are for.

Eligibility Patterns Bangladeshi Applicants Must Know

Across all these schemes, five filters decide most outcomes. Citizenship: you apply as a Bangladeshi citizen; dual nationals should check each scheme’s rule, and several programmes exclude applicants who also hold EU citizenship or who have lived in Europe for extended recent periods (Erasmus Mundus applies a residence rule in classifying some applicants — check the current programme guide). Degree timing: EPOS wants a degree within six years plus two years of post-degree work experience; Erasmus Mundus accepts final-year students; Eiffel enforces age limits; Stipendium Hungaricum requires applicants to be at least 18 by 31 August of the intake year. English: most European master’s teaching is in English, and IELTS scores around 6.0–6.5 are common requirements — plan your test date backwards from the earliest deadline on your list, and use our test preparation resources to prepare. Nomination: some schemes (Stipendium Hungaricum, parts of Invest Your Talent) involve a home-country or institutional nomination layer that adds weeks — start earlier than the headline deadline suggests. Document legalisation: Bangladeshi certificates frequently need board/university attestation and, for some countries, embassy legalisation after selection; keep a clean, consistent set of documents (passport name matching certificates) ready from October.

How to Apply: A Realistic Multi-Scheme Strategy

1. Build your shortlist by level and field (August–September). Master’s applicants: Erasmus Mundus consortia in your field, one or two EPOS courses if you meet the experience rule, Hungarian programmes via Stipendium Hungaricum, and one institutional route (Eiffel via a French university, or SI via Sweden). Bachelor’s applicants: Stipendium Hungaricum is your main fully funded European route.
2. Fix the document pack once (September). Passport, transcripts and certificates, English translations, IELTS result, CV in Europass-style format, two strong referees briefed early, and a master motivation letter you will adapt per scheme.
3. Apply in deadline order (October–February). Erasmus Mundus consortium deadlines cluster October–January; Swedish university admissions close mid-January with SI following in February; Stipendium Hungaricum closes mid-January; Eiffel institutional deadlines fall in autumn. Track every date in one calendar — our deadline and planning tools exist for exactly this juggling act.
4. Tailor, never copy-paste. Each scheme scores a different thing: Erasmus Mundus scores consortium fit; EPOS scores development relevance and professional experience; Eiffel scores institutional excellence; Hungary scores the bilateral nomination file. One generic essay underserves all four.
5. Handle nomination and admission sub-steps. Where a scheme needs a parallel admission (Sweden) or home nomination (Hungary), complete that track in parallel; missing the side-step voids an otherwise winning scholarship file.
6. Prepare finances for the gaps. Even “fully funded” scholars pay upfront for IELTS, document attestation, visa fees where not reimbursed, and the first weeks before stipends land. A modest personal reserve is part of a credible plan.

Required Documents (Typical European Pack)

• Passport (valid well beyond the intended start date) and recent photographs.
• All academic certificates and transcripts (SSC/HSC for bachelor’s applicants; bachelor’s and any master’s records for graduate schemes), with certified English translations of anything not in English.
• English proficiency result (IELTS/TOEFL) where the scheme or programme requires it.
• Curriculum vitae; motivation letter or study plan tailored to the scheme.
• Two academic or professional recommendation letters (EPOS expects professional relevance; Erasmus consortia usually want academic referees).
• For PhD applicants: research proposal and, for DAAD routes, evidence of a supervisor’s agreement where the course structure requires it.
• Scheme-specific extras: Stipendium Hungaricum requires a medical certificate at the prescribed stage; Swedish SI requires proof of work experience and leadership documentation; Eiffel is assembled by the French institution from your admission file.

Deadlines and Timeline

Selection Tips and Common Mistakes

European committees reward fit and evidence. The strongest Bangladeshi files connect a clear thread — prior study, work or research, the chosen programme, and a plausible post-degree plan — and document every claim. Quantify your experience for EPOS (two years is a hard rule, counted after your bachelor’s). For Erasmus Mundus, choose consortia whose curriculum genuinely matches your background; a data-science graduate chasing an unrelated public-health consortium reads as stipend-hunting. For Hungary, take the nomination stage seriously rather than treating the online form as the whole application.

• Mistake: assuming “Europe” has one deadline. There are at least six calendars in this guide; missing Sweden’s January admissions step cannot be repaired by a February scholarship form.
• Mistake: calling Eiffel fully funded without checking tuition. Eiffel pays a strong allowance and travel but not tuition; your institution’s fee position must be confirmed in writing.
• Mistake: applying to EPOS as a fresh graduate. Without two years of post-degree professional experience you are ineligible, however strong your CGPA.
• Mistake: outdated Norway assumptions. Tuition-free Norway for non-EU students has ended as a general rule; do not build a plan on pre-2023 blog posts.
• Mistake: one essay for every scheme. Committees notice; tailor the motivation to each programme’s stated criteria.
• Mistake: ignoring post-selection legalisation. Bangladeshi documents for European visas often need attestation chains that take weeks — start them at application stage, not at visa stage.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best fully funded scholarship in Europe for a Bangladeshi master’s student?

Erasmus Mundus is the most complete package — full participation costs plus €1,400 per month for up to 24 months, studying in at least two countries — and it is open to all nationalities including Bangladesh. DAAD EPOS (Germany) and Stipendium Hungaricum (Hungary) are the strongest national alternatives, with different eligibility shapes: EPOS requires work experience; Hungary runs a Bangladesh nomination track and also covers bachelor’s study.

Can Bangladeshi students apply for Erasmus Mundus?

Yes. Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters are open to applicants worldwide. You apply directly to each consortium (usually October–January deadlines), need a bachelor’s degree or final-year status, and must meet each programme’s academic and English requirements. There is no Bangladeshi government nomination step.

Does the Eiffel Scholarship pay tuition fees?

No. Eiffel pays a monthly allowance (€1,200 master’s / €2,100 doctoral at current rates), covers international travel under its implementation rules and provides other support, but tuition is not covered by the programme. Many scholars face low public tuition or an institutional waiver — confirm your exact position with the French institution that submits your file.

Is Germany really tuition-free for Bangladeshi students?

At most public universities in most German states, yes — no tuition fees for international students on standard consecutive programmes (Baden-Württemberg is a notable exception charging non-EU students). You still need living costs: scholarship holders are funded by DAAD; self-funded students must show a blocked account of €11,904 per year (2026 figure) for the visa.

Which European scholarship can Bangladeshi students use for a bachelor’s degree?

Stipendium Hungaricum is the principal fully funded European government route at bachelor’s level for Bangladeshis, covering tuition, a monthly stipend, housing support and insurance. Erasmus Mundus, Eiffel, EPOS and the Swedish Institute Scholarship are postgraduate schemes.

How much does Stipendium Hungaricum pay per month?

HUF 43,700 per month for bachelor’s, master’s and non-degree students, plus free dormitory housing or a HUF 40,000 monthly accommodation contribution and medical insurance. Doctoral students receive HUF 140,000 per month in the training phase and HUF 180,000 in the research phase. The taught-level stipend is a contribution to living costs, so budget a personal top-up, especially in Budapest.

Do I need IELTS for European scholarships?

Usually, yes, at the programme level: most English-taught European master’s programmes require IELTS around 6.0–6.5 (or TOEFL equivalent), though exact requirements are set per programme and a few schemes assess English differently. Check each consortium or university’s page and sit the test early enough for results to reach every application.

Can I apply to several European scholarships in the same year?

Yes, and strong candidates do. The schemes are run by different funders with different calendars, and applying to Erasmus Mundus does not affect a DAAD or Hungarian application. You may only accept one final award for the same study period, and you must withdraw cleanly from the others if you accept an offer.

German Political Foundations and Other Second-Tier Funders

Beyond the headline schemes, Bangladeshi postgraduates in Europe should know about Germany’s political foundations — organisations such as the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Heinrich Böll Foundation and Rosa Luxemburg Foundation — which award scholarships for master’s and doctoral study in Germany to international students who combine strong academics with demonstrable social or political engagement aligned to each foundation’s values. These are real, recurring programmes with monthly payments broadly comparable to research-stipend levels, but their amounts, deadlines and country eligibility are set per foundation and per call, so treat any figure quoted on a blog as provisional and verify on the foundation’s own site. Their selection emphasises commitment and values fit far more than the DAAD’s academic-course model, which makes them a genuinely different door rather than a second chance at the same one: a Bangladeshi applicant with a record of community, labour, environmental or democratic-engagement work may be a stronger candidate here than their CGPA alone would suggest. The same “second tier” logic applies elsewhere in Europe — university-specific excellence awards in the Netherlands and Belgium, EIT and sectoral programmes in technology fields, and college-level awards at individual UK and Irish institutions that our destination guides catalogue. The strategic lesson is that Europe rewards applicants who research funders, not just countries: the money is fragmented across hundreds of schemes, and Bangladeshi students who map that fragmentation early — rather than applying only to the three most famous names — materially improve their odds across a single application season.

Sources & Verification

• European Commission, Erasmus+ — Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters official page (€1,400/month, structure, eligibility): erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu
• DAAD — EPOS programme and scholarship database (rates cross-checked with StudyGraduate’s verified Wave 1 research: €992 master’s / €1,300 doctoral, €1,400 doctoral from Feb 2026): daad.de
• Campus France — Eiffel Excellence Scholarship programme page (€1,200 / €2,100; tuition excluded; travel covered): campusfrance.org
• Stipendium Hungaricum official site (HUF 43,700; doctoral HUF 140,000/180,000; housing HUF 40,000; Bangladesh listed as sending partner): stipendiumhungaricum.hu

Disclaimer: StudyGraduate is an information portal, not an agency, and cannot promise selection, admission or visa approval. Programme country lists, amounts and deadlines change between calls — several schemes named here (Invest Your Talent in Italy, the Swedish Institute Scholarship, Government of Ireland) publish their eligible-country lists and grant amounts per call, so always confirm the current call on the official website before applying.