How the MEXT scholarship works
The MEXT scholarship is given by Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. According to Study in Japan, there are two application routes: embassy recommendation and university recommendation. On the embassy route, the first screening is done by the Japanese mission in the applicant's country. The second screening is done by MEXT, which places the scholar at a university.
The scholarship is support given at the end of this selection. Not everyone who applies receives it. Study in Japan clearly states that documents should not be sent directly to MEXT.
Bachelor's scholarship: 2027 requirements
In the 2027 guide for the bachelor's scholarship, these are the main rules for the embassy route:
- Age: As a rule, born on or after 2 April 2002.
- Education: Having completed 12 years of school education outside Japan, or being due to complete it by March 2027.
- Monthly payment: 117,000 yen. In some regions there is an extra payment of 2,000 or 3,000 yen.
- School fees: No entrance exam, enrolment or tuition fees are charged.
- Duration: Five years, from April 2027 to March 2032. The first year is preparation with Japanese and other courses. For medicine, dentistry, veterinary science and six-year pharmacy, the duration is seven years.
- Arrival: As a rule, being in Japan between 1 and 7 April 2027.
The guide expects the applicant to be willing to study their courses in Japanese. The chosen field cannot be changed later. In the first screening, documents are reviewed, and a written exam and an interview are held. The subjects of the written exam change by field. For example, in the sciences, besides Japanese, English and math, you are asked chemistry and either physics or biology.
Master's and doctorate: research student scholarship
The research student (Research Student) scholarship is for master's and doctorate level. According to the 2027 guide, the applicant must, as a rule, be born on or after 2 April 1992. The monthly payment is 143,000 yen for a research student in the preparation period and for a non-degree research student. It is 144,000 yen for a master's and 145,000 yen for a doctorate.
A scholar who needs Japanese spends the first six months on Japanese preparation. The first screening includes a document review, a written exam in Japanese and English, and an interview.
Plane ticket and application period
Some older guides say the scholarship covers a round-trip ticket. According to the 2027 guides, MEXT provides an economy-class one-way ticket to Japan. For a bachelor's scholar, a return ticket is provided only if they graduate within the scholarship period, return to their country and ask for it. Travel to the airport and related costs are the scholar's own.
According to Study in Japan, research student recruitment takes place in April and May of the previous year. Embassies run the first screening between May and July. The calendar changes by country, so we suggest you follow the 2028 announcement from Japan's Embassy in Türkiye.
Japan without a scholarship
Fully English bachelor's programs such as Keio PEARL and Waseda SILS take applications on their own calendars. Most Japanese-language departments ask for an EJU score. Türkiye was not among the 2026 exam centers. At Kyoto University, as of April 2025, the yearly tuition fee is 535,800 yen, and in the first year a 282,000 yen enrolment fee is added. A student with permission from the immigration office can work at most 28 hours a week, and up to 8 hours a day during long holidays.
For details such as fees, living costs and application dates, see our Japan page.
Related pages
Last checked: 23 October 2026. Rules and fees may change; we check the current situation together before you apply.
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