mext phd scholarship 2023

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EMBASSY OF JAPAN IN PAKISTAN

MEXT RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIP 2025 (for Masters and Ph.D)

Japanese Government MEXT Research scholarships  Applications for MEXT Research Scholarships for 2025 are now OPEN Guidelines, application form and other supporting documents can be downloaded directly from the link below. You can also find past examination questions on this linked page. Please read the application guideline thoroughly before applying. https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/en/smap-stopj-applications-research.html   Last date to apply for the scholarship is 10th May 2024.  

NOTE:   Due to the large number of applications received every year, we are unable to confirm receipt of documents. Only the shortlisted candidates will be contacted for test and interview. Any inquiries made as to why someone has not been shortlisted will not be entertained. Only complete applications will be considered for the scholarship.

Required Documents

• Mark Sheet Form  
• Application Form  (1 original)
• Research Plan 
• Attested copy of degree (hope certificate) and transcripts from the last universities attended.​ 
• Attested copy of certification of graduation or degree certificate of university attended. (1 copy with original attestation)
• Recommendation Letter from the president/dean or the academic advisor at the current or last university attended. (1 original)
• Abstract of theses (if applicable) (1 original)
• Recommendation letter from the present employer (if applicable) (1 original)
• Here are answers to some of the common queries
• Submitted documents will not be returned.
• Application should be unstapled (assemble only with paper clip) and printed on A4 size paper. 
• Certificates & documents, other than those mentioned above, will not be considered.

Applicants who wish to appear for test & interview in Islamabad (if shortlisted), should send application at the following address

Applicants (from karachi,baluchistan and quetta) who will appear for test & interview in karachi (if shortlisted), should send application at the following address, recommended information.

• DOWNLOAD LINKS

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• Scholarships

2024 University Recommended Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship - General

Last updated: June 22, 2023

1. Qualifications

(1) number of places.

The number of applicants to be nominated by the Graduate School of Science to the University of Tokyo, as well as the number to be subsequently nominated by the University of Tokyo to MEXT, shall be finalized after the application period has closed. In the last round (application for 2023 entrance) each Graduate School was allowed to nominate at most one applicant, and the University of Tokyo was allowed to nominate at most three applicants to MEXT.

(2) Eligibility

International students with outstanding academic records (*1) who wish to enter Japan in October, 2024 as a new student (*2) to study in the Master's or Doctoral Program at the Graduate School of Science.

(3) Nationality

We are only able to nominate an applicant who holds one of the nationalities specified by MEXT. This year's nationality provisions have yet to be announced (the announcement is expected to reach us after the application period has closed), however, in the last round, only those who hold a nationality found on MEXT's list of Priority Nationalities below were eligible for nomination.

To see the list of priority nationalities, please click here.

Also, applicants must have the nationality of a country with diplomatic relations with the Japanese government. Applicants who have Japanese nationality at the time of application are ineligible. However, Japanese nationals that reside outside of Japan at the time of application, holding dual nationality with another country, and plan to renounce their Japanese nationality before arrival (equivalent to the time when they enroll as a student at a Japanese university), may apply.

In principle, applicants must be born on or after April 2, 1989.

(5) Academic background

Applicants must have the necessary qualifications to be admitted to the Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo as a Master's or a Doctoral Program student.

(6) Field of Study

Applicants should apply for the field of study that they studied at their previous university or a related field. Applicants should select a field that they are able to research at their chosen host university in Japan.

(7) Language Proficiency

Applicants must meet one of the language requirements in either English or in Japanese as described below:

• Holds an English proficiency test score equivalent to B2 or above on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale (e.g. TOEFL iBT 72 or above, IELTS 5.5 or above). * To see what counts as "B2 or above on the CEFR scale", please refer to the CEFR Equivalency Chart.: To see the CEFR Equivalency Chart, please click here.
• Has completed an educational program whose primary language of instruction is English that satisfies the entrance requirements to the Master's Program or Doctoral Program at the Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo.
• Has passed the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) with a score of N2 or higher.
• Has completed an educational program whose primary language of instruction is Japanese that satisfies the entrance requirements to the Master's Program or Doctoral Program at the Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo.

Applicants must be physically and mentally healthy enough to pursue their studies in Japan.

(9) Arrival in Japan

Applicants must, in principle, be able to arrive in Japan by a date specified by the accepting university which in principle shall be within two weeks before or after the first day of the semester (October 1) in the year specified by the accepting university.

If applicants cannot arrive in Japan by the date specified, they must withdraw their application unless under unavoidable circumstances as deemed by MEXT. Furthermore, if applicants travel outside of the period specified above due to personal reasons, the cost of travel will not be paid.

(10) Visa Requirements

In principle, applicants should enter the country with a resident status of “Student” having obtained the visa prior to traveling to Japan. The visa is to be issued by the Japanese embassy or consulate in the applicant’s home country. The applicant should be aware that the scholarship will be cancelled if they arrive in Japan without a newly obtained “Student” visa.

It should be noted that any applicants who change their status from “Student” to any other residence status after their arrival in Japan will forfeit their right to be a recipient of the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship from the moment they apply to change their status.

(11) Non-eligibility

Applicants in the following categories are ineligible for the Japanese Government (MEXT) scholarship. They must decline the scholarship offer if they are found to fall under any one of the following criteria upon their selection.

• An active member of the military or a civilian employed by the military.
• An applicant who is unable to travel to Japan within the period designated by MEXT or the University of Tokyo.
• A former recipient of a Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship (including those who withdrew from the scholarship after coming to Japan) is ineligible unless he or she has had at least three years of educational or working experience since the month after completing the former scholarship period as of the beginning of the new scholarship period. This ineligibility criterion also does not apply if the formerly received scholarship is of one of the following types: (i) Japanese Studies Student (as long as the applicant has since returned to and graduated from or is expected to graduate from his or her home university), (ii) Japan-Korea Joint Government Scholarship Program for the Students in Science and Engineering, (iii) Young Leaders Program. Also, for the purpose of this clause, the MEXT Honors Scholarship does not count as a Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship.
• An applicant who is also applying for a Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship for another AY2024 program.
• An applicant who is residing in Japan.
• An applicant who expects to receive a scholarship from any source other than the Japanese Government (MEXT), including those from their own country's government body, at or after the beginning of the scholarship period.
• An applicant who is "expected to graduate by the entrance date" at the time of application but then cannot provide proof of completing a degree by the designated deadline.
• A Japanese national who has dual nationality with another country, and is not able to provide proof of relinquishing Japanese nationality by the day of arrival.
• An applicant who is, as of the time of application, planning a long period of fieldwork or internship in a country other than Japan or a long-term leave of absence, etc.
• Those who do not intend to go on to regular (degree-seeking) programs
• Those who do not plan on pursuing further academic degrees.

(12) Other Provisions

While they are studying in Japan, applicants are expected, as someone who will contribute to the globalization of Japan, to broadly participate in regional schools and activities to contribute towards the mutual understanding between their home country and Japan. Furthermore, they are expected to maintain a close link with the universities they studied at even after they have graduated and cooperate in various manners, such as answering questionnaires etc. Also, on returning to their home country, they must take part in the various activities organized by the Japanese government's missions overseas to enhance the relationship between Japan and their home country.

2. Period of Scholarships

(1)For a recipient who will enroll in a Master's Program or Doctoral Program, the scholarship will be payable for the standard period of time necessary for the recipient to complete his or her program (standard course term), starting from October 2024.

• Master's Program = October, 2024 - September, 2026 (2years)
• Doctoral Program = October, 2024 - September, 2027 (3years)

(2)Extension of the Scholarship Period

If a recipient in the Master's Program desires to proceed to the Doctoral Program, the period of the scholarship may be extended upon rigorous examination by MEXT, provided that the student has achieved outstanding academic performance that meets certain criteria. Please note that not all applicants will automatically be given an extension for scholarship, and that you should be aware of further reservations listed below;

• For the extension of the scholarship period to be approved, the recipient's application for extension must be accepted as well as the recipient passing the entrance examination to the graduate school of their choice and accepting their enrollment as regular (degree-seeking) student.
• The scholarship will be terminated if a recipient proceeds to another academic program without receiving permission for and extension of the scholarship (Note: it is possible for students to progress by becoming self-supported international students).
• Entering a graduate school of another university is not allowed when moving up to the Doctoral Program from a Master's program. (However, entering a graduate school of another university as a self-supporting student is permitted.)

3. Scholarship Benefits

(1) allowance.

The amounts of monthly stipend for AY2024 have yet to be determined. As an example, the monthly amounts for AY2023 will be presented below. (These amounts are subject to change depending on the size of the annual fiscal budget each year, commodity prices, etc.)

AY2023 actual amounts

144,000 yen/month (for a student of a Master's Program), or 145,000 yen/month (for a student of a Doctoral Program) (an additional monthly stipend of 2,000 or 3,000 yen may be added to those students undertaking study or research in some designated regions of the country).

The scholarship will not be paid to a recipient during a leave of absence or a long absence from his or her university.

(2) Traveling Costs

[1]transportation to japan:.

Recipients awarded travel allowance will be provided, according to the itinerary and route designated for them by MEXT, with an economy class air ticket from the international airport closest to their place of residence to one of the international airports of Tokyo (Narita (NRT) or Haneda (HND)) (or an international airport the recipient's host university normally uses). Please note that the cost of transportation from the recipient's residence to the nearest international airport; airport tax and surcharges; other special local taxes incurred by travelling; local travel expenses within Japan (including any costs if transferring by air); travel insurance premiums; baggage and unaccompanied baggage; are the sole responsibility of the recipient.

MEXT or the university will provide an economy class air ticket to Narita International Airport (NRT) or the closest international airport to the university from a third country through which the applicant obtained their "Student" visa, if Japan does not have an overseas diplomatic establishment in their country of nationality. However, any costs incurred in travelling to the third country, travels within the third country and cost of accommodations incurred is the sole responsibility of the recipient.

The recipient's residence is taken to be the current address given in the application. However, if a change of address is known beforehand (limited to within the recipient's home country), residence will be taken as the latter. Moreover, an air ticket will not be provided if the recipient travels to Japan from a country other than that of their nationality. Air tickets will not be provided for travel from a third country for any reasons other than for obtaining visas.

[2]Transportation from Japan:

In principle, MEXT will issue airline tickets to recipients who return to their home country within the final month of the scholarship period as specified in "2. Period of Scholarship" above upon application following their graduation from university. Recipients will be provided with an economy class air ticket for a flight from Narita International Airport (or an international airport the recipient's university normally uses) to the international airport closest to their place of return (in principle, within their home country). Please be aware that costs incurred for transportation from the recipient's residence to the nearest international airport in Japan; airport tax and surcharges; other special local taxes incurred when travelling; local travel expenses within Japan (including any costs if transferring by air); insurance premiums for travel to Japan; sending baggage as well as unaccompanied baggage; are the sole responsibility of the recipient.

Recipients who return to their home country before the end of the scholarship period for personal reasons or because of items as stipulated in 4. Suspension of Scholarship Payment below will not be provided with return airfare.

Traveling expenses will not be included in the travel allowance if a recipient decides to remain in Japan (for example; continuing the education at a higher level or entering employment in Japan) after the period of scholarship ends and temporarily leaves Japan.

(3) School Fees

Enrollment and Tuition fees will be exempted.

(4) Suspension of Scholarship Payment

The scholarship will be cancelled in the following cases. If a recipient receives the scholarship even though he or she is judged ineligible due to one of the following cases, the recipient may be ordered to return all or a part of scholarship money received. Please note that payment of the scholarship may be stopped during the time while decision is being made on the disciplinary action.

• If any portion of the recipient's application documents is found to be false or wrongly stated.
• If a recipient is in breach of his or her pledge made to the Minister of MEXT (Monbukagakusho).
• Given life or more than one year of imprisonment with or without hard labor having been convicted of breaking the law in Japan.
• If a recipient is punished by expulsion, suspension, admonishment, or any other similar disciplinary action, in accordance with the university rules.
• If a student is deemed not to be able to complete the program within the standard duration due to unacceptable academic performance, student's suspension or student's leave of absence.
• If a recipient does not obtain a new "Student" status before arriving in Japan or the recipient's resident status of "Student" changes to any other status.
• If a recipient receives another scholarship (except for a scholarship designated for research expenses).
• If a recipient proceeds to a higher academic program without obtaining permission to extend the scholarship period from MEXT.
• If a recipient leaves the host university or is transferred to another graduate school.

4. Application & Screening

(1) application documents, application instructions.

• Applicants must submit the required documents for MEXT Scholarship after completing their admission application for entering the Master's/Doctoral Program, following the "Instructions for International Students applying to the Graduate School of Science (Special Selection for International Applicants)" .
• These documents must be written in either Japanese or English. They must be created in A4 format using software such as MS Word and must be printed double-sided (duplex printing). A document written in any other language must be accompanied with a Japanese translation.
• Submitted documents will not be returned.
• An application passed the submission deadline is not acceptable.
• An application will not be considered unless all application forms and necessary documents are completed correctly and all accompanying documents are complete.
• In some countries, a graduation certificate and other documents are issued by a government administrative office. In this case, the University of Tokyo may need to confirm with a student's previous university that the certificate issued contains no erroneous information.

(2) Nomination Process

After nomination by the Graduate School of Science, nominees for the MEXT selection will be decided in a selection process for the entire University of Tokyo. After the University of Tokyo nominates its candidates, the grantees will be decided upon screening at MEXT.

5. Application Period

From October 10 to October 31, 2023, Japan Standard Time The electronic application must be submitted within the application period.

6. Application Submission Method & Contact Address

Applicants must submit the required documents to apply for the MEXT Scholarship after applying for admission to the Graduate School of Science (Master's/Doctoral Program). For an application to count, both MEXT scholarship application and the Graduate School of Science admission application must be completed before the application deadline through the respective online forms.

Electronic Application

To submit the electronic application, applicants must upload all application documents through the designated application form, as instructed below, before the application deadline. Note that other forms of submission such as via email will not be accepted.

Complete your electronic application through the online application below, following all of the following instructions:

• You must scan in each item of the application documents listed in 4 (1) and upload it in the file format designated in the application form (such as PDF).
• Upload all of your application documents and submit your electronic application before the application deadline: Online Form for MEXT Electronic Application
• Be sure to check the contents of the automated email that you receive upon submitting your electronic application.

7. Notification

The result will be notified to applicants according to the following schedule.

The nominees selected by the Graduate School of Science will be notified by e-mail in mid-February, 2024. The unsuccessful candidates are also notified by e-mail.

The nominees selected at the University of Tokyo selection stage will be further notified by e-mail in April 2024. The candidates found unsuccessful at this stage are also notified by e-mail.

On receipt of the official announcement of the decision by MEXT, the grantees will be notified by postal mail in June, 2024(tentative). The unsuccessful nominees are also notified by postal mail.

[ Inquiry about the result ]

International Team, Academic Affairs Group, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo

• The recipient of this scholarship is guaranteed a room in the University of Tokyo International Lodge (furnished room with a rent of approximately 50,000 yen/month (Kashiwa), 60,000 yen/month (Komaba)) for the first one year (a student whose laboratory is located in Hongo Campus=Komaba Lodge, a student whose laboratory is located in Kashiwa Campus=Kashiwa Lodge).
• This application will close before MEXT announces its Application Guidelines for Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship 2024 by University Recommendation〔General Application〕. As such, details including but not limited to the result notification schedule are subject to change.
• In the event of unavoidable or unforeseen circumstances, the Japanese Government reserves the right to change or cancel the arrival date, scholarship, and contents of the application guidelines here within, at any time before or after notification of the results of the final selection. Unavoidable circumstances are defined as events whose effects could not reasonably be prevented or controlled by MEXT or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (including embassies and consulate generals of Japan) including but not limited to acts of God, acts of government (including local government, hereafter referred to as government), acts of government authorities (including limitations on travel or immigration enacted by the Japanese government or other foreign countries’ government due to occurrence of infectious disease), compliance with law, regulations or orders, fire, flooding and torrential rain, earthquakes, acts of war (with or without a declaration of war), revolts, revolutions or rebellions, strikes, or lockouts.

Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship

• Scholarships
• Japanese Government Scholarship

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan offers scholarships to international students who wish to study in Japanese universities.　The scholarship students are recruited and selected in two ways: embassy recommendation or university recommendation. Prospective international students who wish to study at University of Tsukuba can apply for the scholarship by one of the two ways.

Embassy Recommendation

To be a candidate of this category, applicants need to apply through the Japanese Embassy or Consulate (hereinafter referred to as "Japanese Embassy") in the applicant's country at first, and pass their first screening. The application schedule differs according to the country in which the Japanese Embassy is located, and the categories of student status ("RESEARCH STUDENT", "UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT", "JAPANESE STUDIES STUDENT" and "TEACHER TRAINING STUDENT"). Applicants are advised to check websites of MEXT and the Japanese Embassy in their home country for the details.

Applicants for this scholarship as a "RESEARCH STUDENT" are required to obtain a "Letter of Provisional Acceptance" issued by Japanese universities. Only those who passed the first screening are eligible to contact a prospective academic advisor during the period stated in the MEXT's guidelines to request the letter. The contact information of faculty members can be searched on TRIOS . Please be advised that your potential academic advisor will no longer accept your request for a Letter of Provisional Acceptance after the deadline.

In addition, applicants should notify the Division of Student Exchange office that they have reached out to their potential academic advisor and requested a Letter of Provisional Acceptance. The email address of the Division of Student Exchange will be provided by the embassy to those who passed the first screening.

Those who received the letter must submit it to the Japanese Embassy to proceed to the second screening of MEXT.

AY 2024 Application Schedule for MEXT scholarship (embassy recommendation)

• Around April-June, 2023 FIRST SCREENING at the Japanese Embassy
• Late August Request a LETTER OF PROVISIONAL ACCEPTANCE to Japanese universities
• September Receive a LETTER OF PROVISIONAL ACCEPTANCE from the university. It must be submitted immediately to the Japanese Embassy.
• October or after SECOND SCREENING at MEXT
• Around January-February, 2024 Notification of the final result from the Japanese Embassy to the candidates
• April or October, 2024 Enrollment at the university

University Recommendation

Candidates of this category are nominated to MEXT through university selection. This recommendation way is consisted of two different types, "General Program" and "Special Program" as follows.

General Program

General Program is a type of selection in which a university selects overseas applicants seeking admission to its master's or doctoral programs as scholarship candidates to MEXT. No restrictions are placed on applicants' research fields but the nationalities of applicants are limited to only those designated by the MEXT. It must be noted that the maximum number of recommended candidates is very few, annually limited to only 3 candidates.

The application process for the university recommendation must always go through the applicant's prospective academic advisor. First of all, applicants are required to contact their prospective academic advisor via email to ask if they can be recommended as MEXT scholarship candidates. If the academic advisor is willing to recommend the applicant as a candidate for university selection, they will discuss further procedures.

After the application guidelines of the MEXT scholarship is published around mid-November, please get your documents ready as per the instructions by the prospective academic advisor.

AY 2024 Application Schedule for MEXT scholarship (University recommendations, General Program)

• Around November-December 2023 Application period
• Around January-February 2024 University's internal selection Nomination to MEXT
• Around June Notification of the final result
• October Enrollment at the university

Special Program

University of Tsukuba selects candidates for programs particularly adopted by MEXT for its University Recommendation Scholarship, Special Program. Some programs take only "RESEARCH STUDENT" while others take "UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT".

In any case, this category accepts only degree students, therefore, the applicants are required to pass the entrance examination provided by each program in order to be eligible for application. Please check the program website to obtain relevant information about the entrance examination.

List of Special Programs for University Recommendation AY 2024 (as of May, 2023)

Graduate Level

• Transborder Medical Program for Emerging Infectious Diseases
• International program for human-centered AI society
• International Resilience Engineering Program powered by Industry-Academia Collaborated PBL
• Master's Program in Sport and Olympic Studies
• Degree Program In Materials Innovation
• Graduate Program for Transforming Society Through Artificial Intelligence and Intelligent Robotics

Undergraduate Level

• Bachelor's Program in Interdisciplinary Engineering
• Bachelor's Program in Global Issues

TranSenz: MEXT Scholarship and Visa Information for Moving to Japan

Mext scholarship eligibility criteria – 2023/2024 embassy recommended mext scholarship.

Do you meet the eligibility criteria for the 2023/2024 Embassy-Recommended MEXT Scholarship?

Click here for more information about How to Apply for the MEXT Scholarship .

Read the updated article for the 2024/2025 application, instead!

This article is out of date. I have written an updated version for the 2024/2025 Embassy-Recommended MEXT Scholarship eligibility criteria , so please refer to that one instead!

Are you eligible to apply for the Japanese Government Monbukagakusho (MEXT) Scholarship?

As I write this, MEXT has just released the application guidelines for the 2024 Embassy Recommended MEXT Scholarship (apply in 2023/scholarship starts in 2024). This article covers everything you need to know about those requirements.

Embassy Recommendation MEXT Scholarship Eligibility Requirements: Research Students

The requirements below are for the Embassy Recommended MEXT Scholarship. As I detail in my book, How to Apply for the MEXT Scholarship , there are differences between the eligibility requirements for University and Embassy Recommendation. I have published another article about the eligibility requirements for the University Recommendation MEXT Scholarship .

These are also the eligibility requirements for the MEXT Scholarship for Research (Graduate) Students . I do not cover the requirements for undergraduates below. If you want to know about the MEXT Scholarship for undergraduate students, I recommend reading the official application guidelines .

A Word of Caution

The eligibility requirements I describe below are the requirements set out by MEXT. However, when you apply to universities for Letters of Acceptance * after passing the primary screening, the universities may have their own higher eligibility requirements, as well. If you find that the university you are applying to specifies higher or additional requirements compared to what I describe below, you must meet both sets of requirements. Do not bother trying to argue with the university that MEXT’s standards are lower. That won’t work! *The article linked above is from last year’s application cycle, but I will update it as soon as possible.

You may also find additional requirements unique to your country. For example, there may be a GPA requirement established in your country’s GPA system, a limitation on fields of study, or other rules. Be sure to check the application guidelines on the homepage of the Japanese Embassy for your country !

Minimum GPA

You must have a minimum 2.3 / 3.0 GPA on MEXT’s scale over the course of your most recent degree, including all grades shown on your transcript at the time of application.

For more information on how to calculate your GPA, I have a separate article dedicated entirely to that process .

You will not find this requirement listed in the official application guidelines provided by MEXT or the embassies (or universities). It is a requirement that MEXT sends to embassies and universities to nominate candidates.

However, frankly speaking, if your converted GPA is even close to that minimum standard, you are going to be facing an uphill battle to get this competitive scholarship!

Nationality

You must have the nationality of a country that has formal relations with Japan (e.g. not Taiwan or North Korea) and must not have Japanese Nationality, including dual nationality. If you currently hold Japanese nationality as a dual national, you must give up your Japanese nationality prior to arriving in Japan.

If you have dual nationality (or more) but do not have Japanese nationality as one of them, then you can ignore the statements about dual nationality throughout the application guidelines. You will use one of your nationalities for this application.

You must apply for the scholarship via the Japanese embassy in the country where you have nationality, including being present at the embassy in person at certain stages of the application. If you had multiple nationalities, then you must choose the country of your primary nationality (typically the country where you live).

Age/Date of Birth

As of the application for the 2023/2024 scholarship, applicants would need to have been born on or after April 2, 1989.

Exceptions to the Age Requirement

The only exceptions to the date of birth requirement above is if MEXT has determined that you could not apply during the ages when you would have been eligible because of a situation in your country beyond your control, such as compulsory military service or the total suspension of higher education due to war, etc.

I have never heard of any country qualifying for this exception, but if you find out that yours has been, please let me know in the comments below!

MEXT will not consider personal circumstances, such as your job, family, health, etc., for an exception.

Academic Background

For the Embassy Recommended MEXT Scholarship, you must meet the requirements below, based on the level of degree you are applying for. You do not need to meet the requirements at the time of application, but you need to be able to show that you will meet them before starting your studies in Japan.

Master’s Degree or equivalent (including Master’s level research student)

• Completed a 16-years education program in a country outside of Japan.
• Completed an undergraduate program with a standard study period of at least three years at a university in a country outside of Japan and received a degree equivalent to a bachelor’s degree.
• Not meet either of the requirements above, but be eligible for a master’s degree at a Japanese graduate school.

In Japan, you need to complete 16 years of study, starting from elementary school, in order to earn a bachelor’s degree, so that is the assumption for criteria 1. (However, if you completed 16 years of study and have not earned a bachelor’s degree because your country’s system requires more years, or because you repeated a year, etc., you would not qualify). For countries that require fewer than 16 years of formal education to earn a bachelor’s degree, refer to criteria 2.

The reference to “standard study period” in criteria 2 above, refers to what the university says should be the length of study. If you graduated early because of high ability and credit loading, that would not make you ineligible. For example, graduating from a 3-year program in 2.5 years still means that you completed a 3-year program. (You will know if this applies to you!)

Doctoral Degree (Non-Medical Practitioner Degrees*)

This is the set of criteria that apply to almost all doctoral degrees. *There are separate criteria for doctoral degrees in medicine, dentistry, veterinary sciences, and certain pharmaceutical faculties, as listed below.

• Earned a degree at a university outside Japan that is equivalent to a Master’s Degree or Professional Degree.
• Earned a bachelor’s degree, have at least two years of experience in research at a university or research center following that degree, and be considered to have academic competency equal to a person with a master’s degree, as recognized by a Japanese graduate school.
• Not meet either of the requirements above, but be eligible for a doctoral degree at a Japanese graduate school.

Doctoral Degree (Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Sciences, and Certain Pharmaceutical Fields)

• Completed an 18-year education program in countries other than Japan.
• Completed a program with a standard study period of at least five years in a country outside of Japan and received a degree equivalent to a bachelor’s degree.
• Completed a 16-year education program in countries other than Japan, have at least two years of experience in research at a university or research center following that degree, and be considered to have academic competency equal to university graduates in the the fields of medicine, dentistry, veterinary sciences, or certain pharmaceutical fields, as recognized by a Japanese graduate school
• Not meet any of the requirements above, but be eligible for a doctoral degree (medicine, dentistry, veterinary science, or pharmaceutical science) at a Japanese graduate school.

Besides the criteria above, you must also review the admissions requirements for the specific program(s) that you want to enroll in and meet all of those requirements. For example, the universities in Japan are likely to require that your previous degree be in the same field (medicine, dentistry, veterinary science, or pharmaceutical science) that you are applying to in Japan.

Field of Study

Need help with your Field of Study and Research Program Plan? How to Write a Scholarship-Winning Field of Study and Research Program Plan will walk you through choosing a field, developing a research question, and completing the final report to give you the best chance of success!

I have discussed the meaning of a “related field of study” in past articles and in my book, How to Apply for the MEXT Scholarship , but here is a summary:

A “related field” is a field of research that falls within the same discipline as something you majored in previously. If your past and future fields could be majors in the same faculty, or if one is a subset of another, they are related. For example, international relations and political science are clearly related. The same could be said for media studies and communication, or mechanical engineering and robotics. If you come from a multidisciplinary field, such as area studies, then any of the related fields are acceptable.

Do not worry about the specific name of the major or graduate school, all that matters is if the contents of the degree program are related.

If there is no obvious relationship between your fields, then you have to establish and prove the connection in your Field of Study and Research Program plan by clearly showing how research in your past field provided you with a natural transition to the future one. For example, if you can show that you are researching the same subject matter from a different perspective, that can be successful. I have often seen that approach work for applicants who want to pursue a business degree in Japan after completing a degree in another field during their previous studies. If they can justify that they want to explore the business development opportunities for their previous field of study, that can be considered to be related.

Field of Study Limitations by Country

MEXT allows the embassy in each country, in consultation with the local government, to limit the fields of study in which you can apply. Please check the website of the Japanese Embassy in your country to see if this applies to you.

Prohibition of Technical/Artistic Training Fields

The MEXT Scholarship does not permit study of traditional Japanese performance arts, such as Kabuki and Japanese Dance, that require studio training. You could study kabuki, etc., from the perspective of literature or history, but not take part in a program to train performers.

Similarly, the scholarship does not cover programs that require technical training at factories, etc.

Additional Requirements for Medical Degrees

Medical, Dental, and Social Welfare degrees typically require clinical training, but students cannot take part in such training until obtaining the required licenses from the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare. These licenses must, of course, be obtained via testing in Japanese, so unless you are already highly fluent in Japanese, any degree that requires clinical training is essentially going to be impossible.

Language Ability

MEXT requires that applicants have a strong interest in dedicating themselves to studying the Japanese language and deepening their understanding of Japan, but does not have any set minimum language requirements, assuming that you are planning to study in a degree program taught in English. MEXT also requires that you have the requisite language ability to complete your research and survive in daily life in Japan.

There are no specific minimum language ability requirements in English or Japanese and you are not required* to submit proof of language ability during the Primary Screening, but language ability will still be an important part of the screening. During the Primary Screening, you will take language proficiency tests in Japanese and English at the embassy, which will be part of your evaluation. (You can find old tests on the official Study in Japan website for studying.) * Note: During the COVID-19 Pandemic, some embassies cancelled in-person written exams and instead required applicants to submit proof of language ability using test scores, such as TOEFL or JLTP. Be sure to check what the requirements are in your country for your year.

The second time that language proficiency test scores matter is when you apply to universities for a Letter of Provisional Acceptance after passing the Primary Screening. The universities may require that you submit language proficiency test scores. This is particularly true for programs taught in Japanese! I recommend you check the websites for the programs that you want to apply to in advance.

It would be safe to assume that you cannot apply for a program taught in Japanese if you do not have at least N2-level Japanese language ability at the time of application. To apply for a program taught in English, you should have at least B2 level English ability on the CEFR scale.

CEFR B2 Equivalency Table

Here are the scores that MEXT has determined to be equivalent to the CEFR B2:

• Cambridge English (Preliminary, First, Advanced, Proficiency): 160 or higher
• Eiken (Jun-1 kyu, 1 kyu): Any passing score
• GTEC (Advanced, CBT): 1190 or higher
• IELTS: 5.5 or higher
• TEAP: 309 or higher
• TEAP CBT: 600 or higher
• TOEFL iBT: 72 or higher
• TOEIC L&R/TOEIC S&W: 1560

The N2/B2 suggestions above are not official minimum requirements. You may find that the requirements are higher or lower depending on the program that you want to apply to.

You must have no physical or mental health obstacles to studying in Japan, as indicated by a doctor on your Medical Certificate.

A pre-existing medical condition will not disqualify you, as long as your doctor says that you are still fit to study in Japan. If your condition is self-managed, or you can manage it under the continuing care of a Japanese doctor, you should be fine. (If you need continuing care, though, that might limit your choices for universities in Japan, as you will need to be close to a doctor that can treat you in English.)

Ability to Arrive in Japan on Designated Date

In the application form, you will specify whether you want to arrive in Japan for the April or September/October term in 2024. Note that this is when you will arrive in Japan, not necessarily when you will start your degree or your studies at your university (you may spend the first semester in an intensive language program). Once you select your month of arrival, you cannot change it later.

• April Arrival: You must leave your country of residence on or after April 1, 2024, and arrive at your university in Japan between April 1-7, 2024.
• September/October Arrival: You must be able to arrive on the dates specified by your accepting university, which should be within a 2-week window surrounding the start of the Fall 2024 Semester there.

If you do not arrive during those dates, you would have to withdraw from the scholarship, unless MEXT determines that your inability to arrive was because of unavoidable circumstances.

Visa Requirement

In principle, you must apply for and obtain a “Student” visa at the Japanese diplomatic mission in the country where you hold nationality, then arrive in Japan using that visa. If you already live in Japan with a residence status other than “Student” you can be approved to change your residence status to student without leaving Japan. In that case, you must change your status to “Student” no later than the end of the month prior to the first month of receiving your stipend.

In the Japanese version of the guidelines (only) there is an additional caution that if you currently reside in Japan with a residence status of “Permanent Resident” or “Long-term Resident”, etc., and change your residence status to Student for the scholarship, it is possible that you will not be approved to change your status back to “Permanent Resident”, “Long-term Resident”, etc., after the scholarship is over.

The Japanese government also requires pre-arrival tuberculosis screening for some countries, so make sure to follow the guidance for obtaining a visa at the Japanese diplomatic mission in your country of nationality.

Note that if you change your residence status before completing your scholarship/studies, you would instantly be disqualified and lose the scholarship, as discussed in the “Disqualification Criteria” below.

Disqualification Criteria (“Non-eligibility” in the MEXT Guidelines)

Anyone meeting any of the criteria below is ineligible to apply for the scholarship. If a scholar is found to meet any of these criteria during their studies, they would be forced to withdraw from the scholarship immediately.

• Active duty military or military-employed civilian at the time of arriving in Japan or at any point during the scholarship award period.  
• Unable to arrive in Japan by the deadline determined by MEXT or the accepting university.  
• Previous recipient of the Japanese Government MEXT Scholarship (including those who withdrew from the scholarship in the past after becoming formally enrolled at an institution in Japan). However, applicants who have over 3 years of education or employment history between month after the last month of stipend payment from their previous scholarship award and the commencement of the new award are eligible to apply. Past recipients of the Japanese Studies MEXT Scholarship who returned to their home universities and graduated after receipt of that scholarship (including those expected to graduate before the start of the new scholarship), past recipients of the Japan-Korea Joint Government Scholarship Program for the Students in Science and Engineering Departments, and past recipients of the Young Leaders’ Program scholarship are eligible to apply, even if they do not have 3 years of education/employment from the end of the previous scholarship period. Past receipt of the MEXT Honors Scholarship for Privately-Financed International Students does not disqualify applicants. Note that if you are a past MEXT scholarship recipient and over three years have passed since your last award, but you were not employed or enrolled in a degree for at least three full years during that time, you would not be eligible.  
• Applicants who are simultaneously applying for any other Japanese Government (MEXT) scholarship, including students who applied for a scholarship to begin in Fiscal Year 2023 (April 2023-March 2024) and have not yet received final results and students applying for other programs that will begin payment in Fiscal Year 2024. This means that applicants who applied for the Embassy-Recommended MEXT Scholarship or the University-Recommended MEXT Scholarship in 2022 who passed the Primary Screening and are waiting on the final confirmation of results from MEXT are not eligible to apply this year. You cannot even apply as insurance in case your application is rejected in the end.  
• Applicants who are already enrolled at a Japanese university or any other institution (including Japanese language schools in Japan) as a privately funded student with a residence status of “Student” at the time of application or who will enroll in a Japanese university or any other institution prior to the start of the scholarship award period. However, applicants who are currently enrolled in a Japanese university/institution (or who will enroll in a Japanese university/institution) as privately funded students and who can show that they will definitely complete their studies, return to their home countries, and obtain a new student visa before returning to Japan are eligible. Essentially, this requirement means you cannot be enrolled in a Japanese university, language school, etc., intending to quit if you receive the MEXT Scholarship. The exception applies to students who enrolled in Japanese university (or language programs) and will complete their course of studies/graduate before the start of the scholarship. This would have to be shown in a Certificate of Expected Graduation, etc.  
• Applicants who are planning to receive scholarship money from an organization other than MEXT (including a government organization of the applicant’s country) in addition to the scholarship money provided by MEXT during the MEXT scholarship award period. *Note that this does not apply to specific research grants, etc., only to scholarships that cover the same areas as the MEXT scholarship, such as travel, living, or tuition expenses.  
• Applicants who have not yet graduated from their qualifying degree at the time of application and who do not graduate before the specified deadline. If you have not graduated, you are still eligible to apply and would have to submit a “Certificate of Expected Graduation” instead of a Certificate of Graduation. However, you will also be required to submit your final Certificate of Graduation prior to starting your studies in Japan to prove that you graduated as expected. If you do not graduate as expected, you would lose the scholarship.  
• Applicants who have multiple nationalities that include Japan, at the time of application and who cannot prove that they have renounced their Japanese citizenship prior to arriving in Japan (prior to officially being enrolled at the Japanese university as a student). Note: If you have multiple nationalities, but none of them are Japanese, then you are still eligible. This criteria does not apply to you.  
• Applicants who change their residence status in Japan to a status other than “Student” after arriving in Japan during the scholarship award period.
• Applicants who at the time of application intend to conduct fieldwork or internships outside of Japan or take a leave of absence during their studies for a long period of time. “Long period of time” is undefined, but I would interpret this as meaning any period that exceeds one month or interferes with coursework during the semester. MEXT Scholars are required to sign in once each month at their universities and show that they still have “Student” residence status. If you do not sign in on the designated date, you lose your stipend for the month in question and, if you miss three months in a row, you lose the scholarship entirely. Fieldwork outside the country could be possible during vacation periods, for less than a month.  
• Applicants who do not intend to earn a degree in Japan. *This means that it is not possible to apply just as a “Non-Degree Student.” You must indicate in your application that you intend to earn a degree.  
• Applicants that are found to have cheated or attempted to cheat during the written examination portion of the Primary screening.

Item 4, above, means that applicants for the Embassy-Recommended MEXT Scholarship for 2023 or the University-Recommended MEXT Scholarship for 2023 who are still waiting on the final confirmation from MEXT cannot apply for the Embassy-Recommended MEXT Scholarship for 2024. However, if you applied for either of those application processes and have already been told that your application was rejected, you may apply. It is only applicants who are still in the application process who are ineligible. (Practically speaking, applicants who have not received notification of rejection by this point should receive the scholarship without fail, so there is no need to apply in that case.)

Willingness to Participate in Intercultural Interaction

During your studies in Japan, you must be willing to actively take part in interaction events with local schools and communities to contribute to the strengthening of relationships between your home country and Japan. After graduation, you must remain in contact with your university, take part in follow-up surveys and studies, and join in activities conducted by the Japanese diplomatic mission in your home country to promote relations with Japan after returning home.

Of course, this is not measurable, but stating your willingness/excitement to take part in such activities during the application process, where possible, would help you application.

Scholarship Revocation Criteria

Any of the following, if discovered during your application or during your scholarship award period, will cause you to lose eligibility, be disqualified from the scholarship, or lose the scholarship in progress (including losing your paid ticket back to your home country). Students who have already started receiving the scholarship may be asked to pay back all or part of the stipend received. If any of the items below are in question, then MEXT may suspend payment of your stipend until the issue is resolved.

• You are determined to have made a false statement on your application.  
• You violate any article of your pledge to the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.  
• You violate any Japanese law and are sentenced and imprisoned for an indefinite period or for a period exceeding 1 year.  
• You are are punished under the regulations of your university or preparatory education institution in Japan and receive a punishment of expulsion, suspension, admonitory warning, or equivalent.  
• It has been determined that it will be impossible for you to complete the course within the standard period of study because of poor academic grades, suspension, or absence from the university or preparatory educational institution.  
• You come to Japan without newly acquiring a “Student” residence status, or change your residence status to one other than “Student” after arrival.  
• You receive another scholarship (excluding those specified for research expenditures).  
• You proceed to a more advanced level of education without receiving approval for an extension of the period of the scholarship.

Of the criteria above, 5 is really the only one that most applicants are at any risk of encountering. Essentially, if you were to fail a class and, because of that, not be able to earn the credits you need in time to graduate, you could not continue your studies. As soon as it was determined that you could not graduate on time, you would give up the scholarship, including your ticket home. Really, though, all of these situations are perfectly avoidable!

Pledge Form

Item 2 above mentions the “articles of your pledge to the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The Pledge Form is something that you sign after arrival in Japan, and the 2024 version is not yet available, but you can find the 2023 version on MEXT’s website . This document has not changed significantly in the 12 years that I have been working with the scholarship, and I do not expect changes in the future. Here is a summary of the items you must pledge:

• To obey the rules set by the university or the enrolling institution and devote yourself to your study and research in order to accomplish the aims of the Scholarship. Obeying the rules set by the university is clear and understandable, but part of the meaning of “devote yourself to your study and research” means that you should not engage in any other activities, including part-time work .  
• To not violate Japanese laws and regulations. Sounds obvious, but I actually had a MEXT Scholar at my past university get arrested and lose his scholarship for shoplifting and for falsifying records of tutoring sessions he offered through the university to collect additional pay.  
• To not bring the MEXT Scholarship program into disrepute. The Japanese statement here actually goes further and says that you will do nothing to cause distrust in the acceptance of international students by Japanese universities.  
• To accept responsibility for any expenses incurred beyond those covered by the Scholarship awarded by MEXT.  
• To accept responsibility for payment of any debts you might incur in Japan.  
• To not receive other scholarships (excluding those specified as being for research expenditures.).  
• To acknowledge that the scholarship awards will be tenable during the period stated in the notice of selection. This item means that you understand that the scholarship period cannot be deferred or changed. (It is possible to apply for an extension later, such as when progressing from research student status to a degree program or from a Master’s degree to a PhD, but that would entail an additional scholarship award for that program.)  
• To acknowledge that information (name, gender, date of birth, nationality, accepting university/graduate school/undergraduate school, field of specialty, period of enrolment, career path after completion of scholarship, contact information [address, telephone number, e-mail address]) regarding the MEXT Scholarship recipient may be shared with other relevant government organizations for the purpose of utilization for overseas students programs implemented by the Japanese Government (support during the period of overseas study, follow-up support, improvement of the overseas student system). In addition, to acknowledge that information regarding the recipient other than date of birth and contact information may be made public in materials produced by the Japanese Government as publicity information for promoting the acceptance of overseas students in order to introduce the activities of recipients in countries around the world after their study in Japan.

End of the Eligibility Criteria

You can find the original eligibility requirements for 2024 in English and Japanese in the application guidelines on the Study in Japan website, below https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/en/smap-stopj-applications-research.html

Want to know more?

My book, How to Apply for the MEXT Scholarship describes the scholarship in detail, including the eligibility criteria, purpose and coverage, how to develop a successful applicant mindset, and how to craft your application strategy for the greatest chance of success!

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Related Posts

Thank you for the interview for the Japanese Government Scholarship.

During the interview, we talked about the requirements for Japanese government scholarships.

Applicant must be born on or after April 2, 1989. This, along with other conditions, is explained on the university website.

Although you are not eligible due to age requirements, please let us know if there is a reason why you were unable to apply when you were at the qualifying age due to your country’s systems or circumstances (compulsory military service, loss of educational opportunities due to war, etc.).Furthermore, according to the Japanese government scholarship rules, Personal circumstances will not be accepted.

i am from Pakistan, my date of birth is 11-12-1988, just 3 months and 22 days overage. and i am not working in army etc. what i can write reason in this case, my both interview is clear.

Hi Imran Hussain,

I’m afraid there is nothing that you can do. The only acceptable reasons I know of for applying when you do not meet the age requirement are the examples given in your comment. There has to be a reason that was beyond your control why it was impossible to apply while you were of an eligible age. The only examples of acceptable reasons that I know of is if you were forced to serve in your country’s military during your eligible age time and so were not able to complete your qualifying education on time or if the education system in your country shut down and so you had no opportunity to earn your qualifying degree within your eligible age.

If it was possible for you to apply during a previous year when you were eligible, but you did not do so (or you did, but were unsuccessful), then as far as I know, there is no reason that MEXT would accept to approve your application now.

Good Luck! – Travis from TranSenz

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