The MEXT Undergraduate Scholarship supports eligible international students for preparatory education and a Bachelor's degree in Japan. The 2027 embassy-recommendation application phase ran through country-specific Japanese diplomatic missions in April-May 2026 and is now closed. University-recommendation opportunities are separate and institution-specific.
Official source: Ministry of Education Culture Sports Science and Technology (MEXT) |Last fact checked:
Current application status: Closed
The listed application round has closed. Dates below are retained for reference and planning; check the official provider for a future cycle before applying.
The standard award includes a ¥117,000 monthly allowance under the applicable guideline, waived university examination, matriculation and tuition fees, and specified economy airfare. Embassy candidates sit Japanese, English, mathematics and, for natural sciences, the required science examinations before MEXT placement.
Applicants must use the exact 2027 undergraduate guideline and local embassy notice. Most follow a one-year preparatory course before placement at a Japanese national university. Direct placement is limited, university choice is not unrestricted, and scholarship extension into a later graduate degree is not guaranteed.
The Japanese Government MEXT Scholarship is not one form sent directly to the ministry. A Undergraduate applicant normally follows either embassy recommendation through the Japanese embassy or consulate responsible for the country of nationality, or a university-recommendation opportunity offered by an approved Japanese institution with a quota.
Country, field, document, examination, and deadline details can differ. MEXT states that the latest application guideline controls when a summary conflicts with it. Applicants should never mail an unsolicited application to MEXT in Japan.
Embassy recommendation begins with recruitment and first screening by a Japanese diplomatic mission. The mission publishes the local deadline and submission method, checks documents, administers required written examinations, conducts interviews, and forwards successful candidates for later MEXT screening.
University recommendation begins with a Japanese university that has an approved recommendation quota or framework. Not every university can nominate students, and a professor's willingness to supervise does not create a quota. Eligibility, academic standard, scholarship duration, arrival term, and internal deadline belong to the host's call.
Embassy recommendation is the best-known undergraduate route and uses subject examinations before MEXT placement. Some university-recommendation undergraduate opportunities exist through restricted arrangements, but candidates must find a university call that expressly includes their level and programme.
Do not submit simultaneous or conflicting MEXT applications when the guideline prohibits it. Declare any other Japanese government scholarship application and ask the embassy or university when two opportunities overlap.
Monthly amounts may change with the Japanese government budget. Payments can be suspended during extended absence, poor progress, unauthorised status changes, or other guideline violations. Students must open the designated Japanese bank account after arrival for scholarship payments.
Airfare does not cover every travel expense. Students commonly pay domestic travel to the departure airport, airport taxes and fees, insurance, excess baggage, travel inside Japan, and costs created by personal route changes. Tickets may not be provided when arrival or return falls outside the specified conditions.
Housing is not automatically free. University international residences can have limited rooms and require rent, deposits, or advance expenses. Private housing is the student's responsibility. Dependants are not funded as part of an individual award, and MEXT advises that family housing can be difficult to secure.
The first payment may arrive one to one-and-a-half months after arrival. Official research-student guidance recommends bringing approximately US$2,000 for immediate costs. Every student should create an arrival budget for accommodation, food, transport, phone service, insurance procedures, and basic setup.
Applicants must hold the nationality accepted by the diplomatic mission and normally apply through the mission for that nationality. Japanese nationals are ineligible, while dual nationals involving Japanese nationality must meet the guideline's renunciation conditions by arrival.
Undergraduate applicants must meet the exact birth-date rule and have completed, or be certain to complete, the schooling required for Japanese university admission by the stated date. The embassy guideline, not a generic age summary, determines eligibility for the 2027 intake.
Applicants choose from the fields and majors listed in the undergraduate guideline. Field changes are restricted, and some programmes require a longer course. Academic placement considers written examinations, school record, interview, language ability, and the availability of a suitable national university.
Applicants must be physically and mentally able to study in Japan, obtain the required Student visa and residence status, arrive during the designated period, and comply with exclusions concerning military status, overlapping scholarships, previous MEXT awards, current enrolment, and long-term activity outside Japan.
Embassy-recommended undergraduate candidates select Social Sciences and Humanities or Natural Sciences and then choose permitted courses and majors. Read the current table carefully because examination subjects and placement rules follow the selected course.
The official Study in Japan overview lists Japanese, English, and mathematics examinations for undergraduate candidates. Natural-science applicants also choose two science subjects from chemistry, physics, and biology according to the applicable course. Use official past questions to understand level and format.
Written screening is competitive and does not use one global pass mark published for every country. Prepare in the correct subject combination, practise timed papers, and continue Japanese study even if the intended field can later be studied partly in English.
MEXT normally determines university placement. Direct placement may be possible under specified conditions, but applicants should not assume they can freely choose any university. The selected major, examination performance, language, university capacity, and preparatory-education decision all affect placement.
Most embassy undergraduate awards include one preparatory year in Japanese and other subjects before the degree. Direct placement is exceptional and requires the language and admission conditions set by the university and MEXT.
Embassy undergraduate screening includes Japanese and English examinations. Even candidates with limited Japanese should sit the required examination and prepare seriously. Most undergraduate instruction in Japan is in Japanese unless a direct-placement arrangement says otherwise.
There is no universal IELTS, TOEFL, or JLPT score that replaces all MEXT screening. A diplomatic mission or university may request a certificate, and host graduate admission may impose its own language test. Current embassy guidelines accept language certificates only under their stated recency and copy rules.
The preparatory year develops Japanese and other subjects needed for university. Failure to complete preparation or reach the required standard can prevent progression. Start before application rather than expecting one year to solve every academic-language gap.
Use the official 2027 forms and the diplomatic mission's local instructions. Required originals, copies, numbering, photographs, seals, signatures, and submission methods matter. Documents are generally not returned.
Documents must be in Japanese or English or include a translation into one of those languages. A translation does not replace the underlying official record. Transcripts should show all years, subjects, grades, and the grading scale; a degree certificate alone is not a transcript.
Expected graduates must prove that they will complete the qualifying education by the required date and later submit final evidence. Inconsistent names, dates, or degrees should be explained with official support rather than silently altered.
Passing document review, written examinations, or interview alone is not the final award. The diplomatic mission combines these stages for first screening, and successful files then proceed to MEXT's later screening and placement process.
Interviewers can examine motivation, field understanding, readiness for Japanese study, academic plans, adaptability, and intention to contribute to relations with Japan. Answers should be specific and consistent with the selected course.
The standard embassy undergraduate pathway commonly includes one year of preparatory Japanese and academic subjects followed by the degree at a national university. The normal scholarship period is five years including preparation, or seven years for medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, and six-year pharmacy courses, subject to the current guideline.
Students must pass the required preparation and placement process. The university and major may differ from a personal first preference, and objections to MEXT placement are generally not accepted. Applicants should apply only if they are willing to accept this structure.
Scholarship extension for further study is not automatic. Outstanding students meeting MEXT criteria may later apply through the separate extension process, but an undergraduate award should not be advertised as guaranteed funding through Master's or PhD study.
MEXT conducts later screening and placement after embassy first screening. A first-screening pass does not guarantee final selection. Applicants receive the official outcome through the diplomatic mission, not through agents or unofficial result lists.
MEXT decides preparatory institution and university placement according to the guideline. Direct placement requires the necessary language and university conditions.
Selected students must obtain a new Student visa and enter Japan with the required residence status. Arriving outside the stipulated period for personal reasons can cancel travel support or the award. Do not book independent travel before receiving instructions.
Upon arrival, complete university registration, housing, National Health Insurance, residence procedures, and the designated bank account. Bring original academic and medical records requested for verification and enough funds for the first weeks.
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