The Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship is one of the few fully funded scholarships in the world that covers undergraduate study as generously as postgraduate study: tuition waived, airfare provided, and a monthly allowance for the whole degree. It is also one of the most misunderstood, because it runs on two separate tracks with two separate timelines, and applying to the wrong track — or at the wrong time — wastes a year. This guide separates the tracks, states the verified 2027 figures, and marks everything it has not verified as to be confirmed.
The two routes — and why the distinction matters
Embassy Recommendation is run entirely by the Japanese embassy or consulate in your home country. The embassy sets its own country-specific deadline, conducts its own written examination and interview, and forwards successful candidates to MEXT. For 2027 entry, those deadlines fell mostly between April and June 2026 — for example, the Embassy of Japan in Australia closed undergraduate applications at 5 p.m. on 11 June 2026, and Pakistani applicants faced a 5 June 2026 deadline. If you missed your embassy's 2027 deadline, that route is closed for 2027 entry, and no amount of emailing will reopen it. University Recommendation works the other way: you apply to a Japanese university, and the university recommends you to MEXT. Those applications remain open at many universities from September 2026 to January 2027. The two routes have different documents, different selection committees, and different timelines — treat them as two separate scholarships that happen to share a name.
What MEXT actually covers
| Benefit | Undergraduate | Research (master's / doctoral) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly allowance (2027) | ¥117,000 | ¥143,000–¥145,000 (¥143,000 preparatory / non-regular, ¥144,000 master's, ¥145,000 doctoral) |
| Tuition and fees | Entrance examination, matriculation and tuition waived | Same waiver |
| Airfare | Round-trip economy to Japan and back | Round-trip economy to Japan and back |
| Duration | 5 years in principle, including 1 preparatory year of Japanese language and other subjects | Varies by degree; a 6-month Japanese preparatory course where deemed necessary |
Two corrections to common claims. First, accommodation is not separately paid by MEXT: you may use university or preparatory-school housing where available, but the rent comes from your allowance. Second, the allowance is a living budget, not a generous salary — ¥117,000 a month covers a student life in most Japanese cities if you budget carefully, but it does not cover a lavish one, and Tokyo costs more than the regional cities where the supplement applies. Plan your budget on the allowance alone, and treat any part-time work as a supplement, not as the plan.
Eligibility and the examination
Undergraduate applicants must be secondary-school graduates or equivalent, and in principle born on or after 2 April 2002 for the 2027 cycle — check your own embassy's guideline, because the age rule is applied strictly. Approved undergraduate fields cover social sciences, humanities and natural sciences, including economics, business, engineering, agriculture, pharmacy, medicine and dentistry; art fields, including music, are excluded from the undergraduate scheme. Research applicants need at least a bachelor's degree and a study plan that a Japanese university is willing to supervise. The Embassy route includes a written examination in subjects relevant to your field plus an interview; past examination papers are published on the Study in Japan portal, and preparing from them is the single most effective use of your time. University Recommendation selection is driven by the university itself — your academic record, research plan, and the fit with a supervisor matter more than any single test.
Timeline for the next cycle
If you are reading this after the 2027 Embassy deadlines have closed, your realistic options are the University Recommendation route for 2027 entry, or the 2028 Embassy cycle, whose deadlines will again fall roughly between April and June of the application year. Start a year early: identify universities and potential supervisors, prepare your academic documents, and sit any required language test well before the window opens. For the 2028 cycle, confirm the exact deadline and allowance on your own embassy's page when the call is published — stipends are revised each fiscal year, and the 2027 figures in this guide are not a promise for 2028.
FAQs
How much is the MEXT monthly allowance for 2027? ¥117,000 for undergraduates; ¥143,000 to ¥145,000 for research students, plus a possible ¥2,000–¥3,000 regional supplement.
Does MEXT cover tuition and flights? Yes — entrance, matriculation and tuition fees are waived, and round-trip airfare is provided.
What is the difference between Embassy and University Recommendation? Embassy Recommendation is run by your country's Japanese embassy with its own exam and deadline; University Recommendation is run by a Japanese university that recommends you to MEXT.
Are the 2027 Embassy deadlines still open? No — for most countries they fell between April and June 2026 and have closed. University Recommendation at many universities runs September 2026 to January 2027.
Does MEXT pay for accommodation? No — accommodation is not separately paid; rent comes from your monthly allowance.
Related guides on Pakunii
Fully Funded Scholarships 2027 · TOEFL iBT 2027 Guide · IELTS Academic Guide · Digital SAT 2027 Guide
Sources and verification: MEXT 2027 undergraduate allowance ¥117,000, research ¥143,000–¥145,000 (preparatory ¥143,000, master's ¥144,000, doctoral ¥145,000), regional supplement ¥2,000–¥3,000, tuition/entrance/matriculation waived, round-trip airfare, undergraduate 5 years including 1 preparatory year, 2027 Embassy deadlines April–June 2026 (Australia 11 June 2026, Pakistan 5 June 2026), University Recommendation September 2026–January 2027, undergraduate age rule born on or after 2 April 2002 in principle — per Japanese embassy and MEXT 2027 guidelines. 2028-cycle deadlines and allowances to be confirmed when the call is published.