Every year, within the framework of the International Parliamentary Scholarship (IPS) programme, the German Bundestag provides an opportunity for around 120 politically and socially engaged young university graduates from up to 50 countries around the world to gain an in-depth insight into Germany’s parliamentary system.
The programme’s patron is the President of the German Bundestag, Julia Klöckner. It is carried out in cooperation with the universities Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Technische Universität Berlin, and runs for five months.
The global IPS programme takes place from early March until the end of July.
During the five-month programme, participants have an opportunity to really get to know how the German Bundestag operates. During an introductory phase at the beginning of the scholarship, the topics of "Parliamentary democracy in Germany", "The pluralist society and protection of minorities", "The media landscape in Germany" and "The culture of remembrance" as a political mandate are conveyed. A more in-depth look at the model of an active civil society is provided by events held by the political foundations and supported by workshops.
The core element of the scholarship is a three-month placement in the office of a Member. The placement consists of a full-time position in a Member’s office, giving participants the opportunity to get to know the various tasks carried out there. They are expected to play an active role, including drafting speeches, articles and letters, preparing meetings and carrying out secretarial tasks. In addition, the participants accompany their Members to meetings of the committees, parliamentary groups and other bodies and gain an insight into Parliament’s functioning, systems and procedures. The placement also includes a visit to the Member’s constituency.
The participants are enrolled at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin during the programme for the summer semester. During the placement period they are able to take up to two courses at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin or one of the city’s other universities.
Table of Content
Summary
- Application DeadlineJuly 31, 2026
- ValueFully Funded
- Study LevelTraining
- SponsorGerman Bundestag
- Eligible CountryAlbania , Algeria , Argentina , Armenia , Azerbaijan , Bosnia and Herzegowina , Bulgaria , Canada , Chile , Colombia , Croatia (Hrvatska) , Cyprus , Czech Republic , Egypt , Estonia , France , Georgia , Greece , Hungary , Indonesia , Iraq , Israel , Jordan , Kazakhstan , Latvia , Lebanon , Libyan Arab Jamahiriya , Lithuania , Macedonia , Malaysia , Moldova , Mongolia , Morocco , Namibia , New Zealand , Poland , Romania , Slovakia , Slovenia , South Africa , Syrian Arab Republic , Tunisia , Turkey , Ukraine , United States , Uzbekistan
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Benefits
- Participants will receive a monthly allowance of 700 euros.
- The scholarship also includes free accommodation, the costs for travel to and from Berlin, as well as health, accident and liability insurance.
Requirements
- Citizenship of a participating country
- Under the age of 30 at the start of the scholarship
- University degree (Bachelor’s or higher) in any subject (evidence of completion of studies can be submitted at a later date in justified cases)
- A strong interest in politics and societal issues
- Social and/or political engagement
- Very good knowledge of the German language (at least Level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)
Selection Process
Participants are selected through a two-stage process.
- The initial selection is made by the relevant German diplomatic mission abroad. The most qualified applicants will be invited to a personal interview between July and December.
- A selection committee of the German Bundestag makes the final selection based on the applicants' linguistic, professional, social, and intercultural skills.
Further information about the application process can be found in our FAQs.
Application Documents
Your application is only complete with the following documents:
- Application form (to be completed in German);
- Proof of very good German language skills;
- Letter of motivation in German (max. 2 pages);
- University degree certificate (original or officially certified copy in English or German);
- Two recent letters of recommendation (in German or English) assessing the professional qualifications for the IPS program (according to the letter of recommendation guidelines );
- Copy of passport or national identity card as proof of nationality of one of the participating countries;
- A photo for your application as an image file (JPEG or other common image format).
A checklist is available to assist you with your application.
Application Deadline
July 31, 2026How To Apply
- Please send your application as a single PDF file (named: Last Name-First Name) by email to the German Embassy in your home country. You can find the email address under “ Contact Addresses: German Embassies ” . The PDF file must not exceed 10 MB in size. If the PDF file exceeds 10 MB, please split your application documents into several emails . Please do not send ZIP files.
Please Note:
*Exception: Franco-German Parliamentary Scholarship
- The Franco-German Parliamentary Scholarship begins on 1 October and finishes on 31 July each year. Participants are integrated into the IPS from March to July. French scholarship participants are enrolled as students at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin for the winter semester. Interested individuals from France should direct their questions to:
Département des affaires européennes bilatérales
MEN - MESR / SG
Direction des relations européennes et internationales et de la coopération,
110, rue de Grenelle
75357 Paris SP 07
Interested individuals from Germany should contact the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin at [email protected].
Contact
For more information, kindly visit German Bundestag webpage.
