Key facts
- Status
- Applications closed Closed 22 May 2026
- Provider
- Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan, via the Embassy of Japan in South Africa
- Study level
- Postgraduate, Undergraduate
- Academic year
- 2027
- Last checked
- September 2026
Closed: the Embassy of Japan in South Africa states that MEXT 2027 applications have ended, with a closing date of 22 May 2026; no date for the next round has been published.
VerifiedThe Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship, offered by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, pays full tuition, a monthly stipend and return airfare for foreign students to study in Japan. South Africans apply through the Embassy of Japan in Pretoria, not to MEXT itself. The round for students arriving in Japan in 2027 closed on 22 May 2026, and the embassy’s page now says the 2027 applications have ended. The embassy has not yet announced the round for 2028 arrivals.
The four categories open to South Africans
For the 2027 intake the Pretoria embassy recruited in four categories, with different age limits:
| Category | Who could apply | Age rule for 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Research Students (master’s, doctoral or non-degree research) | Graduates with at least a bachelor’s degree and 16 years of schooling; open to South Africa, Eswatini and Lesotho | Born on or after 2 April 1992 (under 35) |
| Undergraduate Students | South Africans who have completed, or are completing, 12 years of school | Born on or after 2 April 2002 (under 25) |
| Specialized Training College Students | South Africans with 12 years of schooling | Born on or after 2 April 2002 (under 25) |
| Teacher Training Students | College or teacher-training graduates with at least five years’ active teaching experience at a primary, secondary or teacher-training institution | Under 35 |
University and college lecturers currently teaching are not considered for the teacher-training category. The research and undergraduate routes are the two most relevant to school-leavers and graduates, and they work quite differently.
Research students and the provisional acceptance letter
Research students go to a Japanese graduate school for a master’s, a doctorate, or a period of non-degree research. Applicants choose a field connected to the one they studied at university. Traditional performing arts such as Kabuki, and subjects that require practical training in factories or companies, are excluded. Medical graduates cannot do clinical work until licensed in Japan.
Candidates who pass the embassy’s first screening must find their own supervisor. They contact up to two Japanese universities at a time (MEXT set a deadline of 1 September 2026 for the 2027 intake) and ask for a letter of provisional acceptance. MEXT warns that applicants without such a letter may be rejected. Non-degree research students are funded from April 2027 to March 2029; regular degree students are funded for the standard length of their course. The first six months may be Japanese language preparation.
Undergraduates and the written examinations
Undergraduate applicants pick a course from MEXT’s list, from law, economics and business administration to engineering, agriculture, pharmacy, medicine and dentistry. Fine art and music are not eligible. The embassy’s first screening includes written examinations with no calculators allowed: humanities applicants write Japanese, English and Mathematics, while science applicants also write Chemistry and either Physics or Biology, followed by an interview.
Most undergraduate grantees spend a year in preparatory Japanese language and subject study before starting the degree, so the scholarship runs for five years (seven for medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine or six-year pharmacy).
Stipend, fees and flights
- Monthly allowance for 2027: 117,000 yen for undergraduates; 143,000 yen for research students in preparatory or non-degree study, 144,000 yen in master’s courses and 145,000 yen in doctoral courses. A regional supplement of 2,000 or 3,000 yen is added in some areas, and MEXT notes that the amounts can change with Japan’s budget.
- Entrance examination, matriculation and tuition fees are waived.
- An economy-class ticket from the international airport nearest the grantee’s home to Japan, and a return ticket at the end of the scholarship. Domestic travel to the airport, airport taxes, travel insurance and baggage costs are the grantee’s own.
There is no service obligation, but MEXT expects grantees to take part in school and community activities in Japan and to stay in touch with their university and the embassy after returning home.
Hand delivery to Groenkloof
For the 2027 round, applicants printed the forms from the Study in Japan research student page or the matching undergraduate page, completed them by hand or on a computer, and added a certificate of health completed by a medical doctor and a recommendation letter. The hard copies had to be hand-delivered or couriered to reach the Cultural Section of the Embassy of Japan in South Africa, 259 Baines Street, Groenkloof, Pretoria, before 16:00 on the deadline day. MEXT tells applicants never to send documents directly to Japan.
The embassy’s MEXT scholarship page is where the next call will appear, and questions go to selection.office.sa@pr.mofa.go.jp. Graduates who would rather study in the United Kingdom can compare the Chevening Scholarship, and the postgraduate bursaries list covers funding for study in South Africa.
FAQs
This round is not open right now. Check the provider’s own site for the next round.
Visit the provider’s websitePaper applications go to:
Cultural Section, Embassy of Japan in South Africa, 259 Baines Street, Groenkloof, Pretoria, 0181 (hand delivery or courier)
