35 Questions
Answered Directly

No. There is no direct application to ADB. You apply to one of the 27 designated partner institutions. The institution admits you, screens for ADB-JSP eligibility, and submits a ranked nominee list to ADB. ADB then makes the final selection. You never submit anything directly to ADB's scholarship unit.

No. The program requires you to be currently residing and working in your home country at the time of application. Citizenship alone is not sufficient — you must also be based in your home country. This disqualifies many diaspora applicants who are otherwise eligible in every other respect. If you're planning to return home soon, do so first and wait until you're established back home before applying.

No. Internships, volunteer positions, and part-time employment do not count. Only full-time paid professional employment after your bachelor's degree counts toward the 2-year minimum. If you have multiple full-time employers, you can combine their durations — but each period must have been full-time and paid.

The program will in principle not support a second master's degree. This doesn't mean automatic disqualification in every single case, but it is a significant barrier. If you do have a previous master's, you would need to make a very compelling case for why a second graduate degree is genuinely necessary for your specific development work. In most cases, applicants with a previous master's are advised to pursue other scholarships instead.

This is one of the most genuinely ambiguous points in the program guidelines. The official language says the program "will in principle not support applicants who have previously studied abroad." The phrase "in principle" creates uncertainty — some institutions interpret this strictly as a disqualifier, others treat it as a soft preference factor. The practical advice: contact the specific institution's admissions office directly and ask explicitly whether your situation is an issue before investing significant time in your application. Don't assume.

Under the standard track, no. The 35-year age limit is applied at the time of application submission. If you turn 35 before the institution's deadline, you are ineligible for the regular program. The only exception is for specific programs designated for senior officials, where the limit extends to 45 — but this requires explicit Japanese government endorsement and applies to a small subset of programs. Check with the specific institution whether their program has this exception before assuming it applies to you.

You are ineligible. Holding citizenship from any developed country — even if your other citizenship is from an eligible ADB member country — disqualifies you. The program is specifically for people from developing countries, and dual citizenship with a developed nation removes that status. Dual citizenship between two developing-country eligible members is not a disqualifier.

No. Part-time work is not accepted regardless of how many years it spanned. There is no prorated conversion from part-time to full-time equivalents. The requirement is specifically for full-time employment. Three years of part-time work does not equal two years of full-time.

ADB does not publish a specific minimum GPA. The stated requirement is a "superior academic record." In practice, successful applicants typically have a GPA equivalent of 3.5/4.0 or above, or the equivalent of First Class or Upper Second Class in Commonwealth grading systems. The institution's admissions office effectively sets the practical floor through their own admissions standards.

Yes, and you should. Applying to 2–3 institutions simultaneously is the standard strategy. Each institution runs its own independent process, and there is no restriction on how many you apply to. If admitted and nominated by more than one institution, you would need to accept one offer and decline the others at that stage.

There is no single deadline. Every one of the 27 partner institutions sets its own deadline independently. They range from November through March depending on the institution and intake cycle. You must visit each institution's own admissions page to find the current deadline. ADB's website does not maintain an up-to-date deadlines table for all institutions. Confirm directly with each institution for the current application year.

At ADB's selection stage, no — the final selection is entirely document-based. At the institutional stage, it depends on the institution. Kyoto University's Graduate School of Management, for example, sometimes conducts optional online interviews. Most institutions do not. Check with each institution whether they conduct an interview as part of their ADB-JSP screening process.

You need documentation of your parents' income (or your spouse's income if you are married). Acceptable forms include income tax returns, salary certificates from employers, or official income statements. The specific acceptable format can vary by country. The key point is that this is a separate document from your own income evidence — many applicants submit their own income documentation but forget the family income certification. Both are required.

Yes. University admission is a prerequisite. The institution will not submit your file to ADB unless you have been offered admission to their program. In practice, most institutions accept the university application and the ADB-JSP information sheet simultaneously, but they screen ADB-JSP eligibility only for those they've admitted. Some institutions make conditional offers and then review ADB-JSP eligibility. The order is: admission first, then scholarship consideration.

For September intakes, most institutions have January–February deadlines, and ADB-JSP results are typically announced around May. That's roughly a 3–4 month gap between submitting your application and knowing the scholarship result. Keep in mind that university admission decisions often come separately and earlier — you might know you've been admitted to the program in March while the ADB-JSP decision doesn't come until May.

Contact the institution's admissions office and explain the situation. They have dealt with applicants from contexts where formal HR processes are limited — smaller NGOs, government agencies without formal HR departments, or field-based organizations. Alternatives that have been accepted in some cases include: a letter from a supervisor on official stationery, tax records showing employment income, contracts of employment, or pay stubs covering the relevant period. The key is demonstrating full-time employment with documented evidence. Check with the specific institution what they'll accept.

Yes, you can reapply in a subsequent cycle. There is no stated restriction on the number of applications. However, reapplying means re-establishing admission to an institution — universities don't automatically hold your admission from one year to the next. The practical constraint is the age limit: if you're close to 35, your window for reapplication is limited. Use the gap year to strengthen the weakest parts of your previous application — typically the statement of purpose or the development relevance narrative.

Most institutions require scores within the past two years. Both IELTS and TOEFL iBT scores are valid for two years from the test date. If your scores are older than two years, you'll need to retest before submitting your application. Check the specific institution's requirements — some may accept scores up to three years old in certain circumstances, but two years is the standard.

No. The JPY 147,000/month is a combined subsistence and housing allowance — it covers both living expenses and rent together. It is not split into separate amounts, and there is no additional housing allowance on top of it. For Tokyo-based scholars, this means a significant portion of the monthly payment goes directly to rent, leaving less for daily living expenses.

You can bring your family if your visa status allows it, but the scholarship provides zero financial support for dependents. Their flights, housing, living expenses, children's schooling, and health care are entirely your responsibility, funded from your own resources. The JPY 147,000/month is designed for one person. Scholars with dependents typically need savings or an external source of support.

At current rates, JPY 147,000 is approximately USD 980–1,000. In Tokyo, a small private room in a shared house or student accommodation typically runs JPY 50,000–80,000/month. That leaves JPY 67,000–97,000 for food, transport, phone, and all other expenses — roughly USD 450–650. It is workable with careful budgeting. Most scholars who describe the stipend as tight are based in central Tokyo. Scholars at institutions in smaller Japanese cities (Nagasaki, Beppu, Niigata) consistently report more financial comfort at the same stipend amount.

In special circumstances only — this is not a standard benefit. Preparatory language training is covered only where specifically required by the program and approved by ADB. For most English-medium programs (which is the majority of ADB-JSP options), Japanese language study is not covered. If you want to learn Japanese, that expense comes out of the monthly stipend.

This varies by institution, but typically 1–2 weeks after arrival. You will need to open a local bank account first, which requires your residence card (zairyu card) in Japan — and that card takes 1–3 weeks to process after arrival. There is often a cash flow gap at the start. Arrive with at least USD 500–1,000 in accessible funds to cover your first weeks before the stipend begins flowing. Some institutions provide an advance or the JPY 30,000 establishment allowance immediately on arrival, which helps.

In Japan, scholarship income from the ADB-JSP is generally not subject to Japanese income tax for foreign students under a student visa. However, tax rules vary by country and personal circumstances. You should consult your institution's international student office and your home country's tax authority about any reporting obligations in your home country for scholarship income received abroad.

Legally, student visa holders in Japan can apply for a "Permission to Engage in Activity Other Than That Permitted" — which typically allows up to 28 hours per week of part-time work. Whether ADB-JSP terms permit this is a separate question. The scholarship agreement generally requires you to prioritize your studies. Check your scholarship acceptance letter and the institution's international student guidelines before taking any paid work during the program.

Yes. The return obligation is a signed legal commitment, not an expectation. When you accept the scholarship, you sign an Acceptance of Scholarship Award that formally commits you to returning to your home country after graduation. The minimum return period is 2 years. This is not a formality that people quietly ignore — it is the core purpose the scholarship was designed to fulfill.

ADB does not publish the enforcement mechanism for non-compliance. What is known is that you have signed a formal legal commitment. The practical consequences are not widely documented publicly, which doesn't mean there are none — it means ADB hasn't made them visible. If you are applying to this scholarship while privately planning to stay abroad, this is the wrong scholarship for you. Apply to it only if you genuinely intend to return.

Not immediately. The scholarship terms include a 2-year restriction on employment by ADB Group — including ADB itself, ADB Institute, and entities directly associated with ADB operations — following the end of your scholarship. This surprises many scholars who had planned to pursue an ADB career right after graduation. You can pursue other international organizations, national government positions, or private sector roles during these two years, and then apply to ADB after the restriction expires.

Yes. The Japan-ADB Scholarship Alumni Association (JASAA) is the official alumni network. It is active primarily on Facebook and maintains connections among former scholars across the Asia-Pacific region. JASAA provides networking opportunities, career connections, and a community of development professionals who share the same scholarship background. Engagement with the alumni network after graduation is encouraged, though not required.

ADB does not publish an overall acceptance rate. About 130–140 scholarships are awarded annually across 27 institutions and 38 eligible countries. Competition varies significantly by institution — flagship universities like the University of Tokyo or the Lee Kuan Yew School attract more applicants per slot than smaller or more specialized institutions. Choosing a program where your background is genuinely competitive improves your odds more than any single document does.

Extensions are possible but not automatic. If you need additional time beyond the standard program duration (typically 2 years), you must formally request an extension through the institution and ADB. Extensions are granted on a case-by-case basis and are not guaranteed. If an extension is denied, you would need to fund any additional time yourself. Plan your study timeline to complete within the scheduled duration.

No. The ADB-JSP supports master's degrees only. Doctoral programs are not eligible, and there is no pathway within ADB-JSP to continue to a PhD. If you want to pursue a PhD after your ADB-JSP master's, you would need separate funding through another scholarship.

Yes. The scholarship can be terminated if you fail to maintain satisfactory academic performance, violate program conditions, engage in misconduct, or are found to have provided false information in your application. The progression from Year 1 to Year 2 is conditional on satisfactory academic standing — this is stated in the program guidelines. Treat Year 1 performance seriously.

ADB alumni are disproportionately represented in senior government roles, international organizations, and development-focused institutions across Asia-Pacific. The scholarship carries genuine prestige in development circles, particularly in South and Southeast Asia. Alumni often report career acceleration — especially those who return to government roles where a foreign master's credential from a recognized institution carries weight in promotion decisions.

East-West Center in Honolulu only opens ADB-JSP applications every other year. As of 2026, the next open cycle runs August–December 2026 for Fall 2027 entry. If you're targeting East-West Center specifically, confirm the current cycle status directly with their office before building your application timeline around it. Many applicants have missed an entire cycle by not knowing about this biennial schedule.