Humboldt Fellowship Stipend and Allowances 2027: Every Euro, From the Guidelines
Beyond the monthly fellowship there is a mobility allowance, health-insurance subsidy, travel lump sum, family allowances and a paid language course. All figures below are from the foundation’s August 2026 guidelines.
ScholarshipUnion Editorial
4 min read
Updated Oct 6, 2026
Amounts on this page come from the Guidelines and Information on Humboldt Research Fellowships (Bonn, August 2026) and the programme information (January 2026). Most allowances depend on conditions, and several must be applied for separately after you are selected.
The core payments
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Research fellowship | EUR 3,000 / EUR 3,600 per month | Postdocs / experienced researchers. Paid into a SEPA bank account, usually on the 1st. |
| Mobility allowance | EUR 100 per month | Automatic during the research fellowship (not the language course). Covers conferences and research trips — no extra travel grants on top. |
| Health insurance subsidy | EUR 70 or EUR 130 per month | EUR 70 with private travel health insurance (automatic); EUR 130 with comprehensive private or statutory insurance (on application, with proof). |
| Initial lump sum | EUR 430 once | With the first payment, if you have not been in Germany more than three months when the fellowship starts. |
| Travel lump sum | By country and stay length | Only if your own institution does not pay. See below. |
Tax: the guidelines state Humboldt fellowships are exempt from German income tax and social insurance deductions. Your home country may tax them; check locally.
Other income: earnings above EUR 603 gross a month (EUR 633 from 1 January 2027) are offset against the fellowship, and you may not hold another German publicly funded fellowship at the same time.
Travel lump sum examples
The travel lump-sum table (valid from 1 February 2025) sets one figure per country and stay length:
| Coming from | 4–12 months | More than 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| India | EUR 1,425 | EUR 2,200 |
| China | EUR 1,425 | EUR 2,200 |
| Nigeria | EUR 1,675 | EUR 2,600 |
| Pakistan | EUR 2,000 | EUR 3,050 |
| Brazil | EUR 2,075 | EUR 3,200 |
| Australia | EUR 3,375 | EUR 5,200 |
Researchers from outside Europe who split the fellowship into up to three stays get a lump sum per stay; researchers from Europe get one. If you cannot advance the fare, the foundation can book an economy ticket instead. Family travel is paid only in exceptional cases.
Family allowances
Family members must accompany you for at least three months without interruption.
EUR 506/month on application. Your partner’s own earnings above the EUR 603 (2027: EUR 633) threshold are offset.
EUR 259/month per child as a substitute for German child benefit (Kindergeld) if you are not entitled to it.
EUR 400/month for the first child and EUR 100 for each additional child.
Up to 12 months longer if a child under 12 accompanies you; up to 3 months for maternity. Total normally capped at 36 months, not counting maternity extensions.
Health-insurance subsidies for partners and children are granted individually on application. EU/EEA and Swiss nationals with babies are expected to claim German parental allowance (Elterngeld) first.
The German course
Before the research fellowship you can take an intensive German course in Germany lasting two to four months. The foundation pays the course fees and a monthly language fellowship. It comes on top of your research months: a 2-month course plus a 12-month fellowship is a 14-month stay. Partners can join if they stay at least three more months afterwards. If you cannot come early, alternatives are an online course of 2 or 4 months from home, or a subsidy for a German course near your host, ideally in the first half of your stay.
Nothing obliges you to learn German, but the foundation “strongly encourages” it.
For your host and beyond
Your host institute can receive EUR 800 a month (natural sciences, life sciences, engineering) or EUR 500 a month (humanities, social sciences) towards research costs, budget allowing. Fellows with disabilities or chronic illnesses can claim up to EUR 15,000 per six months of documented extra costs. Research stays elsewhere in Europe can carry a Europe allowance of EUR 550 a month (EUR 700 with a partner).
What a month looks like
| Illustration | Calculation | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Single postdoc, travel health insurance | 3,000 + 100 + 70 | EUR 3,170 |
| Experienced researcher, partner + 1 child, comprehensive insurance, no Kindergeld | 3,600 + 100 + 130 + 506 + 259 | EUR 4,595 + family insurance subsidies |
Our arithmetic from the guideline rates, for illustration only. Your actual entitlement depends on applications approved by the foundation.
Events and alumni
Fellows are invited to regional network meetings, the annual meeting in Berlin each June/July (including a reception by the Federal President), and a study tour of about 14 days in late August. Afterwards, the foundation’s alumni sponsorship can support return stays in Germany and continued collaboration with your host.