Japan-IMF Scholarship Program for Asia (JISPA)

Benefits & funding

• Admission and tuition fees at the host university.
• A monthly stipend for living costs. The University of Tokyo’s GraSPP publishes the figure as ¥157,000 a month, rising to ¥199,000 from the 2026 intake.
• Housing and an insurance package.
• A pre-arrival allowance covering visa fees and the medical exam, a settling-in allowance, and visa application costs.
• Round-trip economy airfare between the home country and Japan.
• Orientation Program fees and field trip costs on the Master’s Track.
• Family members’ expenses are not covered, and scholars may not hold another scholarship at the same time.

Eligibility

• Citizenship of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Lao P.D.R., Malaysia, the Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan or Vietnam. The official list also names Pacific Island Countries as a group without naming each state, so applicants from those countries should confirm with the program office.
• Current employment at a central bank, a ministry of economy, finance, planning and development or trade and commerce, a tax administration, a national statistics bureau, a financial regulatory agency or a similar government body, plus a signed nomination from that agency.
• Master’s Track: a bachelor’s degree with at least 16 years of formal education, at least two years of public-sector work experience, no master’s degree obtained outside the applicant’s own country, and an age under 36.
• Ph.D. Track: a master’s degree or equivalent with at least 17 years of formal education and at least two years of public-sector work experience. Priority goes to applicants under 38.
• English at TOEFL iBT 79-80 or IELTS 6.0 or above. Applicants from India, the Philippines and some Pacific Island Countries are exempt, as are those who studied in English in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK or the US.
• The structured age field is left blank because the two tracks use different limits, 36 and 38, and one number would either shut out or wrongly admit applicants.
• Scholars commit to returning to their home agency after graduation.

Application process

1. 1
   Choose the track: the Master’s Track for a master’s degree at one of the four partner universities, or the Ph.D. Track for doctoral study at an accredited Japanese university.
2. 2
   Obtain the employing agency’s nomination on the signed nomination and certification form.
3. 3
   Apply through the IMF online application system inside the track’s window. The Master’s Track window is September 15 to October 20, 2026; the Ph.D. Track ran May 1 to June 1 in 2026.
4. 4
   Master’s Track applicants ask their referees to submit reference letters by November 1, 2026.
5. 5
   Master’s Track candidates sit a mathematics test on December 3, 2026 and attend interviews between late January and late February 2027. Ph.D. Track interviews were held from late June to early July.
6. 6
   Successful Master’s Track candidates accept by March 18, 2027, join the Orientation Program from July 9, 2027, and start their degree in late September 2027.

Program timeline

1. Master’s Track applications open.

   September 15, 2026

2. Master’s Track application deadline.

   October 20, 2026

3. Reference letter deadline.

   November 1, 2026

4. Mathematics test.

   December 3, 2026

5. Interviews.

   Late January to late February 2027

6. Deadline to accept an award.

   March 18, 2027

7. Orientation Program in Japan.

   July 9 to September 22, 2027

8. Master’s programs begin.

   Late September 2027

9. May to June each year

   Ph.D. Track window; the 2026 round closed on June 1.