Given I already hold a Master's degree, should I apply directly for a PhD abroad or consider an integrated Master's-PhD program?

The stronger question is not whether you technically qualify for direct entry, since a completed Master's clears that bar in most systems, but whether your existing Master's actually gave you research training a PhD committee will recognise.

Direct PhD vs Integrated Master's-PhD

When Direct PhD Is the Clear Choice

• A Master's thesis or substantial research project you can point to as evidence of independent work.
• Publications or conference papers, even modest ones, from your Master's period.
• A clear research interest with potential supervisors already identified at target universities.

Where an Integrated Program Still Makes Sense

Consider an integrated Master's-PhD if your Master's was coursework-heavy with little independent research, you are switching fields entirely, for example from engineering into computational biology, or you are applying somewhere that structurally expects a funded research-training stage before independent research begins.

Country Differences Worth Checking

The United States often folds a Master's phase inside the PhD even for students who already hold one. Canada and the UK commonly accept direct PhD entry after a research-oriented Master's. Germany and the Netherlands generally expect a relevant Master's for PhD admission, and Australia treats a research Master's as a strong direct pathway.

My Advice

Before applying anywhere, honestly assess whether your Master's was coursework-only or genuinely research-oriented; an MTech or MS with a thesis reads very differently to an admissions committee than an MA or MCom with a light dissertation. If you are uncertain, apply mainly to direct PhD programs and keep one or two integrated options as a backup rather than committing to the longer track by default.