The Brazilian government has announced the commencement of applications for the 2026 edition of its Postgraduate Student Program for Foreigners (PEC-PG), offering fully funded Master’s, Doctorate, and Sandwich Doctorate opportunities for nationals of participating countries, including Nigeria.
The scheme, coordinated by Brazil’s Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES), covers monthly stipends of R$ 2,100 for Master’s students and R$ 3,100 for Doctorate students, in addition to a health insurance allowance of R$ 400 per month and return airfare as stipulated by programme guidelines.
According to CAPES, applications for full Master’s and Doctorate programmes will be open from August 14 to September 29, 2025, while the Sandwich Doctorate application window will run from October 1 to December 30, 2025. Results for the Master’s and Doctorate categories will be released in November 2025, with studies commencing in the first semester of 2026. Sandwich Doctorate results will be announced in April 2026, with the programme starting in August 2026.
Eligibility criteria include being a citizen of a PEC-PG partner country without Brazilian citizenship or residency, possession of a university degree equivalent to a bachelor’s, and fulfilment of specific requirements for the chosen programme type. Applicants must also demonstrate language proficiency, and provide an updated Lattes CV and ORCID profile.
Applications are to be submitted via the CAPES portal at https://inscricao.capes.gov.br in Portuguese, Spanish or English, accompanied by required documents such as identification, proof of residence, research proposal, and academic transcripts.
Further details, including eligibility and available vacancies, are accessible on the official PEC-PG page on the CAPES website.
