The internal selection for PDSE 2026 may run until 16 October 2026, but the selected applicant's submission through CAPES is a separate step: 20 October through 18 November 2026, by 5 p.m. Brasília time. The change concerns Call No. 22/2026 and was reported by CAPES on 2 September. Anyone seeking to apply should first check the call and calendar issued by their graduate program or Brazilian higher education institution.
What changed in the timetable
CAPES extended the national deadline for internal selection from 30 September to 16 October 2026. The subsequent period, 20 October to 18 November, is for the applicant to complete the form and upload documents in the agency's system. These deadlines are not interchangeable: the institution selects the applicant, who then submits an application to CAPES.
The announcement also changed how quotas are allocated to certain network-based graduate programs. CAPES states that the other rules and conditions of Call No. 22/2026 remain unchanged. The national deadline for internal selection does not replace an institution's own deadlines and procedures.
Who must act first: the institution or the applicant?
- Before internal selection: the applicant checks the graduate program's and graduate studies office's internal call, verifies the applicable criteria, and provides the research proposal and documents required by the institution. The institution runs the selection.
- After selection: the applicant completes CAPES's online application and uploads the documents required by the call between 20 October and 18 November. The graduate studies office or equivalent body checks and validates the applications at its designated stage.
The official PDSE page explains that applying to CAPES follows approval in the institution's selection. Waiting until 18 November is therefore not enough if the university's internal call closes earlier.
Stages, responsible parties and checks
| Stage | Official deadline | Responsible party | Document or record | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Internal selection at the Brazilian institution | By 16 Oct 2026 | Higher education institution, graduate program and graduate studies office, under local procedures | Internal call, research proposal and selection result | Check the institution's own deadline, which may be earlier than the national limit. |
| CAPES application and documents | 20 Oct–18 Nov 2026, by 5 p.m. Brasília time | Selected applicant | Online form and documents required under Call No. 22/2026 | Submit through the system and check the submission record. |
| Institutional validation | 1–17 Dec 2026, by 5 p.m. Brasília time | Graduate studies office or equivalent body | Submitted application and validation record | Check that the institution validated the application within its available quota. |
| List of validated applications | From 22 Dec 2026 | CAPES | Published list | Check the program page; submitting is not the same as institutional validation. |
| Technical review | 22 Feb–18 Mar 2027 | CAPES | Application documents | Track the review and keep access to the application email address. |
| List before appeals | From 25 Mar 2027 | CAPES | Document review list | Check the status and any individual rejection notice. |
| Appeal against a technical rejection | Within 10 calendar days of the notice being sent | Rejected applicant | Notice sent to the registered email and administrative appeal | Count from when CAPES sends the email, not from a general publication date. |
| List after appeals | From 12 Apr 2027 | CAPES | Post-appeal document review list | Check the outcome on the program page. |
| Start of the stay abroad | September and October 2027 | Scholarship holder | Scholarship implementation instructions | Do not confuse the 2026 selection with the 2027 start of the stay. |
These dates and responsibilities follow the timetable on the official PDSE page, consulted on 27 September 2026. An institution may set earlier local milestones for internal selection; later timetable changes are to be published on the program page.
Documents and actions: keep the two submissions separate
- Find the current internal call through the graduate program or graduate studies office. Check where the research proposal must be submitted, which attachments are required, and the local closing time. The national call sets a limit for the institutional stage but does not replace local instructions.
- Read Call No. 22/2026 and its annexes on the CAPES program page before assembling documents for the national application. The page lists, among other files, language-fluency declaration templates, language-proficiency requirements, and a host co-supervisor letter template; check the call and selection instructions to determine the requirements that apply.
- Once selected, complete the form and upload documents to the CAPES system within the stated window. Check the contact details and retain the confirmation or record generated by the system.
- After submitting, follow the graduate studies office's validation process. A submitted application is not automatically validated or approved in CAPES's technical review.
What changed for network-based programs
The amendment provides for one quota for a Brazilian institution whose network-based graduate program is not covered by CAPES-Global.edu. As CAPES explains, this includes both institutions not participating in CAPES-Global.edu and participants whose specific network-based program was not named in their CAPES-Global.edu proposal. This is an institutional quota-allocation rule, not automatic approval for an individual applicant; selection, submission and validation remain necessary.
Results, appeals and the start of the stay
Following validation in December, CAPES's technical review is scheduled for 22 February to 18 March 2027. The pre-appeal list is expected from 25 March. For a rejection at that stage, the appeal window is 10 calendar days from CAPES sending the rejection notice to the email address supplied in the application. The post-appeal list is expected from 12 April. The stay abroad is scheduled to begin in September or October 2027.
To avoid missing a deadline, check the official program page and your institution's communications before each submission. The dates above were published by CAPES for Call No. 22/2026 as of the consultation date; any later change should be verified against the official source.
