Mexican Government Excellence Scholarships for Foreigners

The Mexican Government Excellence Scholarships for Foreigners (Becas de Excelencia del Gobierno de México para Extranjeros) are fully funded scholarships from the Government of Mexico for foreign students to study full-time, in person, at participating Mexican institutions. They are offered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) through the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID), and they cover full Master’s degrees, student mobility and doctoral and postdoctoral research stays.

Overview

AMEXCID invites foreign nationals to study in Mexico at the levels of specialisation, Master’s degree, doctorate and postgraduate research, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate student mobility programmes. The call is offered to nationals of the countries listed in Annex 5 of the call, under bilateral agreements, multilateral mechanisms and special agreements, and more than 100 Mexican higher education institutions take part. It is the Mexican Government’s flagship scholarship for foreign students. The 2026 call has closed; the 2027 call has not been published yet.

Scholarship Benefits

• Monthly stipend — Master’s, mobility and Master’s-level research: four times the monthly value of the Unit of Measurement and Update (UMA), currently MXN 14,264.88 per month (2026 call). Paid monthly in arrears, at the end of each month.
• Monthly stipend — doctoral and postdoctoral research: five times the monthly value of the UMA, currently MXN 17,831.10 per month (2026 call). Paid monthly in arrears, at the end of each month.
• Tuition: enrolment and tuition fees, in accordance with the provisions of each institution’s programme and the acceptance letter.
• Health insurance: cover through the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), beginning in the seventh month of the fellowship and lasting for a period similar to the fellowship.
• Visa: exemption from Mexican visa issuance fees.
• Airfare: international airfare (economy class) on successful completion of the scholarship, for the countries listed in Annex 3 of the call. AMEXCID buys the ticket; tickets bought by the scholar are not reimbursed.
• Domestic transport: where study is outside Mexico City, transport between Mexico City and the host city, and back on completion, for scholars who complete all academic requirements.

What it does NOT cover: there is no separate housing allowance — rent is paid from the monthly stipend. The stipend is paid in arrears, so scholars need personal funds to cover their first weeks in Mexico. AMEXCID recommends arriving with enough funds for at least the first 60 days. Health cover through IMSS only begins in the seventh month.

Eligibility Criteria

• Nationality: a national of one of the countries listed in Annex 5 of the current call. Applicants who also hold Mexican nationality, including children of Mexican parents, are not eligible.
• Grades: a minimum grade point average of 85 on a scale of 0 to 100 (8.5 on a scale of 10), or its equivalent, in the last academic degree received. The acceptance letter must state that the applicant meets it.
• Acceptance letter: a valid acceptance letter from a participating Mexican institution listed in Annex 1 of the call (103 institutions in the updated 2026 Annex 1), issued no more than 60 calendar days before the application is submitted.
• Spanish: applicants whose native language is not Spanish must present a Spanish certificate at B2 level or higher in the Common European Framework of Reference.
• Age: 18 years of age or older at the time of application.
• Residence: applicants living in Mexico must hold a Temporary Resident Student card issued by the Mexican government.
• Other exclusions: foreign diplomats accredited in Mexico and their immediate family; holders of a Mexican family reunification visa; current holders of any Mexican government scholarship; recipients of a Mexican federal scholarship in the immediately preceding year; and former AMEXCID scholars who did not successfully complete a previous scholarship.
• Degree required: a Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD degree, as required by the programme applied for.

Available Fields

All fields of study offered as full-time, in-person programmes by the participating institutions listed in Annex 1 of the call. The scholarship funds full Master’s degrees, undergraduate and Master’s mobility, and doctoral and postdoctoral research stays — a minimum of six months in every case. Thesis-only work is not funded. The exact programmes are those listed in Annex 1 of the current call.

Required Documents

All documents are submitted in colour PDF format (maximum 1.8 MB) through the SIGCA portal. Documents in a language other than Spanish need a simple translation into Spanish, signed by the applicant. Signatures must match the passport and be made in blue ink.

• Copy of a valid passport showing the applicant’s identification information.
• Declaration letter, typed and signed (Form 1).
• Curriculum vitae, typed, maximum 4 pages, signed (Form 2).
• Medical certificate from a public or private healthcare institution, issued no more than 3 months before submission, stating good health.
• Spanish B2 certificate or higher, where Spanish is not the applicant’s native language.
• For Master’s degrees: acceptance letter from the host university (issued within 60 days, stating the GPA and the programme’s start and end dates), copy of the Bachelor’s degree, and academic transcript for the most recent semester showing a GPA of 85 (or 8.5).
• For mobility programmes: acceptance letter, letter from the home institution agreeing to recognise and transfer the credits, grades for the last completed period, and a copy of the Bachelor’s degree for Master’s-level mobility.
• For doctoral and postdoctoral research stays: copy of the doctoral degree, acceptance letter naming the supervisor and the research project title, nomination letter from an academic or governmental institution, and project description (Form 3).
• Where a programme or research stay is conducted in a language other than Spanish and different from the applicant’s native language, a letter from the host institution committing to provide tutoring or mentorship in that language, naming the tutor or mentor.

Application Process

1. Secure an acceptance letter from a participating Mexican institution in Annex 1, issued no more than 60 calendar days before you submit, stating your GPA and the programme’s start and end dates.
2. Prepare all documents in Spanish (or with a Spanish translation), in colour PDF, before the call opens.
3. Register and submit one application in Spanish through the Academic Cooperation Management System (SIGCA) at sigca.sre.gob.mx, during the call window. Only one application per person is accepted, and no physical files or files outside the system are accepted.
4. Results are notified by email only, to selected candidates. In the 2026 call, results went out between 6 and 10 July 2026, and scholarships had to begin between August and 10 November 2026.
5. On arrival in Mexico, report to the offices of the Directorate of Academic Exchange (Plaza Juárez 20, Mexico City) within the first 10 calendar days of the first month of the scholarship. Questions about registration go to infobecas@sre.gob.mx.

Important Dates

Applications for the 2026 round closed on 22 June 2026. The next cycle (2027) has not been published yet — check the official page.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the monthly stipend?

Four times the monthly UMA for Master’s degrees, mobility and Master’s-level research — MXN 14,264.88 per month in the 2026 call — and five times the monthly UMA for doctoral and postdoctoral research — MXN 17,831.10 per month in the 2026 call. The UMA is revised each year, so the 2027 figures may differ.

Do I need to speak Spanish?

Yes, unless Spanish is your native language. Applicants whose native language is not Spanish must present a Spanish certificate at B2 level or higher, and the whole application is submitted in Spanish.

Who can apply?

Nationals of the countries listed in Annex 5 of the call, aged 18 or over, with a GPA of 85 out of 100 (8.5 out of 10) and an acceptance letter from a participating Mexican institution issued within 60 days of submission. Mexican nationals, including children of Mexican parents, are not eligible.

Does the scholarship cover housing?

No. There is no separate housing allowance — rent is paid from the monthly stipend, which is paid in arrears at the end of each month.

When does the 2027 call open?

The 2027 call has not been published yet. The 2026 call ran from 21 May to 22 June 2026, but that is history only — check the official AMEXCID page for the 2027 dates.

Official source: Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID) — Government of Mexico Excellence Scholarships for Foreigners