PEC-G
The Exchange Program for Undergraduate Students (PEC-G), currently ruled by Decree no. 7.948, of March 12, 2013 , aims to train and qualify foreign students by offering places in undergraduate courses in Brazilian Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) free from tuition.
PEC-G encompasses a set of international education cooperation activities and procedures, preferably with developing countries, on a valid bilateral agreement, with the objective of training foreign students in undergraduate courses in Brazil. Upon graduation, students must return to their countries of origin.
PEC-G is a joint initiative of Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Education; HEIs may participate by signing a specific term of adhesion with the Ministry of Education.
Every year, the Ministry of Education will assign the number of places per course offered under PEC-G based on the availability informed by the participating HEIs. Institutions must offer places in either morning or full-time courses, that is, PEC-G students take no night classes.
The PEC-G calendar and selection process are regulated yearly by a Notice issued by the Ministry of Education, upon approval by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to Decree No. 7.948, of March 12, 2013, candidates who may apply to PEC-G must be foreign students and meet the following requisites:
I - residents abroad who do not have a permanent visa or any other type of temporary visa to Brazil;
II – those aged between 18 and preferably up to 23 years old;
III – those who will sign a Financial Responsibility Statement ensuring they have sufficient means to pay for their transportation and living expenses for their entire undergraduate course in Brazil;
IV – those who will sign a Term of Commitment agreeing to follow the rules of PEC-G;
V – those who will present a certificate stating that they have concluded the equivalent of the Brazilian secondary school and a Certificate of Proficiency in Portuguese as a Foreign Language – Celpe-Bras.
Other Official Documents:
Decree no. 4.875, of November 11, 2003
Interministerial Ordinance no. 1, of May 20, 2019
To access a page with frequently asked questions about the PEC-G, click here and see the program's page on the MEC webpage.