How to Apply for AMEXCID 2027

The Complete Application Process

Before reading the steps, commit this to memory: the AMEXCID application requires a university acceptance letter that is less than 60 days old. That means you need to obtain university admission weeks or months before the AMEXCID deadline. If you have not done that first, you cannot submit a valid application. Start there.

1. Find a participating university and eligible program

Download the list of participating institutions (Annex 1 — 103 institutions in its updated 2026 version) from the official AMEXCID scholarship page. Browse their postgraduate program offerings. Earlier calls also published an Annex 6 (Academic Offerings) to cross-reference the specific program; the 2026 call has only Annexes 1–5, so confirm directly with the university that the program is full-time, in-person and eligible.

At this stage, also confirm your chosen field is not on the excluded list from earlier calls (no MBA, accounting, marketing, advertising, dentistry, plastic surgery, or online programmes).

2. Apply to the university and get your acceptance letter

Apply to your chosen Mexican university through their standard admissions process. Once accepted, request a formal acceptance letter on official institutional letterhead. This letter must be signed by an authorised university representative (for example the director of international affairs or academic exchange, or the head or coordinator of graduate studies) and must specify:

• The name of the programme and the type and academic level of study
• The start and end dates of the scholarship period, in DD/MM/YYYY format
• The campus and state where you will study
• That your grade point average is at least 8.5/10 (85/100), equivalent to the Mexican system
• For research stays: the supervisor's name and the full title of the research project

3. Prepare all required documents

While waiting for your acceptance letter, gather everything else on the document list. Every document must be saved as a color PDF file, and each individual file cannot exceed 1.8 MB. All documents must be in Spanish or accompanied by a simple Spanish translation signed by you. See the Required Documents page for the full checklist and details on what each document needs to include.

4. Create an account on the SIGCA portal

The SIGCA system (Sistema de Gestión de Cooperación Académica, the Academic Cooperation Management System) at sigca.sre.gob.mx is where applications are submitted. Create your account well before the deadline. The application must be completed in Spanish, even though SIGCA lets you switch its display language. AMEXCID publishes an applicant manual (Manual de Becario SIGCA) with each call — read it before you register.

5. Complete and submit the application

Fill in all required fields in the SIGCA portal. Upload all your documents (color PDF, max 1.8 MB each). Double-check that your acceptance letter is dated within the 60-day window before submitting.

Note the deadline time: in the 2026 call the SIGCA portal closed at 3:00 PM Central Mexico Time (Mexico City time, UTC-6 all year, since Mexico no longer uses daylight saving time). Late submissions are not accepted under any circumstances, and AMEXCID does not accept paper files or files sent outside the system.

6. Wait for results

After the portal closes, AMEXCID reviews all applications. In the 2026 cycle the portal closed on 22 June and results went out between 6 and 10 July 2026 — about two to three weeks later. AMEXCID only notifies selected candidates by email. If you do not receive a notification during the results window, you were not selected. There is no separate rejection letter. Admission to a participating university does not guarantee a scholarship, and the awards depend on AMEXCID's budget.

7. Formally accept the scholarship

If selected, you will receive an email asking you to formally accept the scholarship within a specified deadline. If you do not respond in time, AMEXCID can cancel the award and give the funding to another candidate. The scholarship is non-deferrable — you cannot accept and then ask to start next year. By accepting, you also agree to follow AMEXCID's rules for foreign scholarship holders (NABE).

Earlier calls also asked winners to sign a Carta de Compromiso de Retorno al País de Origen (Letter of Commitment to Return to Your Home Country), promising to return home for a period equal to the scholarship. The 2026 call does not mention it, so check what your award paperwork asks for.

8. Register in person at AMEXCID within your first 10 days

After arriving in Mexico, you must register in person at AMEXCID's Directorate of Academic Exchange (Plaza Juárez No. 20, ground floor, Col. Centro, Mexico City) within the first 10 calendar days of your scholarship's first month. Office hours for registration are 9:00 AM to 1:30 PM, business days only, and the scholarship office will tell you which day to attend. Missing this window can jeopardize your scholarship status.

AMEXCID's offices are in Mexico City. If your host university is in another city, factor in travel to Mexico City for this registration. Plan your arrival date to allow time for the trip before the 10-day window closes. Under the 2026 call, studies had to start between August and 10 November 2026, or the scholarship was revoked.

Realistic Timeline to Plan Around

How long does the full process take? Count backwards from the deadline — for the 2027 call, assume a deadline around late June 2027 until AMEXCID publishes the real date.

1. 1
   4–6 months before deadline

   Research

   Research participating universities and programs. Contact admissions offices and understand their requirements and timelines.

2. 2
   2–3 months before deadline

   University application

   Apply to your chosen Mexican university. Allow time for their review process. Request and receive your acceptance letter.

3. 3
   6–8 weeks before deadline

   AMEXCID documents

   Begin preparing all AMEXCID documents. Get medical certificate, translations, Spanish language certificate if needed. Create SIGCA account.

4. 4
   Before deadline

   Submit

   Submit via SIGCA before the closing time (15:00 Central Mexico Time in 2026). Confirm your acceptance letter is still within the 60-day window.

5. 5
   2–3 weeks after deadline

   Results

   Results announced (6–10 July in 2026). Only selected candidates are notified. If you receive an offer, respond promptly to formally accept.

6. Month 1 in Mexico

   Register at AMEXCID

   Register in person at AMEXCID in Mexico City within the first 10 calendar days of your scholarship period starting.

How AMEXCID Selects Scholars

The 2026 call lists the selection criteria: a complete set of the requested documents, the distribution of scholarships by country and by host institution, your record of academic excellence, preference for applicants who have never held an AMEXCID scholarship, and the order in which applications were submitted. For research stays, AMEXCID also weighs awards and further training, teaching experience and at least one year in leadership roles, and gives preference to topics such as sustainable food systems, gender equality, water, clean energy, inequality, sustainable consumption, climate change and biodiversity.

Important Conditions Once You Win

Several conditions apply from the moment AMEXCID awards you the scholarship. These are not flexible.

Every document needed for the AMEXCID application, with details on format requirements, file sizes, and translation rules, is on the Required Documents page.