PF: In some countries there is no doctoral thesis defence. Instead, the candidate submits their thesis with the signatures of all committee members and then graduates. An official letter from the department can be requested to testify that the applicant will have their degree in hand by a certain date. Is this something that an applicant can provide instead of a defence document?

Тhe requirement is that the applicant has completed their PhD before the call deadline. In case the award of the PhD has not taken place, then the date of the successful defence of the thesis would be sufficient.  In any case, REA can assume that if a document from a committee within the university can prove that the PhD is completed and there is no further pending requirement from the applicant, it would be sufficient.

PF: Is a candidate who is scheduled to defend their PhD thesis on the day of the call deadline eligible? Does the time scheduled for the defense count in this context, should it start before 5 pm CET?

As the rule states that ‘The researcher must be in possession of a doctoral degree or have successfully defended their doctoral thesis before call deadline’, the time scheduled for the defense would indeed count in this context. The defense should end successfully before 5 pm CET on day of the call deadline.