Sr²⁺ and Mg²⁺ simultaneously doped lanthanum  gallate (LSGM) powders, prepared by a modified Pechini  route using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as  polymeric  alcohol, were densified using an activated microwave technique at 2.45 GHz, to develop a dense stable electrolyte for application in intermediate temperatures solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFC). Thermal behaviour of precursors was investigated by means of differential thermal analysis combined with thermogravimetric analysis (DTA/TGA). The powders and sintered samples were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive analysis (SEM-EDAX), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) and ionic conductivity of the sintered samples were also evaluated. Fine, homogeneous and high density pellets of almost pure LSGM phase were obtained after sintering at 1400⁰C for a short period time in an activated microwave field. Using activated microwave field, due to the volumetric in situ heating, the sintering process is highly specific and instantaneous, leading to a faster kinetics compared to the conventional process (electric oven). With an optimized sintering schedule, a fine grained and  dense microstructure of the samples were obtained.