Portugal

⇑Universities

Higher education in Portugal is split into two sectors:

• university – universities (universidades), university institutes (institutos universitários) and other university schools; focused on research,
• polytechnic – polytechnic institutes (institutos politécnicos) and other polytechnic schools; focused on applied research and professional practice.

Both sectors have public and private institutions. A private institution needs the ministry's approval, and every programme is assessed and accredited by the agency A3ES (Agência de Avaliação e Acreditação do Ensino Superior).

Admission to public institutions is run by the ministry's Directorate-General for Higher Education – DGES.

Universities in Portugal – profiles
Portuguese universities
University institutes in Portugal
Polytechnic institutes in Portugal

⇑Study system

Portugal follows the Bologna system:

• Licenciatura (bachelor's) – 180–240 ECTS (6–8 semesters) at universities, usually 180 ECTS (6 semesters) at polytechnics,
• Mestrado (master's) – 90–120 ECTS, i.e. 3–4 semesters, after a bachelor's degree,
• Mestrado integrado – an integrated master's of 300–360 ECTS (10–12 semesters), offered only at universities and only where EU rules require it for a profession, e.g. medicine,
• Doutoramento (doctorate) – usually 6–8 semesters and 180–240 ECTS.

There are also short vocational TESP courses (Curso Técnico Superior Profissional) – they don't lead to an academic degree.

Portugal – bachelor's programmes
Portugal – integrated (single-cycle) programmes
Portugal – master's programmes
Portugal – doctoral programmes

⇑Admission

Places on bachelor's and integrated master's programmes at public institutions are allocated through the national admission system, the Concurso Nacional de Acesso, run by DGES. EU citizens are not "international students" under Portuguese law – you apply on the same terms as Portuguese students.

With a secondary school leaving certificate from abroad you will need:

• a certificate of equivalence (certificado de equivalência) – issued by a Portuguese secondary school or the Direção-Geral da Educação; your grade is converted to the 0–200 scale,
• results of the entrance exams (provas de ingresso) – see: Entrance exams,
• documents with an apostille and a Portuguese translation (unless they are in English, French or Spanish).

Dates for 2026: 1st phase – applications from 20 July to 6 August, results by 23 August at the latest; 2nd phase – from 24 August to 20 September; 3rd phase – 10–12 October.

Students from outside the EU usually count as international students (unless, for example, they have lived legally in Portugal for more than two years without a break). They don't take part in the Concurso Nacional, but apply through the special admission contest for international students (Concurso Especial para Estudantes Internacionais) directly to the university or polytechnic of their choice. Each institution sets its own requirements, deadlines and documents. Apply early: you need the admission letter for your student visa, and the visa procedure can take a few months.

For master's programmes and private institutions you apply directly to the institution.

⇑Entrance exams

Every programme in the Concurso Nacional has its own provas de ingresso – exams in specific subjects that you have to pass. Portuguese applicants take the national final exams (exames nacionais).

If you finished secondary school abroad, you can use the results of your own school leaving exams instead, provided they meet three conditions: they are national in scope, they correspond to the subjects required for the programme, and they are on the list of exams accepted as substitutes. Exams taken from 2022 onwards are valid for 5 years.

You'll find the details and the list of exams on the DGES website.

⇑Language

Most programmes, especially bachelor's degrees at public institutions, are taught in Portuguese. You can prove your Portuguese with a certificate in Portuguese as a foreign language (e.g. CAPLE) – ask the university which level it requires.

There are programmes taught in English too, mainly at master's and doctoral level. For these, the university will usually ask for IELTS or TOEFL. You'll find them on the universities' websites.

Even if you study in English, start learning Portuguese early – it will help you at public offices, when renting and in casual jobs.

⇑Residence and formalities

EU/EEA and Swiss citizens don't need a visa – for the first 3 months you can live in Portugal without any formalities. After that, you have 30 days to register your residence and get a registration certificate for EU citizens (Certificado de Registo de Cidadão da União Europeia). You apply at the town hall (câmara municipal).

As a student, you'll need, among other things:

• your ID card or passport,
• proof of address,
• a certificate from your university,
• a declaration that you have enough money to support yourself,
• proof of health insurance – your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is enough.

Students from outside the EU/EEA need a residence visa for study, which you apply for at the Portuguese embassy or consulate in your home country before you travel – the procedure can take a few months. After arriving, you book an appointment with the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) to get a residence permit (autorização de residência) for your studies. You will need, among other things, a valid passport, proof of enrolment and of tuition payment, a criminal record certificate, proof of accommodation, health insurance and proof of sufficient means of subsistence – the rules are set by Ordinance (Portaria) no. 1563/2007, and the consulate will tell you what exactly it accepts.

⇑Tuition fees

At public institutions, tuition fees (propinas) have a legal cap. In 2025/26 it is €697 a year – the same as in previous years. The cap applies to:

• bachelor's degrees,
• integrated master's degrees,
• TESP courses,
• master's degrees that, together with a bachelor's, are required to practise a profession.

You pay the fee in at least seven monthly instalments. Example: the University of Lisbon (ULisboa) has kept its 2026/27 fee for bachelor's and integrated master's programmes at the same level – €697.

For other master's and doctoral programmes, fees are set by each university, or even each faculty. At private institutions, the owner sets the amount.

International students (see: Admission) pay higher fees, set by each institution. At ULisboa, for example, their fees for bachelor's and integrated master's programmes in 2026/27 range from €1,500 a year (law) to €18,000 a year (integrated master's in medicine). EU citizens do not have international student status, so these fees don't apply to them.

⇑Accommodation and living costs

Living costs depend a lot on the city – in big cities such as Lisbon and Porto, rent is the biggest expense. Universities give an estimated monthly budget in their guides for international students – check the website of your chosen institution.

Your options are:

• student residences run by the universities' social services (Serviços de Ação Social, SAS) – cheap, but places are limited,
• a room in a shared flat – the most common option,
• renting a studio flat.

Ask about accommodation as soon as you are admitted, and see the flat before you sign a contract. Student canteens and student discounts on public transport help.

⇑Scholarships

There are few scholarships for foreigners covering a full degree. Your main options are:

• Erasmus+ – a semester or year in Portugal as part of an exchange with your home university,
• social grants (bolsas de estudo) at public institutions – ask the SAS office of your chosen institution about the conditions for EU citizens,
• university scholarships – e.g. merit scholarships for the best applicants,
• Erasmus Mundus – joint master's programmes run by several universities, with a scholarship for the whole programme,
• opportunities for researchers and doctoral candidates – on EURAXESS Portugal.

⇑Working while studying

EU/EEA citizens can work in Portugal without any permit, also while studying. For a contract you need a Portuguese tax number (NIF).

Students from outside the EU/EEA who hold a residence permit for study can also work, as employees or self-employed. The work has to be reported to AIMA – ask your university's international office how to do it.

Casual jobs are easiest to find in tourism, hospitality and customer service, including in foreign languages. For other jobs, Portuguese matters. Start with your university's careers office. Jobs for researchers are listed on EURAXESS Portugal.

Portugal – why work there?
How to find a job abroad?

⇑Useful links

• Study in Europe – Portugal – the official country profile on the European Commission's portal,
• DGES – the ministry's Directorate-General for Higher Education: the system, institutions, fees,
• DGES – international students – who counts as an international student and how to apply,
• Candidatura ao Ensino Superior – applications to the Concurso Nacional de Acesso,
• Foreign exams – rules for replacing provas de ingresso with foreign exams,
• Portuguese visas – residence visas – documents for a residence visa for students from outside the EU,
• AIMA – residence permit for higher education students – the residence permit after arrival,
• EURAXESS Portugal – jobs and grants for researchers,
• ENIC-NARIC – recognition of qualifications in Europe,
• Eurodesk – free information on studying, traineeships and volunteering in Europe.