How to Apply to Universities in Portugal: Requirements, Deadlines and Portals

The national access system (Concurso Nacional de Acesso)

Public universities and polytechnics in Portugal fill most bachelor's and integrated master's places through one centralized process, the Concurso Nacional de Acesso (CNA), run by DGES . You submit one application listing up to 6 course and institution combinations, ranked in order of preference, and the system places you into the highest-ranked option your score qualifies for.

For the 2026 cycle, DGES set the general application window from July 20 to August 6, with an earlier window of July 20-29 for priority groups such as emigrants, Portuguese-heritage candidates and applicants using a foreign exam substitution. Check the current year's Guia Geral de Exames on the DGES site before you apply, since course-specific exam requirements and exact phase dates shift year to year.

How your ranking score is built

Selection runs on a weighted average, not a simple pass or fail. Most courses combine your final secondary school grade with your scores on 1-2 specific national exams chosen by each course, for example biology and chemistry for a health science degree. Each course publishes its own weighting and any minimum grade requirements, so check the specific course page on the DGES portal, not a general rule, before you sit your exams.

If your school system is not the Portuguese one, you generally still sit the relevant national exams as an external candidate, or apply through a route built for your specific situation.

Applying as a student from another European country

EU citizens who studied under an EU country's secondary system and hold equivalent qualifications compete through the same CNA process as Portuguese students, provided they take the required Portuguese national exams. In practice this route works best for students who already live in Portugal or plan to sit the exams there.

Students who prefer not to sit Portuguese national exams, or who come from outside the EU, typically apply through each institution's own international admission process, built around Portugal's Estatuto de Estudante Internacional (international student status). This route runs on a separate quota and timeline set by each university or polytechnic, so deadlines and required documents vary by institution. Confirm the exact route and fees on the specific university's international office page, since rules differ between institutions and DGES does not publish one uniform table for this route.

Recognizing your foreign diploma

Whichever route you use, a foreign secondary school diploma needs formal recognition before a Portuguese institution ranks or admits you. Portugal's ENIC-NARIC office, based at DGES, handles this recognition and confirms whether your diploma matches the level needed for higher education entry. Start this process early since recognition takes weeks, and some institutions require the recognized equivalence before they process your application.

Documents you typically need

Requirements differ by route, but most applications ask for the same core documents: your secondary school certificate and transcript, proof of the relevant national exam results or their foreign equivalent, a valid passport or national ID, and proof of Portuguese or English language ability depending on the teaching language of your course. International applicants usually also need proof of the diploma recognition mentioned above before the institution finalizes an offer. Gather certified translations early if your original documents are not in Portuguese or English, since translation and certification take longer than the application window itself.

Visas and residence permits for non-EU applicants

If you are not an EU or EEA citizen, a university offer alone does not let you live in Portugal. You still need a student visa or residence permit application, handled through Portugal's immigration authority, alongside your university application. Start this process well before your program's start date, since visa processing adds extra weeks on top of the admission timeline.

Application costs

The CNA charges a modest registration fee each time you submit or change your application, set annually by DGES. Private institutions and the Estatuto de Estudante Internacional route often add their own application fee, which varies by institution. Check the current fee on the DGES portal or the specific university's page before you submit, since neither figure stays fixed year to year.

Private institutions and polytechnics

Private universities and polytechnics run their own admission processes outside the CNA, often with rolling deadlines, direct applications and entrance interviews or tests instead of national exam scores. If a private institution appeals to you, contact its admissions office directly for its calendar rather than relying on the national dates above.

Practical steps

1. Confirm which route applies to you: national CNA, EU equivalent-status route, or Estatuto de Estudante Internacional.

2. Start diploma recognition with ENIC-NARIC Portugal as early as possible.

3. Check each target course's required exams and weighting on the DGES portal or the institution's international office page.

4. Submit your application inside the correct window and keep proof of submission.

5. Watch for a second or third placement phase if you are not placed in the first round. DGES runs additional phases to fill unfilled places.