With its combination of quality education, good weather, friendly culture and affordable costs, Portugal is a popular choice for students who want to complete their higher education abroad.

There are seven Portuguese universities – including Universidade Nova de Lisboa (UNL) – listed in the 2023 edition of QS World Rankings, a well-known and reputable source that compares universities globally based on indicators such as academic reputation, employer feedback, research citations, and international faculty members.
While speaking Portuguese is important to complete a bachelor’s degree, there are several Portuguese universities that offer programs taught in English.
In this article we detail the necessary steps to apply to a bachelor’s degree in the country and we explain why international students might consider Portugal as a study destination.

Application steps

General requirements for a bachelor’s degree in Portugal

Students who are interested in completing a bachelor’s degree program in Portugal must comply with the following conditions:

● Have a secondary education course or legal equivalent;
● Pass national examinations (in their home countries) and provide translated and certified documents;
● Meet the prerequisites of the study program. Particularly, language proficiency requirements;

While it is important to be fluent in Portuguese to complete a bachelor’s degree in Portugal, language requirements can vary significantly between institutions and programs. To confirm that you meet the language requirements, contact the International Office at the institution you want to apply to.

EU/EEA students:

In general, Students from the EU/EEA who want to enroll in a bachelor’s degree in Portuguese public higher education institutions, must answer a national call organized by the Directorate General for Higher Education (DGES), which takes place around the month of July. Applications are completed online and prospective students can choose up to six institutions and study programs, listed in order of preference. In 2023, applications for foreign students will be open from the 25th of June to the 31st of July.

Most students need to complete Portugal’s national exams to apply, but there is an exception for international students.

To answer Portugal’s higher education national call as an EU/EEA student you need to provide a certificate with an average of your final grade point average (GPA) and validate it through a secondary school in Portugal. To obtain this document you need to fill in a claim form (available at Portugal’s Directorate General Education website) and provide documents that prove you completed your secondary education in your country.

The documents must include:

● School year(s) you successfully concluded;
● Final grades of each class and/or final GPA;
● Explanation of the grading scale used.

All certifications need to be translated into Portuguese and be legally certified. This can be done by the Portuguese embassy or consular services in your country. For more information, please visit Portugal’s Directorate General Education (DGE) website.

Regarding the national exams, most Portuguese Higher Education Institutions accept foreign exams if they are nationally or nationwide recognized.

National exam certificates must:

● Provide information about the exam grades and the grading scale;
● Be written (or translated) into Portuguese, English, French or Spanish;
● Be stamped and signed by the home institution and/or Portuguese diplomatic authorities;

Students from EU/EEA countries do not need a visa to study in Portugal. However, one should apply for a residence card on arrival (Autorização de Residência in Portuguese). You can find more information on Portugal’s Immigration and Borders Service (SEF) website.

Non-EU/EEA students:

Non-EU/EEA students who fall into the International Student Statute follow a separate set of guidelines depending on the university they wish to apply to. In general, potential candidates can apply for this status if:

● They do not have a Portuguese nationality;
● Are not a national member from a Member State of the EU/EEA;
● Are not a family member of Portuguese nationals or of an EU/EEA member state;
● Are not legally residing in Portugal until the 1st of January of the year that they wish to enroll;
● Are not family of foreign citizens that hold a resident permit for more than two years;

Please visit the DGES International Student Statute online page for more information.

Non-EU/EEA students wanting to study in Portugal will also require:

● Student visa that must be obtained before traveling. Residents of some non-EU countries (such as the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand) will not require a visa for short stays (less than three months) and can enter Portugal with only a valid passport. You can view the full list of visa exemptions on the Portuguese’s Foreign Ministry (MNE) website.

● Residence permit attributed by the Portuguese Immigration and Borders Service (SEF).

Reasons to study in Portugal

Affordability: At public universities, international students should expect to pay anywhere between 700 and 7500 euros per academic year. EU/EEA students pay the same as Portuguese nationals (starting from 700 euros). Non-EU/EEA students are usually the ones who pay higher fees. This value can be paid in installments.

There is also public funding for EU and non-EU students. Some key institutions are the Directorate-General of Higher Education – DGES (merit-based scholarships), Instituto Camões (scholarships for studies in Portuguese language and culture) and the Foundation for Science and Technology – FCT (science and technology research grants).

Hands-on research and work experience: Portuguese universities are listed in several global university rankings (including the Shanghai Rankings and QS World Rankings) and tend to be affiliated with several research centers;

English Proficiency and Language: Portugal is amongst the top ten countries with the best English proficiency level, according to the most recent ranking by Education First (EF). Most people living in Portugal can read advanced texts in English and negotiate contracts with native English speakers.

While most bachelor programs are currently lectured in Portuguese, faculty members and students tend to be well versed in English. Some Portuguese universities also list courses fully taught in English.

On the other hand, studying in Portugal provides students with the opportunity to become fluent in Portuguese, which is spoken by over 250 million people worldwide and can open doors to opportunities in countries where Portuguese is widely used. For example, Brazil, Mozambique, Angola, and Macau.

About NOVA IMS

The School of Information Management and Data Science of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa was founded in 1989 as a response to the shortage of senior managers specializing in information management, and to the growing need for the use of information technology.

Today NOVA IMS provides education at the highest level to more than 3.000 students including undergraduates, post-graduates, masters, and PhD degree students.

The Undergraduate options at NOVA IMS are divided into the areas of Data Science, Information Management and Information Systems and Technologies:

The Bachelor´s Degree in Data Science is a course that explores modern artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques aimed to analyze Big Data. The goal is to train data scientists capable of extracting knowledge and using advanced models to deal with large volumes of data. The course aims to train specialized professionals who enable organizations to strengthen the intermediate step between data collection and decision making based on it. This is technical training that provides in-depth knowledge of the fundamental methodologies and concepts in the field of Data Science, qualifying students to keep up with the rapid evolution of the sector.

The Bachelor’s in Information Management combines management and Data Science to train managers capable of dealing with the complexity of modern business and transforming data into useful information. The demand for professionals in this area is high, due to the increasing amount of data generated by companies, and to meet such demand, the course trains students to collect, organize, and analyze information that guides decision making, using modern techniques and tools. The objective is to train professionals who understand the strategic value of information in organizations.
According to data from the 2019 ObipNOVA Independent Report, the employability rate of the Degree in Information Management corresponds to 100%, and the average monthly net salary is around 1,394€.

Lastly, in the Information Systems Bachelor’s Degree students learn to analyze, design, and implement information systems, including artificial intelligence, programming, app and web systems development, and mobile computing. The course also covers the use of tools that support companies' business processes. This is Europe's first degree accredited in Information Systems by ABET, a world-leading agency for quality certification and academic innovation in applied science, computing, engineering, and related technology. Students acquire skills in information processing, storage and retrieval, building computer applications and managing networks and information systems. This is an innovative degree that is highly relevant to the national and international job market.