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01
Find your programme

There is an increasing number of foreign students looking to come and study in the city of Porto. There are more than five thousand new international students in Portugal this year, with the University of Porto (UP) being the faculty that receives the more foreign students in the current academic year, up to a total of 595.

Start by finding the course or master degree that best suits your academic needs.

02
Check entry requirements

To submit to the National Competition for Access to Higher Education, the candidate must:

Hold a secondary education course, or equivalent qualification;

Perform, or have performed in the last two years, the national exams corresponding to the entrance exams required for the course (s) and faculty (s) – up to a maximum of six – to which you are going to compete;

Carry out the prerequisites if they are required by the school / course you are applying for;

In addition to the general contingent, the 1st phase of the National Competition reserves a determined percentage of student places with specific characteristics. These special contingents include:

Candidates from the Azores

Candidates from Madeira

Portuguese and Family Emigrant Candidates residing with them

Military Candidates in Contract Regime

Disabled Candidates

Students holding non-Portuguese courses legally equivalent to Portuguese secondary education may also apply to the CNA (ex: European Union students wishing to take a course at U.Porto). In these cases, the entrance exams will be replaced by final exams of subjects of those courses, according to the conditions defined by DGES.

How to apply?

The competition takes place at the end of the school year, after the national exams of secondary education, and is organized in three distinct phases, to take place between the months of July and October (see calendar). The application must be submitted online on the portal of the Directorate-General for Higher Education (DGES).

03
Apply for a residence permit

These documents may be required for your visa or application process:

Passport or other document for travelling that has a validity of at least 3 months more than the visa
Passport type photos
Criminal record
International health insurance
Proof of accommodation
Vaccination records
Proof of admission in a higher education institution/work contract/ invitation letter
Proof of means of subsistence

04
Come to Porto! 🎉

Studying in Porto gives you a unique opportunity to live and study in a city which is rich in history and naturally beautiful.