Special regulations

These are higher education application schemes aimed at students with specific qualifications and personal conditions.

There are Special Schemes for:

Portuguese officials of Portuguese diplomatic missions abroad and their accompanying family members;

Portuguese citizens with a grant or similar from the Portuguese government abroad, civil servants on an official mission abroad or Portuguese EU officials and their accompanying family members;

Officers of the permanent staff of the Portuguese Armed Forces, in order to meet the specific training needs of the Armed Forces;

National students from Portuguese-speaking African countries with grants from the Portuguese government, the respective governments, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, under conventions with the EU or others;

Foreign officials of diplomatic missions accredited in Portugal and their family members residing here, on a reciprocal basis;

High-performance sports practitioners;

Nationals and children of nationals of the territory of Timor-Leste.

Within the scope of the special regimes, the Directorate General of Higher Education (DGES) is responsible for preparing and developing the actions related to the access and admission in the various institution/course pairs.

 

How it works

Calendar

Vacancies | For information about the number of vacancies, contact the Academic Services of the school of interest.

Portuguese diplomatic mission abroad

This special regime covers students who, cumulatively:

Are Portuguese officials of a Portuguese diplomatic mission abroad or their family members accompanying them; and

 Have completed secondary education:

 Completed in a foreign country; and

 When on mission (or accompanying the relative on mission).

 

The secondary education course can be:

 Portuguese; or

 Foreign – in this case, it must constitute, in the foreign country, sufficient academic qualification for admission to official higher education.

 

More information

Portuguese grant holders abroad and civil servants on official missions abroad

This special regime covers students who, cumulatively:

 Are Portuguese citizens or their accompanying family members who, at the date of presentation of the application for enrolment and registration under the special regime, have been in a foreign country for more than two years, as:

 Grant holders or alike, from the Portuguese Government, abroad;

 Civil servants on an official mission abroad; or

 Portuguese officials of the European Union; and

 Are qualified with secondary education, completed in a foreign country.

 

The secondary education course can be:

 Portuguese; or

 Foreign – in this case, it must constitute, in the foreign country, sufficient academic qualification for admission to official higher education.

More information

 

Officers of the Portuguese Armed Forces

This regime covers student officers of the permanent staff of the Portuguese Armed Forces, under the terms of specific training agreements established between them and higher education institutions, in order to meet their specific training needs.

 

More information

National grantees from Portuguese-speaking African countries

This scheme covers students:

a) WITH TERTIARY EDUCATION

It applies to students who, cumulatively:

 Are students who are nationals of Portuguese-speaking African countries;

 Present their application to Portuguese public higher education through this regime, through diplomatic channels, within the scope of the cooperation agreements signed by the Portuguese State;

 Do not hold Portuguese nationality or, if they do, have concluded, after attending at least two academic years, a secondary education course in one of the Portuguese-speaking African countries;

Are grant holders:

a) The Portuguese Government;

(b) the respective Governments, under the terms and within the limits established by agreements signed within the framework of joint committees;

(c) under international conventions concluded with the European Union; or

(d) The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation;

 

It should be added that, within the limits of the capacity of the higher education institutions, other grant holders besides those referred to above may also be admitted under this regime, who satisfy the remaining conditions, namely grant holders under protocols, agreements, contracts or others that have been ratified by the Minister of Education.

And have been enrolled and registered:

 

On a foreign course of higher education in:

 

 At least one curricular year, with success in all the subjects that integrate the study plan; or

 In two curricular years, provided that the student succeeds in at least 50% of the subjects included in the study plan; or

 

In a Portuguese public higher education institution and course:

 And intend to resume their studies in the same or similar course, even if in a different institution, after having interrupted their enrolment in Portuguese public higher education for at least one academic year.

 

b) THOSE WITH 12th GRADE OF HIGH SCHOOL IN PORTUGUESE SECONDARY EDUCATION OR EQUIVALENT

It applies to students who, cumulatively:

 Are students who are nationals of Portuguese-speaking African countries;

 Present their application to Portuguese public higher education through this regime, through diplomatic channels, within the scope of the cooperation agreements signed by the Portuguese State;

 Hold a Portuguese secondary education course or equivalent qualification;

 Do not hold Portuguese nationality or, if they do, have concluded, after attending at least two academic years, a secondary education course in one of the Portuguese-speaking African countries;

 Are grant holders:

a) The Portuguese Government;

b) the respective Governments, under the terms and within the limits established by agreements signed within the framework of joint committees;

c) under international conventions concluded with the European Union; or

d) The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation;

 

It should be added that, within the limits of the capacity of the higher education institutions, other grant holders besides those referred to above may also be admitted under this regime, who satisfy the remaining conditions, namely grant holders under protocols, agreements, contracts or others that have been ratified by the Minister of Education.

These processes are delivered by the Embassies of each country directly to the DGES – DSAES, so you should contact the education services of your country.

 

More information 

Diplomatic mission accredited in Portugal

The special regime covers students who, cumulatively:

 They are foreign employees of a diplomatic mission accredited in Portugal or their family members residing here;

 Portuguese citizens are shown reciprocal treatment; and

 have completed secondary education:

 Portuguese; or

 Foreign:

– Completed in a foreign country; or

– Completed in a foreign educational establishment in Portugal;

That constitutes, in that country, sufficient academic qualification for admission to official higher education.

 

More information

High-performance sports practitioners

The present regime covers students who, cumulatively:

 Are high performance sports practitioners, appearing, for this purpose in the register organised by the Portuguese Institute for Sport and Youth (IPDJ); or

 They were practitioners under those conditions, but ended their career and did not use this special regime during it, and may benefit from it within three years from that end; and

 Have completed Portuguese secondary education or hold legally equivalent qualifications.

 

More information

Nationals and children of nationals of Timor-Leste

This special regime covers students who, cumulatively:

 Are naturals or children of naturals of the territory of Timor-Leste; and

 Have Portuguese secondary education or a legally equivalent qualification.

More information