Non-national students may apply for FCH-Católica Degree programmes. On this page you will find information for students who meet the eligibility requirements set out in the International Student Status Regulations.

For this purpose, an international student is a student who, cumulatively:

• Is not a Portuguese national or an European Union Member State national;
• Is not a direct descendant, spouse (husband/wife) or partner of a Portuguese national or an European Union Member State national;
• On January 1st of the year in which they intend to enter higher education, has not been legally and uninterruptedly residing in Portugal for longer than 2 years, nor are the child, spouse or partner of a person in this situation;
• On January 1st of the year in which they intend to enter higher education, does not enjoy the status of equal rights and duties conferred in accordance with international treaties between the Portuguese State and the State of which they are nationals.

Admission of non-national citizens who do not fall under the International Student Status shall be processed under the conditions applicable to students of Portuguese nationality (general regime). As such, the students must enrol in a Portuguese secondary school to take the Portuguese national exams and submit two of the exams required by FCH-Católica. Alternatively, students may take equivalent exams to the ones required, through the international education system, for example, the IB or A Levels. To find out which final subjects are equivalent to the requested exams, please contact FCH.

Entry Requirements
 

For an application to be considered, the candidate must:

• Meet the requirements for International Students Status;
• Have completed a qualification that gives them access to higher education in their country of origin (secondary education);
• Have taken foreign secondary school final exams considered equivalent to the entrance exams required for the course to which they intend to apply (see the Exams Correspondence Table) or the national exams in Portugal that correspond to the entrance exams required;
• Demonstrate a minimum level of B2 in Portuguese, according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL). It is not necessary to present a Language Proficiency Certificate.

Applications 2025/2026
 

The number of vacancies in the second and subsequent phases depends on the number of vacancies left from the previous phases. Candidates who are not admitted in one phase automatically move on to the next phase, without having to reapply.

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Entrance Exams
 

Application Score
 

The application score is calculated as follows:

• 50%: Final mark of secondary education diploma or equivalent (minimum pass mark);
• 50% (25% each exam): Final mark of national final exams or similar relevant subjects for the course to which you are applying.

Note: Exam marks will be converted to the Portuguese grading scale, in accordance with applicable legislation.

Required Documentation
 

• Identification document;
• Photograph (standard passport size);
• Declaration, on honour, stating that the candidate is eligible to enrol as an “international student”;
• Diploma and detailed secondary school transcript (with all the subjects taken, respective grades and final grade), and the grading scale used  (including the minimum pass mark);
• Document proving the grades obtained in the national exams for access to higher education in the country of origin. If these exams are not available, a statement must be sent from the secondary school attended, confirming that they are not available and confirming that the applicant's qualifications give access to higher education in the country of origin.

Notes
Only scans of original documents are required at the time of application.
The candidate must present the documents required for the application legalized/authenticated:

• in the country of origin, for countries that have adhered to the Hague Convention (of October 5, 1961, ratified by Decree-Law no. 48450, published in Diário do Governo, 1st series, no. 148, of June 24, 1968);
• in Portuguese embassies or consular services in the foreign country to which the qualification relates;
• in embassies or consular services of the foreign countries in Portugal where the qualifications were obtained (check with the entities beforehand if this option is available);
• in countries where there is no Portuguese diplomatic representation or which have not signed up to the Hague Convention, legalization/authentication will be carried out, depending on the case, by the official entity in the country of origin which is competent for this purpose (e.g. Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Ministry of Justice).

When the documents to be submitted are written in a foreign language other than Spanish, English, French or Italian, the respective translation into Portuguese must be provided, under the terms of notarial law.

Application Process
 

Step 1 – Start your online application by selecting "Estatuto de Estudante Internacional" HERE 

Please fill in your personal details, select the degree you wish to apply for, and attach all the required documentation.*

* All documents must be submitted in PDF format.

The original documents submitted must be submitted to the Secretaria Escolar (Academic Services) by October 15 of the year of application, otherwise the application will be cancelled and there will be no refund of any amounts paid up to that date. Documents must be submitted in their original version or as a certified copy.

Step 2 – Payment of application fee 

After completing your application and attaching the required documentation, you must complete payment of the application fee (175.00€* - which is non-refundable). Please note that your application will only be considered complete after payment of this fee.

*Application fee for the 2025/2026 academic year.

Step 3 – Application Results

Results will be made available in the Candidate Area on the scheduled date, with the indication of “Admitted”, “Not Admitted” or “Excluded”. You must access this area using the login details you will receive at the end of your application.

Once the results have been announced, and if admitted, you will receive an email with the procedure to follow to enrol.

START YOUR APPLICATION HERE