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 European Union (EU) Member State national;
• Is not a direct descendant, spouse (husband/wife) or partner of a European Union Member State national;
• Has not been legally and uninterruptedly residing in Portugal for longer than two years as of 1 January of the year in which they intend to enter higher education (as well as their spouse or either of the parents with whom they may legally reside);
• Does not enjoy, as of 1 of January of the year in which they intend to enter higher education, 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.

The 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.

As such, you must enrol in a Portuguese secondary school to take the Portuguese national examinations and submit one of the examinations required by FCH-Católica. Alternatively, you may take an equivalent exam to the one required, through the international education system, for example, the IB or SAT Exams. To find out which finalist subjects are equivalent to the requested entrance exams, please contact FCH.
 

Entry Requirements
 

For an application to be considered, the candidate must:

• Meet the requirements for International Students Status;
• Have been granted equivalence to a Portuguese secondary education diploma or have achieved a qualification that grants the candidate access to higher education in their country of origin;
• Have completed Portuguese higher education entrance exams in 2021, 2020 or 2019 in the areas required by each of the degrees (see the  Exam Correspondence Table ) or have successfully completed a foreign secondary education subject considered equivalent to the entrance examination. 

Applications 2024/2025

Should there be any vacancies left after the third phase of admissions, the Faculty of Human Sciences may make these vacancies available for a third phase. These applications may either be assessed in order of submission, until vacancies are filled, or be ranked, within a schedule to be set by the Faculty.

​

Entrance Exams and Vacancies

Application Score
 

The application score is calculated as follows:

• Final mark of secondary education diploma or equivalent (minimum pass mark): 60%
• Final mark of Portuguese secondary education exam or of foreign secondary education subject equivalent to the entrance exam required by the degree being applied for: 40%

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

Required Documentation
 

• Passport;
• Declaration, on honour, stating that the candidate is eligible to enrol as an “international student”;
• Transcript of secondary school diploma (with a list of subjects taken and respective marks) and final average;
• Document attesting to the marks obtained in the Portuguese higher education entrance exam;
• Official document issued by a competent body, containing details of the teaching system attended, and providing evidence that the qualification obtained grants the candidate the right to apply for admission to higher education in the country in which the same was granted, and detailing the marking scale (including the minimum pass mark);
• Certificate of equivalence to Portuguese secondary education (to be obtained from a Portuguese secondary school or from the Directorate-General for Education (Direção-Geral da Educação) – further information is available here).

Note: Original documentation must be duly certified by the Portuguese consular services or embassies based in the country in which the qualification was obtained, or by the consular services or embassies of these foreign countries in Portugal, or bear the Hague Apostille, in the case of countries which joined the Hague Convention. Where the application is submitted by e-mail, any documents bearing the Apostille will have to be submitted during enrolment. 

Application Process
 

Step 1 – Start your online application (HERE) 

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

The original document or a certified copy must be submitted to the Secretaria Escolar (Administrative Office) during enrolment.

* Please note that all documents must be submitted in PDF format.

Step 2 – Payment of application fee
 
After completing your application and attaching the required documentation, you must complete payment of the application fee (155.00€* - which is non-refundable). Please note that your application will only be considered complete after payment of this fee.

*230.00€ - for the third phase of applications 

Step 3 – Application Results

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

After results are released, you will receive an email with instructions on how to enrol.

START YOUR APPLICATION HERE