Citizenship requirements

a) Not be a national of a European Union Member State or of a State Party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area; b) Not be a family member of a Portuguese national, a national of another European Union Member State, or a national of a State Party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area, regardless of their own nationality; c) Not have been legally residing in Portugal for more than two consecutive years as of 1 January of the year in which they intend to enter higher education, including their children who legally reside with them, without prejudice to the provisions of paragraph 4; d) Not benefit, as of 1 January of the year in which they intend to enter higher education, from equal rights and duties status granted under an international treaty or agreement concluded between the Portuguese State and the State of which they are nationals.

Applicants may apply for admission to a higher education programme if they meet the citizenship requirements and the following conditions:

• Hold one of the following:
  • Certificate of equivalence to Portuguese secondary education (to be requested through equivalence of foreign qualifications);
  • Secondary education diploma and completion certificate, or equivalent, along with a declaration stating that secondary education in that country grants access to higher education in the same country, duly authenticated by the official education authorities of that country and recognised by the Portuguese diplomatic or consular authority in that country, or legalised with the Hague Apostille;
• Have completed one of the following options:
  • Internal written examinations, conducted in English and online, organised by IUEM and ESSEM, covering the subjects of the entrance examinations — national secondary education exams — required for the chosen course (IUEM and ESSEM syllabus);
  • National final secondary education exams from the foreign country, considered equivalent to the entrance examinations required for the chosen course.

The medical declaration, completed using the available form, must certify the absence of any psychological, sensory, or motor disability that severely interferes with functional capacity and interpersonal communication to the extent of preventing the applicant’s own learning or that of others. The result, expressed as “Fit” or “Unfit,” does not affect the calculation of the application grade.

Reading this information does not exempt applicants from consulting the regulations currently in force.

Necessary documents for application

• Official identification document (Passport);
• High school diploma and completion certificates, duly authenticated by the official education authorities of the respective country and recognised by the Portuguese diplomatic or consular authority in that country, or legalised with the Hague Apostille; or a certificate of equivalence to Portuguese secondary education (to be requested from a Portuguese secondary school);
• Statement confirming that the secondary education completed in that country allows access to higher education in the same country, duly authenticated by the official education authorities of the respective country and recognized by the Portuguese diplomatic or consular authority in that country;
• Self-declaration, under honor pledge, stating that the applicant does not hold Portuguese nationality and is not subject to any conditions that would prevent them from applying as an International Student;
• Visa or Residence Permit/Card or Entry Declaration (applicable only to applicants who have been residing in Portugal for less than two years);
• Group A prerequisite – Interpersonal Communication, intended to demonstrate the applicant’s interpersonal communication skills;

Any documentation written in a language other than Portuguese must be accompanied by a certified translation into Portuguese issued by the competent authorities.