Applications

academic services – faq

Applications

International student application for bachelor’s degree

If you’re a non-EU national applying for a bachelor’s degree at the Polytechnic University of Leiria you can benefit from the International Student Status when submitting your application.

You can learn more about what this status means in the DGES’ website.

To apply for the Bachelor’s degree, the national exams taken in your country to access the university must be considered similar to the Portuguese national exams by the National Commission for Higher Education. The foreign exams deemed equivalent to the Portuguese ones are available at the following links:

•Substituição de provas de ingresso por exames estrangeiros (artigo 20.º-A), in the DGES’ website;
• Candidatura ao ensino superior português de estudantes titulares de cursos do ensino secundário estrangeiro., in the Deliberação n.º 677/2024 (available for the 2024/2025 academic year, and awaiting publication for the 2025/2026 academic year).

If they are not considered equal, you will have to take the in-person exams provided by the Polytechnic of Leiria.

You will have to take the in-person exams provided by the Polytechnic of Leiria, upon registration in InforEstudante and payment of €20 per exam.

1st phase: 17/02/2025 to 27/02/2025
2nd phase: 01/04/2025 to 16/04/2025

Step 1: In the “Academic Service” menu, select “Requests”.

Step 2: Select “Add” button

Step 3: Select “Exam registration for international students”, the “School Year” and the “proofs”

1st phase: 05/03/2025
2nd phase: 23/04/2025

You will have to prove that you are proficient in the language in which the study programme is taught (B2 level), according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). 

If you do not have level B2, you can apply as long as you prove that you are enrolled in a course, and commit to attending until you reach the required level.

If the course is taught in Portuguese you may apply for a Portuguese Language Course.

National Call for Admission to Higher Education

To apply to the higher education system in Portugal through the National Call, you must meet all the following requirements:

  • Hold a Portuguese secondary school education certificate, or a legally equivalent certificate with your final grade average.
  • Hold secondary school leaving exams in the subjects required for the study programme you wish to apply to, performed in the last 2 years.
  • Complete any prerequisites specified by the higher education institution for the study programme you wish to apply to.
  • Hold an overall application score average equal or higher to the minimum application score set by the higher education institution.
  • You are not covered by the International Student Status.

The National Call is managed by DGES (Portuguese Directorate General for Higher Education) and not by higher education institutions. For more information, visit DGES’ website.

To apply to the higher education system in Portugal, you must obtain the updated ENES form, referring to the present year (essential document for the application). If the student does not sit any exam in the year he or she is applying, and use national exams taken in previous years, the student must register again in high school, within the term of the national exams, for the purposes of registration and subsequent issuance of the referred form, under the terms of the CNAES Resolution.

You can apply to a maximum of six combinations of institution/study programmes at a time. In the National Call application form, you will be asked to order the pairs by preference.

Each year, DGES organises the National Call for Admission to Higher Education in three different phases. The dates of each phasevary annually, so keep an eye on DGES’ website. The application is done online here.

Some higher education institutions may ask for certain prerequisites to access their study programmes. They can be physical, functional or vocational conditions that are particularly relevant to certain study programmes.

The only study programmes with mandatory special prerequisites in Politécnico de Leiria are the ones taught at the School of Health Sciences (ESSLei). If you wish to apply to any of its study programmes, you will need to prove that you meet the prerequisite Group A – Interpersonal Communication, by showing a medical declaration (questionnaire).

Admission to the bachelor’s programme in Speech Therapy is also subject to the submission of a statement by a Speech Therapist, attesting to the “absence of language and/or speech disorders” and the mastery of oral and written Portuguese language.

Special admission regimes to higher education

A – Diplomatic mission from Portugal
B – Public employees in an official mission abroad
C – Officials of the Portuguese armed forces
D – Applicants that hold scholarships from Portuguese-speaking countries
E – Accredited diplomatic mission in Portugal
F – Professional sports players
G – East Timor nationals or their children

The application period runs once a year and the dates are approved annually by DGES.

The application is only sent to the Higher Education Access Offices (GAES) or, through diplomatic channels, according to the special regime to which the student qualifies.

Thus, GAES receive applications from regimes A, B, C, E, F and G and the Embassies submit applications to Regimes D.1 and D.2 from the respective countries to DGES.

You can apply to a maximum of three combinations of institution/programme at a time. In the National Call application form, you will be asked to order the pairs by preference.

The special regime allows foreign officials of diplomatic missions accredited in Portugal or their relatives living in Portugal to apply to higher education in Portugal through the special regime.