Application for students outside EU
Only for European and other non-Portuguese students with permanent address in Portugal for the last two years, who are not, and have never been, enrolled in a higher education institution. They can access the Bachelor Programmes via the Portuguese National Admission Procedure, organised by the Directorate-General of Higher Education (DGES, www.dges.mctes.pt). To apply to 1st cycle courses at the IPCB, you must comply with the exact same conditions as those required for Portuguese students. Hence, you must:
a) Hold a certificate confirming the approval in a secondary education course or in a legally equivalent course. This certificate must contain all the grades obtained in the last three years of the secondary level;
b) Have completed the access exams required for the course you intend to apply for, with final mark equal to or greater than the minimum mark (95/200).
Holders of foreign certificates should request their equivalence to the Portuguese secondary course at a Portuguese secondary school (1st step);
For students holding a certificate confirming the approval in a non-Portuguese legally equivalent secondary education course, the admission exams may be replaced by final exams on specific subjects of those courses, provided certain conditions are met: foreign final exams should be of national scope in your country and correspond to Portuguese homologous exams, i.e., the Portuguese exam of Mathematics A can be replaced by the foreign national exam of Mathematics;
c) Meet the prerequisites, if required. At the IPCB, only the courses taught at the School of Health and the Music and Sport degrees require prerequisites. These prerequisites will depend on the selected course. For all the other courses, prerequisites are not necessary.
1st step – Request the equivalence of your foreign certificate
Foreign students should request the equivalence of their foreign certificate to the Portuguese secondary course at a Portuguese secondary school. To this end, you will need to provide:
- the certificate of completion of the secondary course, or equivalent, stating the grades obtained in all the subjects in the last three years;
- the certificate of approval in the final exams, stating the exam grades obtained.
2nd step – Identification
Foreign students should obtain an internal number of identification. This internal number is provided by the Secondary School. For that, you should provide a valid official identification document (passport, ID card, or other legal official document).
3rd step – Request a password
To request a password, you should visit the Portuguese Admission page at www.dges.mec.pt/online/ and sign up. You will need to provide your internal identification number (2nd step), your name, and a valid email. After that, the system will send you an email with a confirmation link.
IMP: After accessing this link, you should print a confirmation receipt, which should be handed in person at the Secondary School or at the Access to Higher Education Office functioning at the Academic Services of the IPCB. This document is needed so your identification elements can be confirmed and validated. In case you are under 18, the confirmation receipt should be signed by your parent/guardian.
4th step – Obtain an activation code
After the validation of your request, an activation code will be sent to your email. You will need this activation code to access the online platform and complete the application.
5th step – Access the online platform and complete your application
To complete your application, you need to access the online platform at www.dges.mec.pt/online/, and sign in using your internal identification number and password. After signing in, you must follow the indications that will appear on the online application form. You should bear in mind that the online application form is in Portuguese.
After your application is done you must deliver at the Access to Higher Education Office the following documents:
Copy of the document proving that you have done your online application, indicating the foreign exams;
Legal document certifying the final classification of your secondary course or equivalence. This document should be in Portuguese, English, French, Spanish, or be accompanied by a certified translation in English. Also, the original document should be authenticated by the official services of education of your country and certified by The Hague Convention Apostille;
Legal document certifying the classifications obtained in the final exams that will replace the Portuguese national exams. This document should be in Portuguese, English, French, Spanish, or be accompanied by a certified translation in English;
Legal document certifying the equivalence of your secondary course to the Portuguese secondary course, including the final classification converted in a scale of 0 to 200. This document should be previously obtained in a Portuguese Secondary School (cf. 1st step).
6th step – Check your mailbox
The results of the 1st phase of the application procedure will be released in the beginning of September. You will receive an email announcing if you were accepted at IPCB.
7th step – The enrolment process
After receiving the email stating that you were accepted at IPCB, you need to confirm your interest in studying at IPCB and must do your online registration at IPCB. For the online registration, you must have the following digital documents: photography, identification card, and prerequisites document (if necessary). After registration, you must pay the registration emolument and the first instalment of the annual tuition fees. For more information on fees and emoluments, please visit Academic Fees and Emoluments.
8th step – Request your visa
After we receive your payment and you complete the enrolment, we will send you the necessary documentation to request a visa to study in Portugal.
9th step – Health Insurance and Accommodation
The IPCB provides an insurance which only covers accidents that occur in the IPCB’s premises during the academic year. International students should obtain a private health insurance in the respective country of origin. It is recommended that students acquire previous knowledge of all the conditions and coverage foreseen in Portugal.
The IPCB cannot provide accommodation for international students in the students’ halls of residence. Nevertheless, the International Office can help you finding accommodation. Please contact us via email gri@ipcb.pt.
10th step – Arriving at IPCB
When arriving at the IPCB, you should visit the International Relations Office so we can take you to the Academic Services to finalise your enrolment.
Important Dates
The application process is online with the deadlines defined by the National Admission Procedure (www.dges.mctes.pt/). For foreign students, the pre-application process starts in February/March. It is important that you start your application process as soon as possible.
Please contact us via email gri@ipcb.pt
Only for international students who are, or have been, enrolled in a higher education institution legally recognized at the country of origin, can request for course transfer and enrol in a Bachelor programme of IPCB.
Important Dates - The application process is online and starts in July/August.
1st step – Provide the documentation
To begin the transfer process, you need to provide, on our online platform, the following documents:
Fulfil the online application form;
Document of identification;
Authenticated transcript of your marks and credits for each subject studied; this document should be in Portuguese, English, French, Spanish, or be accompanied by a certified translation in English;
Authenticated plan of studies. This document should be in Portuguese, English, French, Spanish, or be accompanied by a certified translation in English;
Authenticated official document stating that the course you are, or were, enrolled in is recognized as a higher education programme by the legislation of your country. This document should be in Portuguese, English, French, Spanish, or be accompanied by a certified translation in English;
Authenticated document with the exams done to access higher education.
2nd step – Check your mailbox
After the admission process has been concluded, we will send you an email confirming the admission at IPCB.
3rd step – The enrolment process
After receiving the email stating that you were accepted at IPCB, you need to confirm your interest in studying at IPCB and must do your online registration at IPCB. For the online registration, you must have the following digital documents: photography, identification card, and prerequisites document (if necessary). After registration, you must pay the registration emolument and the first instalment of the annual tuition fees. For more information on fees and emoluments, please visit Academic Fees and Emoluments.
4th step – Request your visa
After we receive your payment and you complete the enrolment, we will send you the necessary documentation to request a visa to study in Portugal.
5th step – Health Insurance and Accommodation
The IPCB provides an insurance which only covers accidents that occur in the IPCB’s premises during the academic year. International students should obtain a private health insurance in the respective country of origin. It is recommended that students acquire previous knowledge of all the conditions and coverage foreseen in Portugal.
The IPCB cannot provide accommodation for international students in the students’ halls of residence. Nevertheless, the International Office can help you finding accommodation. Please contact us via email gri@ipcb.pt.
6th step – Arriving at IPCB
When arriving at the IPCB, you should visit the International Relations Office so we can take you to the Academic Services to finalise your enrolment.