Prerequisites are physical, functional, or vocational conditions that are particularly relevant for admission to certain higher education courses.

It is up to each higher education institution to decide whether applications to any of its courses should be subject to the fulfillment of prerequisites and to determine their content.

Depending on their nature, prerequisites may be eliminatory, intended for selection and ranking, or only for ranking candidates.

Proof of prerequisites requiring physical, functional, or vocational aptitude tests is provided through the Prerequisites Form , issued by the higher education institutions that administer them.

The Prerequisites Form will contain an activation code that the candidate will use to prove they have met the prerequisite:

• indicating the activation code found in the Prerequisites section of the online application form for the national access competition;
• by submitting the Prerequisites Form when formalizing the application for higher education through other access methods.

The prerequisites for Groups C, H, I, K, M, Q, R, S, and Z are met in the situation described in the paragraph above.

The fulfillment of prerequisites that do not require physical, functional, or vocational aptitude tests and that are merely documentary evidence must be submitted by candidates at the time of enrollment and registration in higher education, at the higher education institution that requires them, should they obtain a place there, being an indispensable condition for enrollment and registration.

The prerequisites for Groups A, B, D, E, and F are met in the situation indicated in the previous paragraph.

Students holding a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree may apply to higher education, through the special admission process for them, for any undergraduate or integrated master's degree program.

Applying to higher education through special admission processes:

• It takes place annually, together with the Higher Education Institution (HEI) chosen by the student;
• It can be presented for access and admission to public or private higher education, with the exception of military or police higher education;
• It is intended for enrollment in undergraduate and integrated master's degree programs.

Within the framework of the special admission process, institutions are responsible for preparing and developing actions related to access and admission to their courses, in accordance with the legislation, establishing, in particular, the number of places available for each of their institution/course pairs and the respective ranking and tie-breaking criteria.

Applications for the special competition must be submitted according to the terms to be established by each higher education institution (HEI), in its own regulations, which include the documentation required for the respective processing of the application.

The deadlines for completing the procedures for access and admission to higher education, in each academic year, through special admission processes, are:

• Set annually by the Higher Education Institution (HEI);
• Published on the institution's website.

In the special admission process for medical school holders, the deadlines for completing all required actions are set by the organizational units of the higher education institutions offering the medical course, in their own regulations.

In the special admission process for international students, the deadlines for completing all required actions are set by the higher education institution.

The ranking criteria for this competition are set by each Higher Education Institution (HEI), and are therefore regulated by it, duly approved and published.

In the selection process, the placement of candidates in each institution/course pair is done in descending order of the ranked list resulting from the application of the respective ranking criteria. It is the responsibility of the higher education institution (HEI) to establish the tie-breaking rules between candidates and to decide on applications for the special selection process.

The number of places available for each institution/course pair, for each of the special admission processes, are:

• Set annually by the higher education institutions;
• Published on the institution's website.

For admission in each academic year, places can only be opened for a given institution/course pair under the special admission procedures when they have also been opened under the general admission system (national competition and institutional competitions – see the information in the course index).

In special access and admission processes, any restrictions are set by the higher education institutions in their own regulations.

Special admission processes are held for enrollment and registration in an academic year and are valid for the academic year to which they refer.

The recognition of previously acquired academic qualifications by students entering a study cycle through a special admission process is carried out in accordance with the terms set out in Articles 45 to 45-B of Decree-Law No. 74/2006, of March 24, as amended by Decree-Law No. 65/2018, of August 16.
Thus, within the scope of pursuing studies to obtain an academic degree or diploma, higher education institutions, under the terms of Article 45 of Decree-Law No. 74/2006, of March 24, amended and republished by Decree-Law No. 65/2018, of August 16, and republished therein in the annex:

a) They acknowledge the training undertaken within the framework of other higher education degree programs at national or foreign higher education institutions, whether obtained within the framework of the Bologna Process or obtained previously;

b) They credit training completed within the scope of higher professional technical courses up to a limit of 50% of the total credits of the study cycle;

c) Credit is given for successfully completed curricular units, in accordance with Article 46-A of the diploma, up to a limit of 50% of the total credits for the study cycle;

d) Credits may be awarded for training undertaken within the scope of non-degree courses at national or foreign higher education institutions, up to a limit of 50% of the total credits of the study cycle;

(e) They may credit training completed within the scope of technological specialization courses up to a limit of one third of the total credits of the study cycle;

f) They may receive credit for other training not covered by the preceding paragraphs up to a limit of one third of the total credits for the study cycle;

(g) Professional experience may be credited up to a limit of 50% of the total credits for higher professional technical courses in situations where the student has more than five years of duly proven professional experience;

h) They may credit duly proven professional experience up to a limit of one third of the total credits of the study cycle, without prejudice to the provisions of the preceding paragraph.

The total credits awarded under points d) to h) cannot exceed two-thirds of the total credits for the study cycle.

The awarding of credits under points g) and e) may be wholly or partially conditional upon the completion of specific knowledge assessment procedures.

According to Article 45-A of the decree, each higher education institution approves its own regulations regarding the accreditation process, publishing them in the 2nd series of the Official Gazette and on its website, and the student must contact the institution of interest.