Higher education institutions enjoy scientific, pedagogical, cultural, and disciplinary autonomy.

• Scientific autonomy consists of the ability to define, plan, and execute research and other scientific activities.
• Pedagogical autonomy encompasses the ability to develop study plans, define the subject matter of curricular units, define teaching methods, allocate resources, and choose knowledge assessment processes.
• Cultural autonomy translates into the ability to define the training program and cultural initiatives.
• Disciplinary autonomy confers the power to punish, in accordance with the law and statutes, disciplinary infractions committed by teachers, researchers and other employees, as well as students.

Thus, matters such as the specific conditions for admission to study cycles, the operating conditions of study cycles, study plans, prerequisites and assessment regimes, the statute of limitations, the accreditation of training, curricular transition rules, deadlines for issuing academic documentation, changes to timetables and operating regimes, or deadlines for responding to requests fall within the scope of the aforementioned autonomies.

• Law No. 62/2007, of September 10 –
  It establishes the legal framework for higher education institutions, regulating in particular their constitution, attributions and organization, the functioning and competence of their bodies, and also the public oversight and supervision of the State over them, within the framework of their autonomy.
  Articles 71 to 75

In public higher education, for the academic year 2026-2027 , the maximum tuition fee that higher education institutions can set cannot exceed the amount set in the previous academic year, thus remaining at €710 .

This amount is set for higher professional technical courses and for study cycles leading to a bachelor's degree and integrated master's degree programs. The tuition fees for enrollment in a master's degree program are set under the same terms when its combination with a study cycle leading to a bachelor's degree is essential for access to the exercise of a professional activity.

The tuition fee for enrollment in a master's degree program in all other cases, and in a doctoral degree program, is determined by the competent bodies of the higher education institutions.

In private higher education, it is the responsibility of the institution that established the educational establishment to set the amount of tuition fees and other charges payable by students for attending the study programs offered there.

How does tuition payment work? Can I pay in installments?

Tuition fees are a fee paid by students, corresponding to their share of the costs inherent to the service provided by higher education institutions, without prejudice to the State's responsibility.

It is the responsibility of the higher education institution, within the scope of its autonomy, to set the deadlines for phasing in the payment of tuition fees for undergraduate and integrated master's degree programs.

Tuition fees are payable in at least seven monthly installments, starting from the date of enrollment, without prejudice to the creation of other payment methods, in whole or in part, by higher education institutions.

In this regard, it is advisable to consult the regulations of the higher education institution in order to verify the existing deadlines and payment methods.

I want to cancel my enrollment, but the institution is charging the full tuition fee for this academic year. What should I do?

Higher education institutions manage human and physical resources according to the number of students initially enrolled in study programs. Therefore, you should consult the regulations of the higher education institution to verify what is stated regarding tuition fee payments, specifically whether or not there is a deadline, which may be longer or shorter depending on the institution, for canceling enrollment without incurring tuition fees for that academic year.

In any case, since this is a matter within the competence of the higher education institution, any questions on this subject should be directed to its internal bodies.

Until when can higher education institutions charge overdue tuition fees?

Public higher education institutions must have regularization plans for students with overdue tuition fees who are enrolled in degree-granting programs or professional higher technical courses.

Students who find themselves in this situation should contact the higher education institution they attend and express their interest in joining the debt settlement plan offered by that institution.

Joining the plan depends on a free and informed agreement between the student and the public higher education institution, which determines the defined payment plan, and consequently implies the suspension of late payment interest that accrues after the application is submitted, as well as allowing the student access to all services of the public higher education institution, namely the issuance of a diploma or certificate of completion or any informative document about their academic career.

An extraordinary mechanism has been established for the regularization of debts resulting from non-payment of tuition fees and other charges and fees at public higher education institutions.

This mechanism applies to current and former students who are or have been enrolled in a degree-granting study program or a higher professional technical course.

To access this extraordinary mechanism, students must opt into a voluntary repayment plan for outstanding amounts, by submitting a request to the highest authority of the public higher education institution.

The existence of a payment plan between the student and the respective higher education institution determines the dismissal of any existing tax enforcement and coercive collection proceedings, including cases involving seizure, and interrupts the statute of limitations for the amounts owed.

Students with proven financial need are entitled to a two-year grace period, provided they mention this fact in their application.

For more specific information on the subject, it is suggested to consult Law No. 75/2019, of September 2, which establishes mechanisms for the regularization of debts due to non-payment of tuition fees in public higher education institutions.

Students enrolled in a study cycle may be authorized to enroll in curricular units of subsequent study cycles.

Higher education institutions also allow enrollment in the curricular units they offer, and enrollment can be made by students enrolled in a higher education course or by other interested parties.

Registration may be subject to evaluation or not, with the registration fees being proportionally determined.

Enrollment in an assessment program, regardless of whether a student passes, is contingent upon accumulating a maximum of 60 credits throughout their academic career.

For this purpose, academic record is considered to be the set of enrollments in curricular units of the same study cycle at the same higher education institution, regardless of the operating regime.

This option was designed for those interested who, whether or not they are enrolled in a higher education course, wish to enroll in other curricular units at the higher education institution.

Credit for successfully completed units under the individual course enrollment scheme is limited to 50% of the total credits for the study cycle the student will enter.

Credit is granted only when the student acquires, through enrollment and registration, the status of a student in the relevant higher education study cycle.

Are there limits to enrollment in individual course units?

Enrollment in an assessment program, regardless of whether a student passes, is contingent upon accumulating a maximum of 60 credits throughout their academic career.

For this purpose, academic record is considered to be the set of enrollments in curricular units of the same study cycle at the same higher education institution, regardless of the operating regime.

Is enrollment in individual course units equivalent to enrollment in the entire study program?

Enrolling in course units within a study cycle is not sufficient for the holder to have the status of a student in that study cycle.

This will only occur if the interested party enters the relevant study cycle through one of the pathways to higher education.

For this purpose, it will also be necessary for the study program to be accredited and registered on the date you wish to enroll. If, for any reason, the program ceases, those enrolled in individual course units will not be considered as students enrolled in the study program, and therefore the measures to safeguard the expectations of enrolled students will not apply to them.

On the other hand, the outgoing study cycle will not be able to accept new students, even if they have already completed part of it through the system of attending individual curricular units.

Since when have the limits on credit been applicable?

The limits on crediting for course units completed under the individual course unit enrollment scheme do not apply to students who have successfully completed a higher percentage of course units in a study cycle under the same scheme, up to September 6, 2013, the date on which the legislative amendment that introduced the limits came into force, regardless of the date on which they enter the study cycle in question.

• Decree-Law No. 74/2006, of March 24 – Approves the legal regime for academic degrees and diplomas in higher education. Articles 46 and 46-A.

Higher education institutions may grant credit for previously obtained training and professional experience in the following situations and within the indicated limits:

1. Training undertaken within the framework of other higher education study cycles, in national or foreign higher education institutions, whether obtained before or after the organization resulting from the Bologna Process.
2. Training completed within the framework of higher professional technical courses, up to a limit of 50% of the total credits of the study cycle.
3. Course units completed individually with a passing grade, up to a limit of 50% of the total credits for the study cycle.
4. Training undertaken within the framework of non-degree courses at higher education institutions, up to a limit of 50% of the total credits of the study cycle.
5. Training undertaken within the framework of technological specialization courses, up to a limit of 1/3 of the total credits of the study cycle.
6. Other training completed, up to a limit of 1/3 of the total credits of the study cycle.
7. Professional experience is limited to 50% of the total credits for higher professional technical courses in situations where the student has more than 5 years of duly proven professional experience.
8. Proven professional experience, up to a limit of 1/3 of the total credits of the study cycle.

The total credits awarded under points 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 cannot exceed 2/3 of the total credits for the study cycle.

The possibility of credit transfer only exists for the purpose of continuing studies to obtain an academic degree and only takes effect after admission to a higher education program, with entry naturally having to be carried out through one of the applicable legal regimes, subject to the respective regulatory norms and the established limit of vacancies.

The accreditation process is governed by regulations approved by the competent bodies of higher education institutions, and the involvement of the scientific or technical-scientific council is mandatory in this process.

How does credit transfer work in cases of readmission and change of institution/course?

In the case of readmission , all training obtained during the previous enrollment in the same course or the course that preceded it is credited.

Thus, the number of credits required to obtain an academic degree cannot exceed the difference between the total number of credits needed to award the degree or diploma and the credits from all training obtained during previous enrollment in the same course or the course that preceded it.

Only in duly justified cases where, given the level or content of some curricular units, it is not possible to consider all the training obtained during the previous enrollment, the number of credits to be completed for the award of the degree or diploma may not exceed by 10 % that resulting from the application of the rule previously mentioned.

In the case of a change of institution/course pairing , the crediting of training obtained in the previous pairing is done according to the general terms, and the procedure must be carried out within a timeframe compatible with the student's enrollment and course attendance in the academic year or semester for which it is requested.

• Decree-Law No. 74/2006, of March 24 – Approves the legal regime for academic degrees and diplomas in higher education. Articles 45 and 45-A.

The rules applicable to student-workers are those set out in the Labor Code and the legislation that regulates and amends that Code.

Thus, “ a worker-student is considered to be a worker who attends any level of school education, as well as a postgraduate course, master's degree or doctorate at an educational institution, or a vocational training course or temporary youth employment program lasting six months or more ”. Maintaining this status also depends on “academic performance in the previous academic year ”.

To be granted that status, " the student-worker must prove to the employer their student status, also presenting the schedule of educational activities to be attended ," as well as " their respective academic performance at the end of each academic year .".

General rules are also established regarding the organization of the student-worker's working time, the possibility of time off work to attend classes and take assessments, and the specific rules for vacations and leaves.

On the other hand, the legislation that regulates the Labor Code establishes as specificities of the attendance of an educational establishment by a working student that this does not include attending a minimum number of subjects, nor a prescription regime, nor any legal provision that makes academic achievement dependent on attending a minimum number of classes or limiting the number of exams to be taken during the resit period.

It also provides for the existence, to the extent possible, of a special examination period for these students, as well as the guarantee of support services in educational establishments with after-work hours, further clarifying that the regime is applicable " to the self-employed worker, as well as to the worker who, being covered by the student-worker statute, is, in the meantime, in a situation of involuntary unemployment, registered at an employment center ".

• Labor Code – Law No. 7/2009, of February 12, which approves the revision of the Labor Code (subsequently amended). Articles 89 to 96.
• Law No. 105/2009, of September 14 –
  Regulates and amends the Labor Code, Article 12.

Higher education institutions allow their students to enroll in and attend their study programs on a part-time basis.

The legally and statutorily competent body approves the regulatory norms relating to this regime, including, in particular, the conditions for enrollment, the conditions for changing between full-time and part-time regimes, the tuition fees and prescription regimes, which must result from the proportionate adaptation of the applicable general rules.

• Decree-Law No. 74/2006, of March 24 – Approves the legal regime for academic degrees and diplomas in higher education. Article 46-C

There is no prohibition against a student being enrolled in more than one institution and course each academic year, neither with regard to initial training courses (bachelor's degree programs and integrated master's degree programs), nor with regard to the simultaneous attendance of bachelor's and master's/doctoral degrees, or master's and doctoral degrees, or even different programs leading to the same degree or not conferring a degree.

However, since enrollment in study programs and other courses depends on the availability of places and, in many cases, on a selection process carried out by the institutions themselves, it may be preferential for the candidate not to be simultaneously enrolled in another higher education course.

The awarding of degrees and diplomas is proven by a certificate of registration drawn up and signed by the legally and statutorily competent body of the higher education institution, generically called a diploma.

The course certificate, for bachelor's and master's degrees, and the doctoral certificate, for the doctoral degree, are not mandatory and will only be issued if students request them.

The documents mentioned above may be multilingual; however, references to degrees and diplomas must be in Portuguese.

The issuance of a diploma (or registration certificate) cannot be conditional upon the request for issuance or payment for any other academic document. The fee charged for issuing any of these documents cannot exceed the cost of the respective service. The setting of fees is the responsibility of higher education institutions, and these fees must be itemized in a fee schedule and must not significantly and unjustifiably exceed, in violation of the principle of proportionality, the costs necessary for the reproduction, authentication, or certification of documents.

The issuance of any of these documents is accompanied by the issuance of a diploma supplement, a bilingual document containing a description of the higher education system (as provided by NARIC), a characterization of the institution that awarded the diploma, the training undertaken and its objectives, and the results obtained.

• Decree-Law No. 74/2006, of March 24 – Approves the legal regime for academic degrees and diplomas in higher education. Article 49, amended by Decree-Law No. 27/2021, of April 16.
• Decree No. 30/2008, of January 10 – Regulates the supplement to the diploma.
• Decree-Law No. 42/2005, of February 22 – Approves the regulatory principles of instruments for the creation of the European Higher Education Area (ECTS) Articles 38 to 42, Amended by Decree-Law No. 107/2008, of June 25

The Diploma Supplement is a document that complements the diploma awarded at the end of a study program. It contains a description of the higher education system in the country of origin of the diploma, characterizing the institution that provided the education and awarded the diploma, the training undertaken and its objective, and also provides detailed information about the training received and the results obtained.

The Diploma Supplement is a bilingual document issued by the competent authority that awarded the diploma.

It is important to emphasize that the Diploma Supplement is purely informative in nature, does not replace the diploma, and does not constitute proof of the qualification to which it refers. It is issued mandatorily and free of charge whenever a diploma is awarded.

In Portugal, and following the commitments made within the Bologna Process, Decree-Law No. 42/2005 of February 22nd was published, approving the regulatory principles of the instruments for the creation of the European Higher Education Area, particularly concerning the Diploma Supplement, and should, in principle, apply from 2006-2007. On January 10th, 2008, Ministerial Order No. 30/2008 was published, regulating Article 39 of Decree-Law No. 42/2005.

• Description of the national higher education system referred to in section 8 of the Diploma Supplement ( PT and EN )
• Diagram of the Portuguese Higher Education System ( PT and EN )

Since many matters relating to the operation and functioning of higher education institutions fall within their autonomy and/or must be subject to regulation, these regulations should be consulted first in case of doubt.

If doubts persist or if it is found that the regulations are not being applied correctly, the situation may be brought to the attention of the authorities:

• To the Student Ombudsman,
• To the highest legal and statutorily competent body of the institution or
• Online at www.livroreclamacoes.pt
• Using the complaints book, the contents of which will then be forwarded to the relevant authorities or entities.

It is now the responsibility of IES, IP, in accordance with paragraph 3 of article 58 of Law no. 62/2007, of September 10 (Legal regime of higher education institutions), as the entity in charge of safeguarding the fundamental documentation of some closed higher education establishments, to issue documentation relating to the period of operation of the establishment, developing a certification activity, which is merely declarative, and can only certify what is contained in the documentary archives, i.e., the academic records, namely:

• Documents proving the students' academic status;
• Documents certifying teaching activities.

The requested documentation is issued in digital format.

For each request for documentation, the corresponding online form must be completed.

The application must be made by the applicant themselves, since the documentation issued by IES, IP is of a nominal and personal nature. If the applicant is unable to submit the application, a document justifying this inability must be attached, as well as a power of attorney duly authenticated by a notary or lawyer.

For the issuance of documentation, fees are charged as set out in Notice No. 5438/2025/2, of February 26, which must be paid according to the Multibanco reference that will be generated after the process is received.

The fees to be charged are those listed in the fee schedule for each of the different types of requests. There are fixed amounts for some types of documentation, while others are variable. When there are variable fees, it is necessary to pay the initial amount after submitting the request, and the final amount will only be communicated once the process is completed.

The requested documentation should be sent by email to the address provided on the form.

Original diplomas can be delivered in person or sent by registered mail with return receipt requested. IES, IP is not responsible for any damage, loss, or misplacement of the shipment.

• ISTC – Institute of Transport and Communications ;
• IPES – Portuguese Institute of Higher Studies;
• ISTE – Higher Institute of Business Technology;
• IPA – Autonomous Higher Institute of Polytechnic Studies ;
• ISACE – Higher Institute of Administration, Communication and Business ;
• ISIG – Higher Institute of Informatics and Management ;
• ISMM – Higher Institute of Applied Mathematics ;
• ISPI – International Polytechnic Institute ;
• UNI – Independent University ;
• UI – International University ;
• UIFF – International University of Figueira da Foz;
• Free University of Lisbon;
• Free University of Porto;
• Modern University of Lisbon ;
• Modern University – Dinensino Beja ;
• Modern University – Dinensino Setúbal .

• Law No. 62/2007, of September 10 – Establishes the legal regime for higher education institutions, regulating in particular their constitution, attributions and organization, the functioning and competence of their bodies and, also, the public tutelage and supervision of the State over them, within the framework of their autonomy. Articles 56, 58, 153 and 156.