FAQs C| Access Conditions via the International Student Statute

The following conditions must be met cumulatively: 

Hold a qualification that gives access to higher education in the country of origin (secondary education) OR hold a Portuguese secondary education qualification, or a legally equivalent qualification.

Have done one of the following, in the indicated order:

• National final exam of foreign secondary education considered to be equivalent to the relevant entrance exam  for the programme you wish to apply to; 
• Have passed a foreign secondary school subject equivalent to the entrance exam for the programme you wish  to apply to; 
• Have taken the national entrance exams in Portugal required for the programme you wish to apply to. 

Check the exam correspondence table here. 

In addition, prerequisites are required for the Nursing degree, Integrated Master's in Medicine and International degrees at the Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics.    

Check the Entrance Tests and their minimum marks, as well as the minimum application mark at the following link FAQ 3.4 of the General Regime. 

Please check FAQ 3.4 of the General Regime.

Please check FAQ 3.7 of the General Regime. 

Please check FAQ 3.8 of the General Regime. 

Please check FAQ 3.3 of the General Regime. 

Please check FAQ 3.6 of the General Regime. 

Please check FAQ 2.7 of the General Regime. 

You can take the national exams in Portugal.  

Alternatively, you can take internal exams at some of the Faculties, namely: 

Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics - You must take the Maths Admissions Test. The format of the Admissions Test is as follows: those with permanent residence in mainland Portugal must take it on campus; those with permanent residence on the islands of Madeira, the Azores or in a foreign country can take it online. 

Católica Medical School - For the Medicine programme, you can take internal exams that are compulsory at the campus. 

Instituto Estudos Políticos - For the Political Science and International Relations course you can take an online exam at the Institute.

Students taking foreign secondary education courses can take and use the Portuguese national final exams, with the possibility of combining foreign exam marks with Portuguese exam marks, when the candidates demonstrates that they are using the Portuguese exam because they don't have the corresponding foreign exam to replace the entrance exam, or because they didn't take it, or because they didn't get the required minimum mark in it. 

If the candidate chooses to take Portuguese national exams for subjects that they also have on their foreign diploma, they cannot mix results from both diplomas, but only use the set of results from one of the diplomas and must choose the one that maximizes their application grade. 

You need to have qualifications that allow you to access higher education in your country of origin. 

Furthermore, you should comply with the requirements listed in FAQ C.1.

As an applicant you have the following options: 

• Take the final exams, according to your diploma, in the missing subjects, even if you did not attend them during secondary school;
• Take the national exams in Portugal required for the programme you wish to apply to; 
• Take the internal exams at Católica, if available at the Faculty to which you are applying to. 

There are no special access quotas for international students. 

Please check FAQ 2.3 of the General Regime. 

Please check FAQ 2.4 of the General Regime. 

Please check FAQ 2.5 of the General Regime. 

If you are an International Student, you must apply through the International Student Statute and you cannot use other access routes in parallel. Although you have already attended a higher education course, your application will be assessed according to whether you fulfil the admission requirements in terms of entrance exams (See FAQ 3.4 of the General Regime). 

Please check FAQ 2.10 of the General Regime.