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International Students - Useful Information

Do you want to come to Portugal, but you don’t have the funds to do so? Were you accepted by the University but you don’t know where to start with planning the adventure of a lifetime? Let us help you...

Scholarships and funding

The University of Porto promotes and/or sponsors various types of financial aid programmes for its students, including international students.

These SASUP scholarships are available to all students at U.Porto enrolled in Bachelor’s, Master’s and Integrated Master's Degrees – including nationals of European Union Member States, stateless persons and people from countries with which there are cooperation protocols. Students with the International Student Status are not eligible for these scholarships.

Once you start studying at U.Porto, and provided you show outstanding academic performance, you may apply for a merit scholarship. These scholarships are for students pursuing Bachelor’s, Master’s and Integrated Master’s Degrees.

Some Faculties have financial incentives available to students with the International Student Status, according to the overall admission ranking.

Attendance of a training programme at the U.Porto may be funded through study and research grants awarded by external institutions, government bodies or partner institutions, through the signing of agreements and national and international consortia.

Among the entities and initiatives that provide this type of support are the Portal of the Portuguese Communities, the Camões Institute, the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), the Santander Universities programme, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, the Millenium BCP Foundation, the UT Austin Portugal, CMU Portugal and MIT Portugal programmes, among others.

Once at the University of Porto, you must provide proof of the type of scholarship you have.

Visas

You should apply for a Residence Visa at the Consulate of Portugal in your country of origin.

If you have not undergone any checks by the immigration service, you should go to the Immigration and Borders Service (SEF) within 3 days of your arrival in Portugal to register your entry (Declaration of Entry). This process is mandatory and the deadlines should be met.

If you already have your Residence Visa, you should book your interview with SEF to request your Residence Permit. This permit can be extended until the end of your period of studies, research, internship or professional training.

If you are from a Member State, you can enter Portugal with a valid Identity Card, Citizen Card or Passport. Nevertheless, if you will be staying in the country for longer than 3 months, you should apply for your registration certificate at the Porto City Hall at the end of the 3-month period.

Accommodation

At U.Porto, we reserve a certain number of places in our nine university halls of residence for students attending 1st or 2nd Cycle courses under a mobility programme. Alternatively, you can find plenty of affordable options for private accommodation in the city.

Get in touch with the Accommodation Unit of the Social Support Services of the University of Porto (SASUP), in charge of accommodation management.

Bank account

We recommend that you open a bank account in Portugal in order to avoid high transaction fees and possible problems when using a foreign credit card.

Opening a bank account is fairly straightforward. Take the following documents with you to the bank of your choice:

  • your passport or international identity document;
  • a Portuguese address;
  • a Portuguese tax number, which you can request at a Loja do Cidadão.

The University of Porto has an agreement with the Santander Totta Bank which ensures that students opening an account will receive special conditions and benefits.

Insurance and medical support

Your wellbeing is a priority for U.Porto. You can make use of our medical and psychological support services at any time through the Social Support Services of the University of Porto (SASUP). We recommend that you look into other forms of personal protection in addition to the compulsory student insurance.

Student Insurance at U.Porto is compulsory and ensures coverage for a range of situations that can occur while undertaking academic activities (classes, study trips, outdoor classes, school-related internships, other University activities or commutes to and from campus): 

  • Personal accidents
  • Permanent disability or death
  • Costs of treatment and third party liability

This insurance does not cover illness or accidents that take place outside of the academic context.

Register at your Faculty’s administration office. For more information on the medical support services available through U.Porto, contact the SASUP Medical Office.

European Union, European Economic Area and Swiss nationals are entitled to a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). This card ensures that you will receive assistance in the event of a sudden illness or accident. You should apply for EHIC through the social security service of your country of origin before you leave for Porto. When you arrive, register at the Health Centre of your new area of residence. The card allows you to use public healthcare services in Portugal and to pay the same rates that local citizens do under the same circumstances. 

If you are from Brazil, you should request the PB4 form – certificate of entitlement to medical care – from the Brazilian social security services in order to access public healthcare in Portugal. The period of entitlement to medical care is stipulated in the document. When you arrive in Porto, submit your PB4 to the Centro Distrital de Solidariedade e Segurança Social of your new area of residence.

Students not from the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland should consult the relevant authorities of their countries of origin regarding personal protection options available to them. If there is no cooperative system in place, it is mandatory that you purchase private health insurance to cover any possible health problems during your stay.

Accidents can happen to anyone. This affordable insurance, while not mandatory, is recommended. Health insurance and EHIC do not cover civil liability accidents.

This insurance is not mandatory but it is recommended in some cases. In addition to covering personal accidents, in many cases it covers repatriation costs in the event of an illness or accident.

Help and support

The U.Porto provides a wide range of support structure especially directed to international students. Mobilizing dozens of employees, this structure ensures that you have all the necessary support in the various stages of your experience at the University.

At a central level, the Academic Training and Organisation Service and the U.Porto International Relations Office, both based at the Rectory, are always available to guide international students at the U.Porto before and after their arrival at the University. You can also use the academic services and other support structures existing in your faculty.

Our international students also provide important support to those who arrive every year, from all over the world, to join the most cosmopolitan academic community in Portugal. Get to know our international students associations.

Contacts

Training and Academic Organisation Office

Rectory of the University of Porto
Praça de Gomes Teixeira
4099-002 Porto, Portugal

Tel.: (+351) 220 408 081
E-mail: [email protected]


International Relations Office

Rectory of the University of Porto
Praça de Gomes Teixeira, s/n
4099-002 Porto, Portugal 

Tel.: (+351) 220 408 041
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: https://international.up.pt

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