The University of Porto (Universidade do Porto, or U.Porto) was founded in 1911, although its roots go back to the 18th century, and it’s one of Portugal’s largest universities, with 14 faculties and a business school across three main campuses in the city. In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published in June 2026, it was 255th in the world and the second-highest-ranked university in Portugal. It’s known for engineering, medicine, economics and management, architecture, and the life and health sciences.
Most of U.Porto’s bachelor’s programmes are taught in Portuguese, but it has a dedicated call for international students and two bachelor’s taught in English. Here are 10 things you can do to give yourself the best chance, based on the University of Porto’s own guidance and official Portuguese information.
1. Check whether you’re an international student
Portugal’s International Student Statute (Estatuto do Estudante Internacional) gives students who aren’t Portuguese or EU/EEA citizens their own “special contest” for bachelor’s and integrated master’s places, with separate places, dates and fees. You can’t use it if you’re a family member of a Portuguese or EU citizen, if you’ve lived legally in Portugal for more than two years by 1 January of the year you apply (time on a student visa usually doesn’t count), or if you benefit from the Statute of Equal Rights and Duties for Brazilian citizens. If you can’t use it, you apply through the national access system like Portuguese students. At U.Porto, the Special Call for Applications for International Students covers bachelor’s and integrated master’s degrees, and for 2026-27 it offered 712 places across almost all its courses. U.Porto: special call for international students.
2. Choose your course, and check its language
Almost all U.Porto’s bachelor’s and integrated master’s degrees are taught in Portuguese, and you need Portuguese at an independent user level to apply. If you can’t prove it, you may be asked to take an oral test by video call. The exceptions are the bachelor’s in Economics and in Business Administration at the School of Economics and Management (FEP), which are taught in English. Some master’s programmes are taught in English, so check the language on each course page.
3. Apply in the first phase, in January and February
The special call has three phases. For 2026-27, the first ran from 2 January to 6 February 2026, the second from 9 February to 2 April 2026, and the third from 2 June to 22 July 2026. Expect similar dates for 2027-28, and check the deadlines on the special call page. Applying in the first phase gives you the most places and the longest time to get your visa.
4. Apply to the faculty, and meet its requirements
You submit your application online to the academic services of the faculty you want to join, not to the university centrally. Each faculty sets its own admission requirements under the university’s rules for the International Student Statute, including any prerequisites for the course and how it ranks applicants. Your application must show a qualification that gives you access to higher education in your country, supported by the documents the faculty asks for.
5. Apply for a master’s directly to the faculty
To apply for a master’s degree, you need a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a field the faculty accepts, or a Bologna-compliant or recognised foreign degree. Each faculty sets its own application process, documents, ranking criteria, number of places and deadlines, and announces them on its own website, so check the faculty’s page for your programme early.
6. Prove your English
English-taught programmes ask you to prove your English, usually with IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT or a Cambridge English qualification, although applicants who studied in English may be exempt. Minimum scores are set by each programme, so check yours, and book your test early so your results are ready when you apply. Practise with our free IELTS and TOEFL practice tests. For U.Porto’s English-taught bachelor’s at FEP and its English-taught master’s, check the specific test and score your faculty asks for.
7. Understand the fees
Portuguese and EU students pay €697 a year for bachelor’s and integrated master’s degrees. If you have International Student Status, your fee is set by each faculty according to the real cost of the course: for example, at the Faculty of Engineering (FEUP), the 2025-26 fee for full-time international students on courses such as Bioengineering and Aerospace Engineering was €6,000 a year, or €3,300 for students eligible for the CPLP reduction. Students from the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP), such as Brazil, Angola, Cape Verde and Mozambique, can get a reduction of up to 45%. U.Porto: general information and tuition fees.
8. Look for scholarships
Portugal has few large scholarships for international students, but look at the Camões Institute (for students from some Portuguese-speaking countries), the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) for doctoral studentships, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and Santander Universities, as well as funding from your own government. U.Porto also lists the financial support available to its students, and some faculties offer their own merit awards.
9. Apply for your student visa, then your residence permit
EU/EEA and Swiss citizens don’t need a visa, but if they stay longer than three months they must get a registration certificate from their local town hall. If you’re from outside the EU/EEA, you first apply for a residence visa for higher education at the Portuguese embassy or consulate in your country once the University of Porto has accepted you, and you must show that you have enough money to live on, health or travel insurance and a criminal record certificate. The amount is based on Portugal’s monthly minimum wage, which is €920 in 2026. The visa lets you enter Portugal, where you book an appointment with AIMA, Portugal’s Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum, to apply for your residence permit with proof of enrolment, tuition payment, accommodation and means of subsistence. Under current rules, the residence permit for higher education students is valid for three years, or for the length of your course if it’s shorter. If you arrive from another Schengen country and don’t pass Portuguese border control, you must declare your entry to AIMA or the police within three working days. AIMA appointments can take time, so apply for your visa as soon as you’re admitted. AIMA: residence permit for higher education students.
10. Plan for work during and after your studies
With a residence permit for study, you can work as an employee or be self-employed alongside your studies, as long as your studies remain your main activity, and you’ll need to register with Portuguese social security and get a tax number (NIF). Most part-time jobs need Portuguese, so don’t count on them to pay your tuition or living costs. After you graduate, you’ll need to switch to a residence permit that allows you to work, for example once you’ve found a job, so check the current options with AIMA before your student permit runs out. The University of Porto’s career services can help you find internships and jobs. AIMA: residence permit for higher education students.
Applying for a PhD at the University of Porto?
U.Porto’s doctoral programmes are run by its faculties, and you usually apply with a master’s degree and a research proposal in one of the faculty’s application periods. Many doctoral students in Portugal are funded through studentships from the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) or research projects, so look for a supervisor and funding at the same time. See our 50 sample SOPs and free GRE practice tests.
Be ambitious, but apply to a balanced list
Apply to more than one university to give yourself options. Read our guides to the University of Lisbon, NOVA University Lisbon, the University of Coimbra and the University of Aveiro. Our guide to studying in Portugal explains how the Portuguese system works, and our free study abroad assessment can help you build a shortlist.
Information was taken from the University of Porto’s official admissions and fee pages, AIMA and other Portuguese government sources and the QS World University Rankings 2027, and checked in October 2026. Admissions rules, deadlines, fees and immigration rules can change, so always confirm the details on the University of Porto’s website and your faculty’s website before you apply. StudyAbroadMarket is not affiliated with the University of Porto.