Escola Superior de Enfermagem de Coimbra

The recognition of foreign higher education degrees and diplomas in Portugal is regulated since 1 January 2019 by the following:

Decree-law no. 66/2018, of 16 August (pdf)
Ministerial order no. 33/2019, of 25 January (pdf)
Minsterial Order no. 43/2020, of 14 February
DGES: Practical Guide to Support the Recognition Request (pdf)

Recognition jury (Order)

All nurses with a higher education diploma issued from the country of origin may require the recognition of their academic degree in Portugal, in the terms of the current legislation. For more detailed information, go to https://www.dges.gov.pt/en/node/94.

The Nursing School of Coimbra (ESEnfC) accepts applications for Specific Recognition submitted by those willing to practise nursing under the Portuguese law.

SPECIFIC RECOGNITION

What is it?

It is the recognition of a foreign higher education degree or diploma as equivalent to a Portuguese higher education diploma or academic degree, resulting from a case-by-case analysis of its level, duration, and syllabus, in a specific area of study, knowledge field, or expertise.

How to apply/documents required

To obtain specific recognition, you should submit a form on the website of the Directorate General of Higher Education (https://www.dges.gov.pt/recon/formulario), selecting the Nursing School of Coimbra. The following documents are required:

Copy of your diploma in nursing or document issued by the foreign higher education institution, as proof of ownership of the degree or diploma whose recognition is sought;
Copy of document issued by the foreign higher education institution indicating the degree/diploma registration number, in the case of foreign higher education institutions with centralised registers subject to public consultation through unique identifier;
Original diploma or certificate issued by the foreign higher education institution, as proof of ownership of the degree or diploma whose recognition is sought;
Copy of a document issued by the foreign higher education institution indicating the final classification awarded to the academic degree or diploma whose recognition is sought;
Document issued by the foreign higher education institution including the course units of the completed degree or diploma whose recognition is sought, as well as the respective syllabuses, the duration of the studies leading to the completion of the degree, and its final classification.

Note:

All documents should be submitted in digital form and may only be considered valid if authenticated by the competent authorities, and with unequivocal authenticity, non-editable format, and electronic signature affixed by the competent authorities of the issuing institution.

Please notice:

All documents must be authenticated by the competent authorities:

Portuguese embassy or consulate in the country of origin, or
Hague Apostille

After the submission of documents, the ESEnfC requires a €300 fee for the case analysis conducted by a recognition jury.

Recognition Jury (Order)

Notice

Specific degree recognition allows recognizing a foreign higher education degree or diploma identical to a Portuguese higher education degree or diploma, through case-by-case analysis of the level, duration, and syllabus, in a given training area, branch of knowledge, or specialty.

Thus, to obtain this recognition, the degree course must contain a minimum of 4600 contact teaching hours, of which at least 50% must have been carried out in a clinical context. The syllabi must contemplate all the areas found in the Coimbra nursing degree course curriculum.

Any professional or training activities obtained outside the degree course are not taken into account.

LEVEL RECOGNITION

What is it?

It is the recognition, by case-by-case comparative analysis, of a foreign higher education degree or diploma as of an equivalent level to a Portuguese higher education degree or diploma. This recognition does not allow practising nursing.

How to apply/documents required

To obtain level recognition, you should submit a form on the website of the Directorate General of Higher Education (https://www.dges.gov.pt/recon/formulario), selecting the Nursing School of Coimbra. The following documents are required:

Copy of your diploma in nursing or document issued by the foreign higher education institution, as proof of ownership of the degree or diploma whose recognition is sought;
Copy of document issued by the foreign higher education institution indicating the degree/diploma registration number, in the case of foreign higher education institutions with centralised registers subject to public consultation through unique identifier;
Original diploma or certificate issued by the foreign higher education institution, as proof of ownership of the degree or diploma whose recognition is sought;
Copy of a document issued by the foreign higher education institution indicating the final classification awarded to the academic degree or diploma whose recognition is sought;
Document issued by the foreign higher education institution including the course units of the completed degree or diploma whose recognition is sought, as well as the respective syllabuses, the duration of the studies leading to the completion of the degree, and its final classification.

Note:

All documents should be submitted in digital form and may only be considered valid if authenticated by the competent authorities, and with unequivocal authenticity, non-editable format, and electronic signature affixed by the competent authorities of the issuing institution.

Please notice:

All documents must be authenticated by the competent authorities: