DGES

Published 4 November 2026, 21:42

Direção-Geral do Ensino Superior — abolished; succeeded by the Instituto para o Ensino Superior, I. P. (IES, I. P.)

The higher education authority, which no longer exists under this name: Decreto-Lei n.º 109/2025 of 25 September created the Instituto para o Ensino Superior, I. P. (IES, I. P.), which took over DGES's work from 1 October 2025; DGES itself was wound up on 11 March 2026. The website is still dges.gov.pt, and the places for 2026/27 were announced by IES, I. P. It runs the national admissions round for state universities (concurso nacional de acesso) and the entrance exams (provas de ingresso); for the special admissions routes — for applicants over 23 and for international students — you apply directly to the university, each with its own places and deadlines. Recognition of foreign degrees under Decreto-Lei n.º 66/2018 is of three types: automatic recognition, based on published lists and granted by the institute or a state university; and recognition of level and specific recognition, available only through state universities.

Where you come across it. Getting your degree recognised, your child applying to a Portuguese university, entrance exams and applying for courses.

Automatic recognition confirms the level of a degree but does not give access to a regulated profession: doctors, lawyers and engineers need a separate procedure with their own professional body. The name DGES still appears on the website and in old documents; it is the same body under a new name. Decreto-Lei n.º 20/2025 of 18 March did not change the definition of who finished school in Portugal, but how time is counted: years spent on a student residence permit while at secondary school now count towards legal residence, and two years of continuous residence take you out of international student status.

Official website: dges.gov.pt

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