Incoming students must submit their application to NOVA FCSH on the FCSH platform. The access link and application manual will be sent by email before the application period.

Application periods:

1st semester: 23 June to 15 July 2025 (mobilities in the 1st semester and annual)

2nd semester: 1 December to 15 January 2026 (mobilities in the 2nd semester)

Candidates must carefully read all emails sent by the Mobility Office (mobilidade@fcsh.unl.pt), as well as notifications sent through the platform.

Rules for applying and preparing the Study Contract

In the process of applying to NOVA FCSH, the student prepares a Learning Agreement (LA), and indicates the courses the student plans to attend. The preparation of the LA must comply with the following criteria:

• Minimum: one course;
• Maximum: 30 ECTS. In addition to the 30 ECTS, the student can add the LA the semester course of Portuguese for Foreigners, of 6 ECTS;
• Mandatory registration in at least one course from the department the student was nominated to (according to a bilateral agreement between the universities). The remaining courses may be from other departments/study areas at NOVA FCSH;
• Bachelor students can attend courses from bachelor programs;
• Master’s students must take at least one course at master level (ideally from the department they have been nominated to at NOVA FCSH). Master students can also attend courses at bachelor level;
• Doctoral students must take at least one course at doctoral level (ideally from the department they have been nominated to at NOVA FCSH). Doctoral students can also attend courses at bachelor and master levels;
• Students will not be able to select foreign language courses offered in the programs of the Modern Languages, Cultures and Literatures Department if that is their mother tongue (for example, French students should not select the French language course, designed for non-native French speakers.)
• Students who only want to do research for the thesis should select the course “Research for the thesis” (code 50846) in the LA.

To see the courses offered in each semester, students should consult the file “Horários” (Portuguese for “Schedules”) published on the page for each program:

• Bachelor programs
• Master Programs
• PhD programs

The academic offer is updated annually in July. Until then, first-semester students will be able to draw up their initial study LA based on the offer from the previous year.

Students can change the registration in courses and the LA up to two weeks after the start of the semester.

Check list

Before traveling to Lisbon, don’t forget to:

• Bring a valid Identification Card/Passport
• Get the European Health Insurance Card (for students from the European Union. More informationm HERE
• Bring the Declaration of arrival (if requested by your home university)

Welcome meeting

At this meeting, incoming students receive useful information for their stay at NOVA FCSH and in Lisbon.

1st semester: 11/09/2025 (time to be announced)

2nd semester: 13/02/2025 (time to be announced)

Participation in the meeting is mandatory. If you are unable to attend, you must register your arrival in person at the Mobility Support Office as soon as possible after your arrival.

For any matters related to the welcome meeting, please contact the Erasmus Mobility Support Office (NAM) – mobilidade@fcsh.unl.pt.

Portuguese A2

At NOVA FCSH Portuguese is the main language of instruction. Therefore, when applying to NOVA FCSH, incoming students will have to present a certificate of Portuguese level A2 or higher (Common European Framework of Reference).

Certificates accepted for Portuguese A2 or higher:

– A2 certificate issued by a Higher Education Institution.

or

– Initial Certificate of Portuguese as a Foreign Language (CIPLE) or higher issued by a Center for Assessment and Certification of Portuguese as a Foreign Language (CAPLE). You can see HERE which CAPLE is closest to you.

or

– A2 certificate issued by the  Portuguese Language Laboratory  at NOVA FCSH.

 With mobility candidates at NOVA FCSH in mind, the Portuguese Language Laboratory organizes:

– Intensive online Course in Portuguese A2 (60h)

This course is aimed at students with basic knowledge of Portuguese (A1) who wish to develop their Portuguese language skills to obtain level A2 certification.

Applications from April 28 to May 26.

Course from June 2 to July 1, 2025.

Fee: €335

More information HERE or at cursoportugues@fcsh.unl.pt

– Online Exam for level A2

This exam assesses proficiency in Portuguese at level A2. It is aimed at future mobility students at NOVA University Lisbon who need certification of their level of proficiency in Portuguese.

Applications: June 2 to 25, 2025, in Inforestudante, HERE.

Exam: 2 July 2025 (time to be announced).

Fee: €50

More information at cursoportugues@fcsh.unl.pt

 You can see the full offer of Portuguese Language courses on the Portuguese Language Laboratory website.

The Portuguese language certificate is not necessary in the following situations:

• Students from. Portuguese-speaking countries
• If the courses selected are lectured exclusively in other languages
• Students who only carry out research for their thesis during their stay at NOVA FCSH.

English B1

Each semester, there are some courses lectured in English or other languages, mainly in the Department of Modern Languages, Cultures and Literatures. The list is updated every semester on the page  International Curricula. However, the offer in English is limited and does not include courses from all areas/departments. In that case, students will have to attend courses in their department lectured in Portuguese.

To be able to select courses in English, you will need an English certificate at level B1 or higher.

Certificates accepted for English B1 or higher:

– B1 certificate or higher issued by a Higher Education Institution or a language institute (stamped and signed);

or

– Certificate of grades issued by a university where the student has successfully completed the English Language subject at the required level or higher.

or

– Declaration issued by the home university indicating that the student has successfully attended classes taught in English and is capable of following classes lectured in that language.

To be valid, the Learning agreement (LA) must be signed by the responsible person at the home university and by the mobility coordinator of the NOVA FCSH department to which the student has been appointed.

In the application process to NOVA FCSH, students prepare the LA Before Mobility in FCSH’s platform (application instructions are sent by email before the application period).

At the beginning of the semester, students will be automatically enrolled in the courses indicated in the study contract.

Change of the LA

In the first two weeks of the semester, students may change the courses for which they are enrolled. The change process will be communicated at the welcome meeting and by email.

Students will then have to prepare a LA During Mobility to validate the changes. This document must also be signed/validated by both universities.

Can I apply for a room in NOVA residences?

Due to renovation work in NOVA’s Halls of Residence there are not available slots for students in mobility programs in 2025-2026.

You may also consider options such as:

• Rede ¼ . Project managed by NOVA. For additional information you may contact: (+351) 965 438 846 or redeumquarto@unl.pt)
• NOVA FCSH private partners for student accommodation.
• Inlife Housing
• Erasmus associations such us Study in Lisbon or Erasmus Life Lisboa.
• Other private companies (ex: student-room-flat.com )

Where can I find the curriculum and class schedules?

The academic offer is made available on the page of each program in July. Before this date, students may use the offer from the previous academic year as a reference.

To see the academic offer for each semester, the student must consult the file “Horários” published on the page of each program:

• Bachelor programmes
• Master’s programs
• Doctoral programmes

Do I need a visa or Residence Permit?

European Union citizens

No visa required. All you need is a valid identity card/citizen’s card or a valid passport and the European Health Insurance Card.

For stays longer than 3 months, European students must also register with the City Council in their area of residence. More information about this record here.

Citizens from outside the European Union

For stays longer than 3 months and up to 1 year: students from third countries must apply for a student visa at a Portuguese embassy or Portuguese consulate in their country of origin or in their country of residence before entering Portugal. The student visa can take up to 3 months to be issued. While staying in our country, students may have to extend their student visa.

Students from countries outside the European Union, holders of a Residence Permit for the purposes of studying at a higher education institution in an EU member state, who wish to participate in an international mobility program, such as Erasmus+, can inform AIMA, at maximum period of 30 days before the start of their program, who will travel to Portugal to participate in said program. This communication can be made by email, including additional documentation, as well as the respective travel tickets (arrival and departure) for the mobility period. After completing this procedure, AIMA will issue you an official entry form, stating that you are authorized to stay for a maximum period of 360 days.

Important: Students who already have a European Residence Permit from another country must keep it valid throughout their stay in Portugal.

If any additional clarification is required, please contact welcome@fcsh.unl.pt.

How are the school year and academic calendar organized? 

1st Semester (2025-26)

Welcome meeting: 11/09/2025 (Thursday)

Class Period: 15th September to 20th December 2025 (includes evaluation period / tests).

Appeal and Grade Improvement Exams (optional): 19^th to 30^th January 2026.

2nd Semester

Welcome Meeting: 13/02/2026 (Friday)

Class Period: 18^th February to  29^th May 2026 (includes evaluation period / tests).

Appeal and Grade Improvement Exams (optional):

Bachelor: 22^nd to 1^st July 2026

Master: 29^th June to 8^th July 2026

For more information, see the Academic Calendar.

What is the evaluation system like at NOVA FCSH?

The grading scale is from 0 to 20 points, based on the criteria defined by the professor (tests, essays, practical work, etc.,).

Grade lower than 8 points: Failed, with no possibility of taking an Appeal Exam.

Grade of 8 or 9: Failed, but you can request registration for a Appeal Exam (free of charge) to try to obtain a passing grade.

Grade of 10 values or higher: Approved.

Any grade above 10 may be improved by taking a Grade Improvement exam. Registration for Appeal or Improvement exams is done on Inforestudante, in periods defined for that purpose in the Academic Calendar.

I have special educational needs. How can I request the implementation of adaptation measures?

Students with special needs must apply for the status of student with specific educational needs. The application will be available on the Inforestudante platform at the beginning of the semester, after the student arrives to FCSH.

The student must attach medical reports (in Portuguese or English) to the application to confirm the condition and proposed adaptation measures.

Questions about special educational needs may be addressed to NOVA FCSH’s Personal Development and Social Inclusion Office (neeinfo@fcsh.unl.pt).

Can I take a Portuguese language course at NOVA FCSH during the mobility period?

Yes. Students who wish to improve their knowledge of the Portuguese language may attend the 6 ECTS semester course during mobility (levels A1 to B2). If the course is included in the LA, it will be free of charge. More information about this semester-long Portuguese course HERE.

Attending this course does not exempt you from presenting the Portuguese certificate upon application.

Which curricular units are lectured in English?

The list of courses lectured in foreign languages  is published every year in NOVA FCSH website.

NOVA FCSH’s Research Units may also offer free elective courses and some are lectured in English. The Research Units communicate their course offer at the beginning of each semester on the page “Opções livres oferecidas pelas Unidades de Investigação” (in Portuguese). Students should contact the Mobility Office during the first two weeks of the semester to be enrolled for these courses.

Can I write exams and assignments in English?

Most professors can provide bibliography in English and accept exams or assignments in English.

Students must confirm this possibility with each professor at the beginning of the semester.

Additional Information

If you want to know more about NOVA FCSH and Lisbon, we recommend visiting the following pages:

• First Steps at NOVA FCSH – where you can find the FCSH Student Guide.
• Mobility Student Handbook
• Living in Lisbon