Three recognition types under one decree-law — automatic, level and specific — plus a separate licensing layer run by the professional Ordens for doctors, nurses, lawyers, architects and engineers.
Overview
Portugal splits recognition into two distinct layers. Academic recognition of foreign higher-education degrees is governed by Decreto-Lei 66/2018, which created three procedures of equal legal validity: reconhecimento automático (automatic recognition of degrees from listed foreign systems, decided within a maximum of 30 working days), reconhecimento de nível (confirms only the level — licenciatura, mestrado or doutoramento — decided by a jury within 90 working days) and reconhecimento específico (field-specific recognition for a named course area, also within 90 working days). Applications are filed through the RecOn electronic platform with DGES (Direção-Geral do Ensino Superior, which also houses Portugal's NARIC centre) or with a public higher-education institution; fees depend on the recognition type and the institution chosen. Professional licensing is separate: regulated professions require admission to the relevant Ordem — Ordem dos Médicos, Ordem dos Enfermeiros, Ordem dos Farmacêuticos, Ordem dos Advogados, Ordem dos Arquitectos and Ordem dos Engenheiros (the engineering title is reserved in Portugal) — while teachers in public schools go through the Ministry of Education's machinery. Non-regulated professions need no formal recognition at all. Verified against dges.gov.pt, ordemdosengenheiros.pt and gov.pt as of June 2026.
The Three DGES Recognition Types (Decreto-Lei 66/2018)
| Type | What it confirms | Decision deadline | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reconhecimento automático | Degree and level, for qualifications from foreign systems/institutions on the published lists | Maximum 30 working days from a properly instructed application | Fast route where your degree appears on the automatic-recognition lists |
| Reconhecimento de nível | Only the academic level (licenciatura / mestrado / doutoramento), decided by a jury | Maximum 90 working days | General employment, visa files, situations where the field doesn't matter |
| Reconhecimento específico | Level AND scientific field (e.g. 'licenciado em Biologia'), case-by-case jury assessment | Maximum 90 working days | Regulated professions and any use where the subject area must be certified |
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See Paid Plans →Frequently Asked Questions
Which of the three DGES recognition types should I apply for?
All three have the same legal validity, so choose by purpose. If your degree comes from a system or institution on the automatic-recognition lists and you only need the degree and level certified, reconhecimento automático is fastest — a maximum of 30 working days. If your qualification is not listed but you only need the level confirmed (for general employment or an immigration file), choose level recognition. If you need the scientific field certified — almost always the case for regulated professions like medicine, nursing or engineering — you need specific recognition. Level and specific decisions take up to 90 working days from a properly instructed application.
How much does recognition cost in Portugal?
There is no single national fee: under Decreto-Lei 66/2018 the amount depends on the type of recognition and on the higher-education institution or entity you choose to analyse the request — DGES itself and each public university publish their own tariffs. On top of the recognition fee, budget for the apostille or legalisation of your diploma and transcript in the issuing country, plus translation where the deciding institution requires it. EU-issued public documents benefit from the simplified formalities of EU Regulation 2016/1191.
Do I need my qualifications recognised at all if my profession isn't regulated?
No. For non-regulated professions — most of IT, management, marketing, finance, consulting, design — Portuguese employers assess your CV directly and no formal recognition is legally required. Recognition becomes mandatory in two situations: regulated professions (médico, enfermeiro, farmacêutico, advogado, arquitecto, engenheiro, public-school teaching, among others), and contexts where a Portuguese authority demands certified equivalence — for example further study at a Portuguese university or certain public-sector hiring. If in doubt, ask the employer or the relevant Ordem before paying for a procedure you may not need.
I'm a doctor / nurse with a non-EU degree — what does the path look like?
Two stages. First, academic recognition of your degree (specific recognition via the RecOn platform, decided by a medical or nursing faculty within up to 90 working days). Second, admission to the professional body — Ordem dos Médicos for doctors, Ordem dos Enfermeiros for nurses — which runs its own equivalence and admission assessment for third-country qualifications, including evaluation of clinical competence and the ability to communicate with patients in Portuguese. EU/EEA-trained doctors and nurses in the sectoral professions instead benefit from automatic recognition under Directive 2005/36/EC. Plan for the combined process to take well over a year for third-country medics.
Are engineers really regulated in Portugal? My country doesn't license them.
Yes — the engineering title is reserved in Portugal and awarded through the Ordem dos Engenheiros (or the Ordem dos Engenheiros Técnicos for the técnico track). Foreign-trained engineers first obtain academic recognition of the diploma through DGES or a Portuguese university, then apply for admission, which the Ordem assesses case-by-case on education and professional experience. Brazilian engineers have a dedicated reciprocity route under the OE–CONFEA agreement. That said, Ordem membership is only legally required where acts are reserved to registered engineers (signing regulated projects, certain public works roles) — many private-sector engineering jobs do not demand it.
Can I work in Portugal while my recognition application is pending?
In a non-regulated profession, yes — your right to work flows from your residence permit, not from recognition, so you can start immediately. In a regulated profession, no: you cannot use the protected title or perform reserved acts until both academic recognition and Ordem admission are complete, although some employers hire candidates into adjacent non-reserved roles in the meantime. Factor in the current platform situation: DGES reported the RecOn platform inoperative from 19 February 2026, delaying certificate issuance — check dges.gov.pt for service status and keep proof of your filing date.
What's the difference between DGES recognition and the old 'equivalência' my colleague mentions?
Terminology changed with Decreto-Lei 66/2018, which replaced the previous patchwork (including the older equivalence regime) with the current three-procedure system — automatic, level and specific recognition — all carrying equal legal validity. If you hold an equivalence or recognition granted under the earlier legislation it remains valid; you do not need to re-apply. New applications, however, must use the current procedures via the RecOn platform, and the choice between them should be driven by what you need the recognition for, not by what the old regime would have called it.