on August 1, 2022

Doctors have until September 1 to revalidate their diploma in Portugal

on August 1, 2022

Médicos têm até 1º de setembro para revalidar o diploma em Portugal

Considered the fourth safest country in the world, Portugal is a destination for foreign doctors who plan to internationalize their careers. Anyone wishing to guarantee this mobility to the European continent has until September 1st to register for the process of revalidation of academic qualifications in Medicine.

On this date, the period for submitting applications for assessments for the year 2022 ends. Graduates or masters in Medicine must request specific recognition through the website of the Directorate-General for Higher Education (DGES), via an online form.

When considered applicable, the request is forwarded to Portuguese universities and public polytechnic institutes and applicants must complete a written exam, practical/clinical test and final work.

I WANT TO REVALIDATE MY MEDICINE DIPLOMA!

Foreign qualifications procedures were standardized by Decree-Law 66/2018. The modernization and centralization of the registration system at the DGES facilitated access for physicians, but, as it is a long process, care must be taken when submitting the request.

Knowing the procedures, reviewing documents and meeting deadlines are crucial points. This avoids repetition and reduces costs and waiting times for the recognition decision,” he says.

If the requirements are not met, the application is transferred to the following year's process, provided that the applicant fulfills the missing obligations. After the registration is consolidated, the candidate is submitted to different stages of tests and, it may be necessary, to establish a legal representative in Portugal.

In Portugal, the practice of Medicine is regulated by the Statute of the Portuguese Medical Association (Law No. 117/2015 of 31 August, with the necessary amendments), which requires revalidation of the diploma and registration of professionals in the class entity. After three years of practice in Portugal, the professional can work in other European Union countries.

Check out the step-by-step guide to revalidate your Medicine degree in Portugal:

What is Medical Degree Recognition?

The recognition of academic degrees and higher education diplomas, awarded by foreign higher education institutions, is the act that allows recognizing a foreign higher education degree or diploma identical to a Portuguese academic degree or diploma of higher education. The process is regulated by Decree-Law no. 66/2018. In Portugal, there are three types of recognition: Automatic, Level and Specific.

For Medicine titles, only the Specific Recognition is valid, which is what allows the recognition of a foreign higher education degree or diploma identical to a Portuguese academic degree or higher education diploma, through a case-by-case analysis of the level, duration and programmatic content, in a particular area of training, branch of knowledge or specialty. 

automatic recognition

It is the act that makes it possible to generically recognize a foreign higher education degree or diploma, whose level, objectives and nature are identical to the Portuguese degrees of licentiate, master and doctor or higher professional technician diploma, which is included in the list of degrees and diplomas established. by the commission for the recognition of foreign degrees and diplomas.

Level Recognition

It is the act that makes it possible to recognize, on an individual basis, a foreign higher education degree or diploma as having a level corresponding to a Portuguese academic degree or higher education diploma.

registration deadline

Until September 1st is the deadline for candidates, with higher education training in the field of medicine, to submit the registration of the specific recognition process for the 2022/2023 calendar. From this date onwards, requests go to the calendar for the following year, 2023/2024.

Where to apply?

Specific recognition is requested by the holder of the Diploma by completing a form on the website of the Directorate-General for Higher Education (DGES).

Then, the applicant also chooses the Portuguese public university or polytechnic institute, which will carry out the recognition process, which includes analysis of documents and application of evidence.

Which documents to deliver?

- University Degree
– Higher education history
– Syllabus / syllabus of all subjects taken
– Declaration with final grade of the course
– Identification documents (passport…)

I WANT TO REVALIDATE MY MEDICINE DIPLOMA!

How much?

The values vary according to the tables of each higher education institution where the candidate directs the application. The average cost is 600 euros.

How long it takes?

The complete instruction of the process takes, on average, 90 days. For the specific recognition of degrees in Medicine, the Council of Portuguese Medical Schools annually establishes a calendar for holding the tests.

Assessments

For the 2022/2023 academic year, tests of basic communication skills (Portuguese language) are scheduled for November; the written exam for January 2023; practical/clinical test between April and May 2023 and the delivery of the final work (dissertation) must be carried out six months after the practical test. Afterwards, the candidate must discuss the work, whose date will be defined by the jury within a maximum period of two months after the conclusion of the work.

  1. Theoretical test: the test is face-to-face and consists of 120 questions. You must hit 50% to pass;
  2. Practical proof: you also need to achieve a successful 50% at least;
  3. Presentation of work: it does not have to be a new work.

Enrollment in the Medical Association

After the revalidation of the diploma is approved, the applicant must register with the Ordem dos Médicos de Portugal. At this stage, it is possible that new documents will be requested.