Studying in Portugal with Enem: partner universities, deadlines and the student visa

The Enem Portugal programme has existed since 2014. Inep signs agreements with universities, polytechnic institutes and higher schools, which then consult the scores of Brazilian candidates directly ¹. Each agreement lasts five years and must be renewed by the institution ¹.

The Inep table of 6 January 2026 lists 26 institutions, among them Universidade do Minho, Universidade de Aveiro, Universidade da Beira Interior, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Universidade Lusófona, Universidade Europeia and the polytechnics of Leiria, Porto, Coimbra, Bragança, Viseu, Viana do Castelo and others. Universidade Nova de Lisboa appears with its agreement under renewal ¹.

Old websites and news items mention larger numbers and cite names that are not in the current table. Even the University of Coimbra, the first to sign in 2014, does not appear on the 2026 list ¹. Use the Inep table as your reference and check the term of the agreement before you apply.

Inep only guarantees access to the scores. The rules, the weight of each exam, the places and the calendar belong to the institution ¹. The agreement also provides no funding from the Brazilian government, and Portuguese public institutions charge fees to all students ¹.

A real example of the 2026 calendar: in the integrated master's degree in Medicine at Universidade do Minho, the first phase, only for those with Enem, took applications from 26 January to 13 February 2026, with results on 12 March ¹⁰. The second phase ran from 13 to 24 April and the third from 5 to 19 August ¹⁰. The annual tuition fee (propina) for that course for an international student is 18,000 euros ¹⁰. Other courses and other institutions have their own amounts and dates.

In that example, the first window opened in January. Check the call for applications of the course you want as soon as it is published.

The recognition of the Portuguese degree in Brazil follows Brazilian legislation ¹.

With the admission letter, you apply for the residence visa for higher education students ². Consultancies and applicants usually call it D4. The general documentation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs includes its own form, two photos, a passport valid for three months beyond the stay, travel insurance, a criminal record certificate with an apostille and proof of means of subsistence ².

For higher education students, the portal asks for proof of admission and of resources to attend the course ². It also provides an exemption: a national of a third State with Portuguese as an official language, which is the case of Brazil, admitted to a higher education institution, does not need to prove means of subsistence ². The same exemption appears in the regime of the CPLP Mobility Agreement ³. Those with a scholarship are exempt from proof of admission and of means ².

The MNE portal lists as posts in Brazil the Embassy in Brasília, VFS in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Salvador and Belo Horizonte and the vice-consulates in Belém, Curitiba, Fortaleza, Porto Alegre and Recife ⁵. Since 17 April 2026, all applications made in Brazil are handed in in person at one of the 10 VFS Global centres, in those same cities ⁸. Since 20 July 2026, visas for higher education programmes that confer a degree can be submitted at those centres without a prior appointment ⁸. The national visa fee is 110 euros ⁶ and the decision time for the residence visa is 60 days ⁷.

If the exemption does not apply to your case, the reference for means of subsistence is the Portuguese minimum wage, which in 2026 is 920 euros a month (Decreto-Lei 139/2025) ⁴. Scholarships and employment contracts count as a source of resources ⁴.

Travel insurance must cover medical expenses, urgent assistance and repatriation ². The portal notes that this requirement can be waived when there is a medical assistance agreement with the country of origin, and cites Brazil (PB4 certificate) as an example ². Ask the post whether the PB4 is enough for your application.

Under article 97(1) of the Foreigners Law, those with a residence permit as a higher education student can carry out professional activity, employed or self-employed, in addition to their studies ⁹. An archived page of the former SEF, now AIMA, described the notification of this activity with a copy of the residence permit, a service contract or a declaration of start of activity (for self-employment) and proof of registration with social security ¹¹.

That page cited article 97(2), which now appears as repealed in the consolidated version of the law ⁹. Neither source sets a limit on weekly hours. Confirm with AIMA the current way to notify work before accepting a job.