The application deadline for university entrance has started in Portugal: 4,069 quotas remain vacant

The third phase of public higher education placements for the 2026/2027 academic year in Portugal started on Saturday, October 10. Applications will close on Monday, October 12.

After the first two placement phases, it was announced that 4,069 quotas remained vacant in public higher education institutions.

The new term offers an additional opportunity for candidates who were not placed in the previous stages or who meet the relevant application conditions.

How many students were placed in the first two stages?

According to the announced data, a total of 59,107 students were placed in the first two stages of higher education placements of the 2026/2027 academic year.

Despite this, vacant quotas remained in some institutions and programs.

The third stage is to fill these quotas with suitable candidates.

However, the fact that there are 4,069 quotas does not mean that all candidates can be placed in the department they want.

The quota and application conditions for each program are different.

When will applications end?

Third stage applications started on October 10 and will end on October 12.

Due to the short application period, candidates should check the appropriate programs and required documents without delay.

The time at which applications will close and the rules to be applied for technical procedures should be confirmed from the official announcements of DGES.

Who can apply?

The third stage is for candidates who meet the conditions determined within the scope of the national higher education placement system.

candidates Previous placement results, examination conditions and specific entry requirements of programs may affect application eligibility.

For this reason, merely having a vacant quota is not sufficient for the right to apply.

Candidates need to check the application category appropriate to their situation.

Can foreign students also participate in this stage?

There are different application regimes for entry to higher education in Portugal.

The national placement system is not the same as the international student regime known as estudante internacional.

While some foreign candidates can apply to the national placement system depending on their situation, others may be directly subject to the international student application processes of universities.

For this reason, it cannot be said that a candidate who has studied outside Portugal is suitable for the third stage based on his/her citizenship alone.

Are the vacant quotas the same in all universities?

No.

The distribution of vacant quotas varies depending on the university, polytechnic institution and program.

While there are places in some departments, there may be no vacancies left in other programs where demand is high.

Additionally, the total number of quotas announced does not mean that every candidate can apply to all programs.

Is there any connection with the fee increase?

The third placement phase is being conducted for the 2026/2027 academic year.

The university fee increase proposed by the government in the 2027 budget is for the 2027/2028 academic year.

Therefore today The placement process that has started should not be confused with the fee update proposed for next year.

What should candidates do now?

Those who are considering applying should check the open programs, quotas and application conditions in the third stage through DGES.

The date when the application result will be announced and the registration process should also be followed on the official calendar.

Diploma and exam equivalence conditions may be important, especially for candidates who have educational documents obtained from another country.

Resources

ECO / Lusa — Nova fase de acesso ao ensino superior arranca neste sábado, 10 October 2026

https://eco.sapo.pt/2026/10/10/nova-fase-de-acesso-ao-ensino-superior-arranca-neste-sabado/

Direção-Geral do Ensino Superior

https://www.dges.gov.pt/