Admission Requirements

All applications must be submitted online.

Applications submitted on paper and/or by email will not be considered.

  • Online application form

  • Curriculum Vitae

  • Undergraduate/Bachelor certificate (with final grade)

  • Master course certificate (with final grade)

  • Record transcript with all courses (undergraduate/bachelor and master degree), grades per course, and the duration of the degree

  • Two letters of recommendation with visible date (to be uploaded in the application platform)

  • Motivation letter (about 300 words), indicating the specialisation field to which you are applying, including research interests

  • Research proposal (written in English and following the structure defined in the document ‘Evaluation Criteria & Ranking 2026-2027’ available below)

Check the general terms for admission here.

What to do if you have a non-Portuguese or non-Bologna Declaration country diploma or certificate?

Please be aware that if your diploma or certificate was not awarded by a Portuguese university or a university from a Bologna Declaration country, you must provide the following information:

  • Your diploma or certificate must have the final grade

  • You must present a transcript of records that includes information about: the list of all courses completed, grades per course, the duration of the degree, the grading scale used by the institution granting the degree, and the final grade of the degree

  • The documents must have the Hague Apostille or be recognized by the Portuguese local Consular agency (to be provided until November 30)

  • When the documents mentioned above are in a foreign language other than Spanish, French, English or Italian, a certified translation must be delivered

The application will not be analysed if the documents submitted do not meet the above conditions.

Visa

If you need a visa to study in Portugal, please apply as early as possible.

Evaluation Criteria & Ranking 2026-2027

Fees and
Financial Aid

Please check with the Academic Services for Iscte payment schemes.

The application for doctoral programmes requires the payment of non-refundable-fee.

Please give enough time for your fee to be process by the bank, specially if using a foreign bank.

If fees are received after the closing application date, the application may not be considered.

Annual fee € 3 000.

Students are expected to be enrolled in the programme for at least 3 years before submitting their PhD theses.

Academic Year 2026 / 2027

Application Deadlines

roundapplication
fee		opening
date		closing
date		reservation
fee		programme
enrollment		curricular units
registration		vacanciescurrent
vacancies
1st Round€ 70DEC 15, 2025JAN 14, 2026
5:00 pm (PT time)		€ 500JAN 29 - FEB 11, 2026MAY 28 - JUN 11, 2026closed30 (unused
vacancies transfer
to next round)
2nd Round€ 70JAN 15, 2026FEB 25, 2026
5:00 pm (PT time)		€ 500MAR 12 - 23, 2026MAY 28 - JUN 11, 2026closed
3rd Round€ 70FEB 26, 2026APR 6, 2026
5:00 pm (PT time)		€ 500APR 16 - 30, 2026MAY 28 - JUN 11, 2026closed
4th Round€ 70APR 7, 2026MAY 13, 2026
5:00 pm (PT time)		€ 500MAY 28 - JUN 11, 2026MAY 28 - JUN 11, 2026closed
5th Round€ 70MAY 14, 2026JUN 24, 2026
5:00 pm (PT time)		€ 500JUL 9 - 23, 2026JUL 9 - 23, 2026closed
6th Round€ 70JUN 25, 2026AUG 26, 2026
5:00 pm (PT time)		€ 500SEP 10 - 21, 2026SEP 10 - 21, 2026open
Supplementary
round 		€ 70SET 9, 2026SEP 23, 2026
5:00 pm (PT time)		€ 500OCT 8 - 15, 2026OCT 8 - 15, 2026subject to vacancy availability

Funding Opportunities

Scholarships for duration of the PhD programme are granted to candidates with an excellent academic profile.

Discover the funding opportunities for PhD candidates here.

Start your journey with us and submit your application!

Apply Now