NOVA University Lisbon admission for international students, 2027 entry

NOVA University Lisbon has no single bachelor entry: a non-EU applicant applies through a school's own special contest for international students, and an EU applicant enters through Portugal's national access contest. For entry in autumn 2027, NOVA IMS is the only NOVA school that names the 2027/2028 cycle, with applications from 15 October to 24 November 2026.

Nova SBE lets international candidates who meet its admission criteria apply directly for Management, Economics or Ocean Studies; candidates who do not meet those criteria apply for the same degrees via the SUPERNOVA Foundation Programme. Nova SBE also states that a candidate covered by the International Student regulation cannot apply through the National Call. NOVA School of Law says access to its law degree for international students follows its own process, distinct from the general access contest.

The Portuguese National Call is managed by DGES, not by the universities, and runs under a numerus clausus with a limited number of places for each degree. Nova SBE tells candidates from a non-Portuguese school system, such as EU candidates, to request an equivalence of their diploma to the Portuguese secondary diploma. NOVA FCT states that applicants outside the international student statute enter on the same terms as Portuguese nationals.

NOVA IMS building

Which NOVA schools already show the 2027/2028 cycle

NOVA IMS is the only NOVA school whose page names the next cycle: Academic year 2027-2028, call for applications from October 15 to November 24, 2026. Nova SBE states that all its information and conditions are valid for 2026/27 only; its Spring intake for the February to June semester runs from November 10 to December 4, 2026.

NOVA School of Law, NOVA Medical School and NOVA FCSH show no 2027/2028 calendar. The NOVA FCSH page lists applications from 14 April to 11 May 2026, a window that has closed, and NOVA School of Law ran a phase for international students from 28 to 30 September 2026.

What a NOVA bachelor costs an international student

Portuguese and EU students pay far less. Nova SBE lists tuition for Portuguese and European Union students at 697€/year for 2026/2027, and NOVA School of Law lists 697€ a year for a national (or equivalent) student on its law degree for 2026/2027.

Six NOVA schools publish bachelor routes for international applicants: Nova SBE (Management, Economics, Ocean Studies), NOVA IMS (three information and data science degrees), NOVA School of Law (Law), NOVA Medical School (Medicine and Nutrition Sciences), NOVA FCSH (humanities and social sciences) and NOVA FCT (science and engineering). Nova SBE's Economics degree has a curriculum taught in English, NOVA FCT says all its courses are taught in Portuguese (page as of October 2026), and NOVA FCSH asks for Portuguese at B2, so the school decides the language you need.

Nova SBE lists three bachelor degrees for international candidates: Management, Economics or Ocean Studies, each open either directly or via the SUPERNOVA Foundation Programme. NOVA IMS lists places for the 2026/2027 international contest in three degrees: Ciência de Dados, Gestão de Informação and Sistemas e Tecnologias de Informação (Data Science, Information Management, and Information Systems and Technologies).

NOVA School of Law runs its international applications for the Licenciatura em Direito. NOVA Medical School publishes separate 2026/2027 calls for international students to the Mestrado Integrado em Medicina and the Licenciatura em Ciências da Nutrição. NOVA FCSH lists its bachelor degrees with the places each one offers international students in 2026/2027, from Antropologia, Ciências da Comunicação, Filosofia and Geografia e Planeamento Regional to História, História da Arte and Tradução. NOVA FCT admits international students to its licenciaturas and asks for an academic qualification in the areas that match the entrance exams set for each course.

Teaching language at each NOVA school

Nova SBE's Economics FAQ, as of October 2026, lists three first-year options: all classes taught in English, all classes taught in Portuguese, or Algebra and Calculus in Portuguese with the rest in English; the second and third years are taught only in English. Ask Nova SBE which first-year options run in your intake.

NOVA Medical School's 2026/2027 Medicine call sets Portuguese as the language of instruction, possibly English in the first two years. NOVA FCSH asks for proof of Portuguese at B2 or above and a motivation letter written in Portuguese. NOVA School of Law makes knowledge of both Portuguese and English a cumulative entry condition, without naming a level on its law degree page.

Where each NOVA school takes applications

Each NOVA school runs its own international page and names its own application channel. Nova SBE reviews an application submitted on its online form and communicates the outcome within a maximum of eight weeks. NOVA IMS takes applications exclusively online and NOVA FCSH through the InforEstudante platform.

Faculdade de Direito da Universidade Nova de Lisboa

Pick the school first, then read that school's own rules: the entrance tests, language levels, fees and calendars in the chapters below differ from one NOVA school to the next.

At the NOVA schools that define it, you are an international student if you hold neither Portuguese nationality nor that of an EU member state. NOVA FCSH starts from a student without Portuguese nationality and excludes EU nationals first, NOVA FCT writes it as a student with neither Portuguese nationality nor that of another EU member state, and Nova SBE and NOVA Medical School also exclude nationals of the EEA.

The NOVA school pages start from the same definition. NOVA FCT defines its international student as one who has neither Portuguese nationality nor that of another EU member state. NOVA IMS reserves its international contest for students who are not Portuguese and are not nationals of an EU member state. NOVA FCSH and NOVA School of Law start from the same point: a student without Portuguese nationality who is not in any excluded category, the first being nationals of an EU member state.

Nova SBE extends the first exclusion to nationals of a state party to the European Economic Area (EEA), and NOVA Medical School does the same for its Medicine contest.

Who is not an international student at NOVA

Dual nationals need to read NOVA Medical School's rule closely: if one of your nationalities is Portuguese, EU or EEA, you cannot apply as an international student, even if you also hold a non-EU passport. You then apply through the national access contest instead.

Students from Ukraine and Afghanistan

NOVA School of Law's page lists two fee exemptions: a 2022 one under which citizens from Ukraine in a situation of humanitarian emergency are exempt from fees and tuition, and a 2023 one for Afghan students in Portugal with refugee or temporary protection status. If either exemption may apply to you, confirm with NOVA School of Law that it still applies before you pay any fee.

EU and Portuguese applicants enter a NOVA bachelor through the national access contest run by DGES, not through NOVA: at Nova SBE you need a high school degree (or a legally equivalent qualification) and one of its entrance exam combinations with a minimum grade of 9.5. Nova SBE's 2026/2027 call offered 195 places in Economics, 295 in Management and 34 in Ocean Studies.

Portugal runs public university entry as a numerus clausus: every degree has a limited number of places, and the National Call is managed by DGES (Direção Geral do Ensino Superior), not by the universities.

If you finished school outside Portugal, for example as an EU candidate, Nova SBE says you must request an equivalence of your secondary diploma to the Portuguese diploma. NOVA FCT states that applicants excluded from the international student statute enter on the same terms as students with Portuguese nationality.

Nova SBE entrance exams in the national call

For the 2026/27 call, the latest Nova SBE publishes, candidates present one of these exam combinations, each with a minimum grade of 9.5:

• Economics and Management: Mathematics A (50%) alone, or Mathematics A (30%) plus one of Portuguese, Physics and Chemistry, Economics, Geography, English or Philosophy at 20%.
• Ocean Studies: Mathematics A (50%) alone, or two exams at 25% each, such as Biology and Geology plus English, Geography plus English, Physics and Chemistry plus Mathematics A, or Geography plus History.

For Economics and Management, Nova SBE builds the application grade from the final high school grade (50%) and the national exams (50%). Nova SBE admits no applicant with an overall application average below 135 (out of 200). That is a gate, not the level of the students who get in.

Nova SBE places and last-admitted grades

The grade of the last placed student shows the real bar. In the first phase of 2025, the last student Nova SBE placed in Economics had 17.46 (out of 20) and the last in Management 17.76 (out of 20), far above the 135 (out of 200) gate. Ocean Studies closed at 13.75.

Nova SBE has published no places for the 2027/2028 national call; the figures above are the latest it publishes.

Nova SBE admits international bachelor applicants directly when their school-leaving grades reach its minimum per qualification, for example 36 points in the IB with Mathematics HL at 6 for Economics and Management, and 34 points for Ocean Studies. These criteria are labelled valid for 2026/27 academic year only, the latest cycle Nova SBE publishes; it has published no criteria for entry in autumn 2027.

Nova SBE publishes minimum entry requirements for each bachelor programme, by qualification system, and asks you to contact its admissions team if your qualification is not listed. Candidates who meet the minimum apply directly; candidates who fall short apply for the same three degrees via the SUPERNOVA Foundation Programme. Nova SBE also reserves the right to admit only candidates from accredited and/or recognized schools in their countries of origin.

Nova SBE minimum grades by qualification

These are minimums that let Nova SBE accept your application directly, not the grades of the students it admits. For Ocean Studies, mathematics is strongly recommended rather than required: Nova SBE says requirements marked as recommended are strongly advised but not mandatory, and its mathematics requirements refer to the subject taken at the appropriate level within each qualification system.

The English and Portuguese versions of the Nova SBE page disagree on one row: the Swiss Maturité mathematics minimum is 5.4 on the English page and 5.3 on the Portuguese page. If you hold a Swiss Maturité with mathematics between the two figures, ask Nova SBE which one it applies. Neither page has a row for the European Baccalaureate or the Polish matura, so holders of those diplomas contact the admissions team.

Documents, conditional offers and the Nova SBE interview

You apply on Nova SBE's online form during the application period. Its international page lists, among the application documents:

• A Curriculum Vitae (in English), a photo and a motivation letter.
• Proof of English: one of the accepted English test scores, or a mother tongue or bilingual declaration.

If you are still at school when you apply and Nova SBE accepts you, you receive conditional admission, confirmed once your completion certificate shows final grades that meet the criteria. Nova SBE's Bachelor's Admissions Committee may require an interview as a complementary requirement, so keep the weeks after you apply free.

Nova SBE application windows and decision time

The Fall intake that ran from April 14 to June 16, 2026 was the window for September 2026 starts. Nova SBE has published no Fall window for September 2027 entry; the Fall 2026 dates are the latest it gives.

Each NOVA school sets its own English rule: Nova SBE asks for IELTS 6 or TOEFL iBT 80 unless English is your mother tongue or your schooling was fully in English, and NOVA IMS requires B2, tested online in the 2027/2028 contest unless you hold IELTS above 5.5 or TOEFL above 72 or B2 First. NOVA Medical School's Medicine call and the SUPERNOVA programme accept Portuguese or English at set levels, while NOVA School of Law asks for knowledge of both and names no level.

Nova SBE English tests and exemptions

Nova SBE asks for one English test score if English is not your mother tongue. Its international page lists the accepted proofs, under criteria Nova SBE labels valid for 2026/27 academic year only, the latest it publishes:

• IELTS 6 or TOEFL iBT 80.
• Cambridge: CFE minimum 170 or grade C (minimum 170), CAE Advanced with any grade, or CPE with any pass grade.
• No test score if your high school education was fully taught in English, or with a mother tongue or bilingual declaration.

NOVA IMS: B2 and the online English test

NOVA IMS requires English at B2 or above on the Common European Framework and checks it with a written and/or oral test. For the 2027/2028 contest, the written English test runs online on 2 December 2026 and applies only to candidates who do not present B2 First or FCE, IELTS above 5.5, or TOEFL above 72; the English version of the page lists the same certificates (B2 First Certificate or FCE; IELTS higher than 5.5 or TOEFL higher than 72).

Holders of a qualification obtained in a country where English is an official language are exempt from the English test at NOVA IMS. Students with only an intermediate level, B1, can still apply if they commit to a year-long language course at Universidade NOVA de Lisboa.

Medicine, Law and SUPERNOVA

NOVA Medical School's 2026/2027 Medicine call asks for B1 in Portuguese or English, with a commitment to reach Portuguese B2 before the third curricular year. NOVA School of Law makes knowledge of Portuguese and English a cumulative entry condition, and adds that adequate English is a mandatory condition for the 5th semester enrolment on the law degree.

The SUPERNOVA Foundation Programme asks for a minimum of B2 in Portuguese or English, depending on the language of the bachelor you want after the programme; the NOVA IMS SUPERNOVA page states the same B2 minimum for all candidates.

If your NOVA bachelor is taught in Portuguese, you need Portuguese at B2 or above for NOVA FCSH and at B1 or above for NOVA FCT, where all courses are taught in Portuguese. NOVA Medical School accepts B1 at entry but asks you to reach Portuguese B2 before the third year.

NOVA FCSH: Portuguese B2 and who is exempt

NOVA FCSH asks international applicants for a document proving Portuguese at B2 at minimum on the Common European Framework, plus a motivation letter written in Portuguese explaining why you want the degree. NOVA FCSH exempts two groups from the proof of Portuguese:

• Nationals of countries whose official language is Portuguese, and holders of a secondary diploma from such a country.
• Candidates who completed secondary school in Portugal or at a school that teaches in Portuguese.

NOVA Medical School and NOVA School of Law

NOVA Medical School's 2026/2027 calls differ by degree. Medicine accepts B1 in Portuguese or English, while Nutrition Sciences asks for B1 in Portuguese; both require a commitment to reach Portuguese B2 by the start of the third curricular year. NOVA School of Law lists knowledge of Portuguese as an entry condition for its law degree and does not name a level.

NOVA FCT: teaching in Portuguese and learning the language

NOVA FCT states plainly that all its courses are taught in Portuguese. Applicants to its licenciaturas need the language of the course at B1 or above and an academic background in the areas of the course's entrance exams.

To build your Portuguese before or during the degree, NOVA FCT points to NOVA FCSH, which has run Portuguese language courses for foreigners since 1997.

Several NOVA schools test international applicants themselves: for the 2027/2028 contest NOVA IMS sets an online Mathematics exam on 3 December 2026 and an interview with the programme coordinator on 4 December 2026, and NOVA Medical School's 2026/2027 call asks for at least 100 points (0-200) in Biology, Physics and Chemistry, and Mathematics. NOVA's schools do not list the SAT or the ACT among their entry requirements.

The entrance exams each NOVA school sets

For the 2027/2028 contest, NOVA IMS sets a written Mathematics test, online, on 3 December 2026. NOVA Medical School's 2026/2027 Medicine call runs knowledge tests in Biology, Physics and Chemistry, and Mathematics on its own digital platform, in Portuguese or English, for applicants who do not bring equivalent exam results, and its Nutrition Sciences call names knowledge tests in Biology and in Physics and Chemistry. NOVA FCT asks for an academic qualification in the areas that match the entrance exams set for each course.

NOVA FCT publishes its per-course rules in its call notice (edital), which contains the calendar, the number of places per course, the rules for checking candidates' academic knowledge and the prerequisites per course. NOVA FCSH gives its own Prova de Conhecimentos 40% of the application score. NOVA IMS and NOVA FCSH do not publish a minimum mark for their tests.

When your own school-leaving exams replace NOVA's tests

NOVA Medical School's 2026/2027 Medicine call accepts final exams from a foreign secondary system instead of its own tests, if they are homologous to the Portuguese entrance exams 02 Biologia e Geologia, 07 Física e Química and 19 Matemática A and reach at least 100 points after conversion to the Portuguese scale. Portuguese secondary graduates present the same three entrance exams with at least 100 points (0-200).

Brazilian applicants can use the ENEM. The 2026/2027 Medicine call asks for a pass in the natural sciences and mathematics areas with at least 100 points, while the NOVA Medical School Medicine page states a minimum of 500 points in each of the two areas, for an ENEM taken in 2023, 2024, 2025 or 2026. The call and the page give different figures, so ask NOVA Medical School which one it applies to your ENEM result. NOVA FCT asks for an academic qualification in the areas of the course's entrance exams.

Which NOVA schools interview applicants

NOVA IMS's 2027/2028 contest includes an interview via Microsoft Teams with the programme coordinator. NOVA Medical School selects Medicine applicants through a review of the application and an individual online interview scored on four criteria worth 25% each: motivation and availability, communication and argument, knowledge of the profession, and extracurricular activities and personal interests. Nova SBE's admissions committee may require an interview as a complementary requirement.

NOVA schools do not list the SAT or the ACT among their entry requirements. Nova SBE lists US AP Exams in its grade table instead, so a US applicant to Nova SBE meets the table with AP results.

Each NOVA school that ranks international applicants uses its own application grade formula: NOVA School of Law adds 40 % of your secondary final grade to 60 % of your best entrance exam grade, NOVA FCSH gives its own knowledge test 40%, and NOVA Medical School's 2026/2027 Medicine call counts the interview as well. NOVA School of Law sets a minimum of 100 points on the scale of 0 to 200 in the entrance exams, and NOVA Medical School requires a final classification of 100.00 or more.

NOVA School of Law: 40% school grade, 60% entrance exams

NOVA School of Law computes the application grade for its law degree as the sum of 40 % of the final secondary school grade and 60 % of the best entrance exam grade. The minimum mark in the entrance exams is 100 points on the scale of 0 to 200. If you completed NOVA's Pre-University Semester (Semestre Pré-Universitário) successfully, NOVA School of Law adds 50 points to the result of the formula.

NOVA FCSH: knowledge test, school grade and motivation letter

NOVA FCSH builds the application grade from three parts: 40% for its Prova de Conhecimentos, 35% for your final secondary grade and 25% for your motivation letter. The 2026/2027 call for the História degree shows the same split in points: knowledge test 80/200, secondary grade 70/200 and motivation letter 50/200. The motivation letter carries a quarter of the result, so write it with care, in Portuguese.

NOVA Medical School: the final classification for Medicine

NOVA Medical School's 2026/2027 Medicine call computes the final classification as CF = (0.4 x CES) + (0.5 x CPI) + (0.1 x EI): your secondary school grade (CES), your entrance exam or knowledge test grade (CPI) and the individual interview (EI). An applicant is admissible only with a final classification of 100.00 or more. The interview itself is scored on four criteria worth 25% each.

How NOVA converts foreign grades

NOVA FCSH converts your secondary grade proportionally to the 0 to 200 scale when it is expressed on another scale. NOVA Medical School converts foreign final exams homologous to Biologia e Geologia, Física e Química and Matemática A to the Portuguese scale, and each must reach 100 points after conversion. These minimums are gates, not the level of the students admitted; for the national call, Nova SBE publishes the grade of the last student it placed, covered in the EU route chapter.

Which school-leaving qualifications count also differs by school. As of October 2026, NOVA School of Law accepts international applicants who hold a qualification that gives access to higher education, documented by the competent body of the country where it was obtained. NOVA FCT accepts a qualification that gives the right to apply to and enter higher education in the country where it was obtained, and its international page says your secondary certificate must include the final average, the grades by subject and the grading scale.

For entry in September 2027, the only NOVA calendar published for that cycle is NOVA IMS's: applications for the 2027/2028 international contest run from 15 October to 24 November 2026, results come out on 7 December 2026 and enrolment is in early September 2027. The other NOVA schools show no 2027/2028 dates, and NOVA IMS charges an application fee of 70€.

NOVA IMS calendar for 2027/2028

NOVA IMS is the only NOVA school whose page names the academic year 2027/2028 for international bachelor applicants. Applications are made exclusively online on the NOVA IMS portal, and the selection runs in one tight week in early December:

Latest published dates at the other NOVA schools

As of October 2026, Nova SBE, NOVA School of Law, NOVA Medical School and NOVA FCSH show no dates for 2027/2028. Their latest calendars below are 2026 dates, and most of them have passed. NOVA FCT sets its calendar in its call notice (edital).

Only one of these windows is still ahead of you: the Nova SBE Spring intake, open from November 10 to December 4, 2026 for the February to June semester. NOVA School of Law ran its four 2026 phases from February to August, the later ones for places left over from the phase before, then opened an extra phase for international students from 28 to 30 September 2026.

Where to apply and the application fee

Each NOVA school takes applications on its own system: NOVA IMS on its portal, NOVA FCSH on the InforEstudante platform and Nova SBE on an online form during the window. The application fee is 70 € at Nova SBE, 70€ at NOVA IMS, 70€ at NOVA FCT and 70€ at NOVA School of Law. NOVA FCSH charges 70.00€ per course, so two courses cost two fees.

Apostille and recognition of your documents

NOVA IMS requires foreign documents to be recognised by a Portuguese diplomatic or consular authority or to carry the Hague Apostille. NOVA School of Law says that, when in doubt about documents obtained abroad, it may ask for recognition by the local Portuguese consul and/or legalisation through the Apostille system. Order the apostille before you apply: the NOVA IMS window closes on 24 November 2026.

NOVA Medical School's 2026/2027 call, the latest it publishes, offered international students 20 places in the Integrated Master in Medicine at 18,000.00 € a year, and a separate call covers the Licenciatura em Ciências da Nutrição. Medicine requires science results of at least 100 points (0-200), from your own exams or NOVA Medical School's tests, and Nutrition asks Portuguese secondary graduates for 100 points (0-200) in its entrance exams.

Places in Medicine for international students

The 2026/2027 Medicine call (Mestrado Integrado em Medicina, concurso especial para estudantes internacionais) split its places over three phases. The first phase offered 13 places, 2 of them for SUPERNOVA students. The third phase offered 7 places for SUPERNOVA students plus any places left from the second phase, up to the total of 20 places; unfilled SUPERNOVA places return to the general pool.

Access routes into Medicine

NOVA Medical School accepts four kinds of science evidence for Medicine in the 2026/2027 call, each with the same floor:

• Portuguese secondary school: the entrance exams 02 Biologia e Geologia, 07 Física e Química and 19 Matemática A, each at 100 points (0-200) or more.
• Brazilian ENEM: a pass in the natural sciences and mathematics areas at 100 points or more under the call; the Medicine page states 500 points per area.
• Another foreign secondary system: final exams homologous to the same three subjects, each at 100 points or more after conversion.
• Without those results: NOVA Medical School's own knowledge tests in Biology, Physics and Chemistry, and Mathematics, online, in Portuguese or English, at 100 points (0-200) or more.

Every Medicine applicant must also meet, by the start of classes, the group A prerequisite, Comunicação Interpessoal (interpersonal communication). Selection then combines a review of the application and an individual online interview.

Licenciatura em Ciências da Nutrição

The 2026/2027 call for the Licenciatura em Ciências da Nutrição asks Portuguese secondary graduates for the entrance exams 02 Biologia e Geologia and 07 Física e Química at 100 points (0-200) or more. Nutrition asks for Portuguese at B1 at entry, with a commitment to reach B2 by the start of the third year, unlike Medicine, which also accepts English at B1.

What NOVA Medical School charges international students

The NOVA Medical School Medicine page gives the same tuition, 18,000.00€ /ano for 2026/2027. NOVA Medical School has published no fees for 2027/2028; these are the latest it has set.

NOVA's international places are few and set per course: for 2026/2027, the latest cycle published, NOVA School of Law offered 20 international places in Law, NOVA Medical School 20 in Medicine, and each listed NOVA FCSH degree between none and 3. No NOVA school publishes applicant numbers or admission rates for international students.

International places by school

NOVA School of Law lists Vagas: 20 for international students in the academic year 2026/2027. NOVA Medical School's Medicine call for 2026/2027 offered 13 places in the first phase and set the rest of its 20 places for later phases, with 7 for SUPERNOVA students in the third.

NOVA FCSH fixes international places course by course. For 2026/2027 it offered Antropologia 2, Ciências da Comunicação 3, Filosofia 1 and Geografia e Planeamento Regional 3, plus História 1, História da Arte 1 and Tradução 3; Arqueologia, Ciência Política e Relações Internacionais and several other degrees offered 0. The História call confirms 1 vaga (fase única), a single place in a single phase. A NOVA IMS order for one late phase of the 2026/2027 contest set 36 places: 9 in Data Science, 24 in Information Management and 3 in Information Systems and Technologies.

Nova SBE: national call places and last-placed grades

Nova SBE does not publish a number of international places. For the national call, used by EU and Portuguese applicants, it lists 195 places in Economics, 295 in Management and 34 in Ocean Studies for 2026/2027. The last student placed in the first phase of 2025 had 17.46 (out of 20) in Economics, 17.76 (out of 20) in Management and 13.75 in Ocean Studies.

Admission rates

NOVA's schools publish neither applicant numbers nor admission rates for international students, so the number of places is the only measure of competition they give. Where a NOVA FCSH degree offers international places at all, it offers one to three.

An international bachelor student at NOVA pays between 3500.00€ a year at NOVA FCSH and 18,000.00 € for Medicine at NOVA Medical School; the only fee already set for 2027/2028 is NOVA IMS's 7,500€/ ano. Portuguese and EU students pay 697€/year at Nova SBE in 2026/2027.

International tuition by school

Read the year next to each figure. NOVA IMS is the only NOVA school that names Ano letivo 2027-2028 for its fee, which excludes enrolment and school insurance. Nova SBE's international page, as of October 2026, shows Annual tuition fee: 7500 €; confirm the amount for 2027/2028 with Nova SBE before you budget. NOVA FCT's 7000 € a year (all nationalities) covers international students of every nationality, not students with Portuguese or another EU nationality.

Tuition for Portuguese and EU students

Nova SBE's national call page sets tuition for Portuguese and European Union students at 697€/year for 2026/2027. NOVA School of Law charges a national (or equivalent) student 697€ in 2026/2027, or 495€ in the part-time regime, where an international student pays 4550€.

Application, enrolment and insurance fees, deposits and instalments

The application fee is 70€ at NOVA IMS, 70 € at Nova SBE and 70.00 € for Medicine at NOVA Medical School; NOVA FCSH charges 70.00€ per course. The other charges differ by school:

• Nova SBE: an enrolment fee of 750 €, 10 % of the tuition fee and deducted from it, and administrative fees including insurance of 37.6 euros; the national call page names the same 37.6€ fee for administrative costs and school insurance. The Portuguese version of the international page words the enrolment fee as 10 % da taxa de admissão (10% of the admission fee) without an amount.
• NOVA IMS: a pre-registration payment of 3,000€, due about a week after the admission result, deducted from tuition and not refunded if you withdraw. The 2027/2028 tuition can be paid in 5 prestações, the first of 1,500€ from 1 to 8 October 2027.
• NOVA Medical School: 35.00 € enrolment and 14.00 € school insurance in 2026/2027.
• NOVA FCT: 35€ enrolment, 2.59 € school insurance and tuition in 10 instalments.
• NOVA School of Law: tuition can be split into 10 prestações.

NOVA's bachelor scholarships mostly support students already enrolled, not entry awards: Nova SBE's Luís Silva scholarship covers the full tuition fee plus a contribution to living costs, and its 2026 window ran from September 14 to October 8, 2026. NOVA School of Law's page lists a 2022 exemption under which students from Ukraine in a humanitarian emergency are exempt from fees and tuition, and a 2023 one for Afghan students with refugee or temporary protection status.

Nova SBE bachelor scholarships

Nova SBE says its bachelor scholarships cover merit and social mobility. Three appear on its bachelor scholarships page:

Three alumni created the beNOVA Scholarship in 2012 to support students who need financial assistance, who may receive support in the tuition fee value; candidates with Portuguese nationality must also show proof of application to the DGES Scholarship, the state grant. The Luís Silva scholarship is for students enrolled in Nova SBE bachelor programmes, and its 2026 window, September 14 to October 8, 2026, has closed.

Fee exemptions for students from Ukraine and Afghanistan

NOVA School of Law's page lists a 2022 exemption under which citizens from Ukraine in a humanitarian emergency are exempt from fees and tuition, and a 2023 one for Afghan students in Portugal with refugee or temporary protection status. Outside these exemptions, plan to pay the full international tuition of your school: the scholarships above mostly support students who are already enrolled.

SUPERNOVA is NOVA's pre-university foundation programme for international students who do not meet Nova SBE's direct-entry criteria: it costs 3,000 € plus fees, asks for B2 in Portuguese or English, and leads to a conditional place at Nova SBE if you pass set courses, for example Advanced Mathematics or Biology with 10 points (out of 20) for Ocean Studies. Other NOVA schools reward it too: NOVA School of Law adds 50 points to your application grade.

Who takes SUPERNOVA and what it requires

Nova SBE sends candidates who do not meet its direct-entry grades to apply for Management, Economics or Ocean Studies via SUPERNOVA Foundation Programme. Nova SBE also states that a non-EU international student applying for a Nova SBE bachelor fills in the SUPERNOVA Foundation Programme application form, so the form is the entry point either way.

To join SUPERNOVA you need a minimum of B2 in Portuguese or English, matching the language of the bachelor you want after the programme. NOVA IMS sets the same B2 minimum for all SUPERNOVA candidates who aim at its degrees.

From SUPERNOVA to a Nova SBE bachelor

Nova SBE gives SUPERNOVA students conditional acceptance for Management or Economics on succeeding in the programme and meeting Nova SBE's criteria. The page names these conditions:

• Management or Economics: a class attendance rate of at least 80 %, among Nova SBE's criteria.
• Ocean Studies: pass Advanced Mathematics or Biology with 10 points (out of 20), meet the English requirement of B2 or pass English classes at B1.2, and keep the same 80 % attendance.

What SUPERNOVA costs

What SUPERNOVA is worth at other NOVA schools

NOVA School of Law and NOVA FCSH call the programme the Semestre Pré-Universitário. NOVA School of Law adds 50 points to the application grade of students who completed it successfully. NOVA FCSH goes further: admission is guaranteed, outside the usual weighting, for students who passed the Semestre Pré-Universitário. NOVA Medical School's 2026/2027 Medicine call reserved 7 places for SUPERNOVA students in its third phase.

Nova SBE states that students from countries outside the Schengen Area or the Republic of Ireland are required to apply for a Schengen Visa for study purposes, and NOVA IMS recommends submitting the complete application at least two months before departure. Nova SBE warns that processing can take from two weeks to three months, so start the visa as soon as your acceptance letter arrives.

Student visa and residence permit

Nova SBE's guidance for international students, as of October 2026, applies to students from outside the Schengen Area or the Republic of Ireland: they apply for a Schengen visa for study purposes. Contact the Portuguese embassy or consulate in your country for the procedure that applies to you.

Once in Portugal on a study visa, Nova SBE says you can apply for a Residence Permit instead of renewing the Schengen visa.

Among the visa documents, Nova SBE lists proof of accommodation in Portugal for the duration of your stay. Confirm the full document list with the Portuguese consulate that handles your file before you submit.

Portuguese courses for international students

NOVA FCSH has organised Portuguese language courses for foreigners since 1997, and NOVA FCT points its international students to them. The formats are a semester course on site (6ECTS), a summer course on site with the same credits, an online semester or summer course (2ECTS) and an intensive online mini course (30h). The on-site courses carry more credits than the online ones, which matters if your degree is taught in Portuguese or you must reach B2 during your studies.

Housing

Nova SBE lists proof of accommodation among the student visa documents, so arrange housing before your consulate appointment.

NOVA suits an international student who wants an economics degree taught in English at Nova SBE, which describes a curriculum taught in English, or a data degree at NOVA IMS, which charges 7,500€/ ano for 2027/2028, or who speaks Portuguese well enough for law, medicine, the humanities or engineering. For entry in 2027, NOVA IMS's application window is open from 15 October to 24 November 2026.

Who NOVA suits, and who it does not

• Good fit: you want to study in English. Nova SBE's Economics degree has a curriculum taught in English, and NOVA IMS, which does not state its teaching language, requires English at B2.
• Good fit: your school grades are strong and documented. Nova SBE decides on grade tables, for example 36 points in the IB for Economics and Management.
• Harder fit: you want science or engineering in English. At NOVA FCT all courses are taught in Portuguese (page as of October 2026), and NOVA FCSH asks for Portuguese at B2.
• Harder fit: Medicine without Portuguese. NOVA Medical School teaches Medicine in Portuguese, possibly in English in the first two years, and charges 18,000.00 € a year (2026/2027).

NOVA schools compared

International tuition at NOVA runs from 3500.00€ at NOVA FCSH to 18,000.00 € for Medicine, and only NOVA IMS has set its fee for 2027/2028. Selection differs as much as price: Nova SBE reads your school grades, NOVA IMS and NOVA Medical School set their own exams and interviews, and NOVA School of Law, NOVA Medical School and NOVA FCSH apply weighted formulas.

Your next dated steps

As of October 2026, Nova SBE, NOVA School of Law, NOVA Medical School and NOVA FCSH show no 2027/2028 dates; the earlier chapters give their latest calendars so you can see the usual shape of each school's year.

Official pages of NOVA University Lisbon (Universidade NOVA de Lisboa), UCAS, gov.uk and the ranking publishers. Applicant reports, where shown, are self-reported and labelled.

Licenciaturas | Acesso Estudante Internacional | NOVA IMS · International Students Applying to Bachelor’s Programs | Nova SBE · Edital - Mestrado Integrado em Medicina - Concurso especial estudantes internacionais 2026/2027 (NOVA Medical School) · Estatuto de Estudante Internacional - NOVA FCSH · Licenciatura - NOVA School of Law | Faculdade de Direito · National Call | Bachelor in Economics and Management – NOVA SBE · Candidatos Internacionais - NOVA School of Law | Faculdade de Direito da Universidade NOVA de Lisboa · Admissão de Estudantes Internacionais | NOVA FCT · Undergraduate Programs | International Student Access | NOVA IMS · Candidaturas Estudante Internacional NOVA School of Law - NOVA School of Law | Faculdade de Direito da Universidade NOVA · Mestrado Integrado em Medicina · Overview - Bachelor in Economics | Nova SBE · Aprender português | NOVA FCT · Despacho n.º 17/2026 · Edital - Licenciatura em Ciências da Nutrição - Concurso especial estudantes internacionais 2026/2027 (NOVA Medical School) · FAQ - Bachelor's in Economics | Nova SBE · Candidaturas Licenciaturas - Estudantes Internacionais | Nova SBE · Acesso SUPERNOVA Programa Pré-Universitário | NOVA IMS · https://www.fcsh.unl.pt/static/documentos/editais/candidatura/licenciatura/EI_Historia.pdf · Bachelor Scholarships and Funding Opportunities at Nova SBE · International Students | Nova SBE · International Student | NOVA IMS

Photos: Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas: photo Jorge Franganillo, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons · NOVA IMS building: photo Building articles, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons · Faculdade de Direito da Universidade Nova de Lisboa: photo EdSantos754, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons