Portugal has a tax-funded public healthcare system, the Serviço Nacional de Saúde (SNS), that provides broad access to care for Portuguese citizens and foreign nationals with a Portuguese residence permit. User fees have been eliminated for almost all SNS services, although some emergency-care fees may still apply when patients are not referred by the SNS or are not hospitalized after emergency care. Portugal’s healthcare system has historically performed well on several indicators, including childhood vaccination coverage, but current official and OECD reporting also highlights access and workforce pressures.
Portugal continues to need qualified healthcare professionals. The OECD and European Observatory’s 2025 country profile notes that Portugal has fewer nurses working in its health system than the EU average and reports persistent workforce gaps, overtime, and reliance on agency staff in the NHS. This means nursing remains an important profession in Portugal, but international nurses must still meet education, language, registration, and immigration requirements before working.
Because nurses are essential to hospitals, primary care, long-term care, and community healthcare, Portugal regulates nursing through the Ordem dos Enfermeiros. Anyone who wants to use the professional title of nurse or practice as a nurse in Portugal must be registered with the Ordem and hold a valid professional card.
For more information about the career path for nurses in the country and how to become a nurse in Portugal, the main steps are explained below.
How to Become a Nurse in Portugal
Step 1. Find a Portuguese University That Offers a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing
Nursing programs in Portugal that lead to the Licenciatura em Enfermagem usually last four academic years, or eight semesters, and total 240 ECTS credits. If you want to become a nurse in Portugal, you should enroll in an accredited Portuguese higher education institution that offers nursing. Examples include CESPU — Cooperativa de Ensino Superior Politécnico e Universitário, the University of Minho School of Nursing, and Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD). Be sure to review each university’s official course page, accreditation, tuition, language of instruction, clinical-practice requirements, and admission rules before applying.
Step 2. Choose the Career Path You Want to Achieve in the Nursing Profession
The first-cycle nursing degree in Portugal is generally a general nursing qualification. Students build foundations in nursing care, clinical practice, ethics, communication, public health, and care across the life cycle. Specialization is usually pursued after the initial degree and professional registration. Current recognized specialist areas include, among others, community and public health nursing, family health nursing, medical-surgical nursing, critical care, palliative care, perioperative nursing, chronic-disease nursing, rehabilitation nursing, child and pediatric health nursing, maternal and obstetric health nursing, and mental and psychiatric health nursing. Check the Ordem dos Enfermeiros for the current list of recognized specialty titles and qualifying courses.
Step 3. Finish the Nursing Degree and Obtain a Diploma
The nursing degree offered in Portuguese institutions is designed to combine theory, technical training, laboratory work, supervised clinical education, seminars, and practical application. Students must complete all curricular units and clinical placements required by their institution to earn the degree. After completing the qualification, graduates who want to work as nurses in Portugal must also complete the applicable professional registration process.
Step 4. For International Students and/or Nurses, Obtain a Language Proficiency Certificate
Portuguese proficiency is usually essential because most undergraduate nursing teaching and clinical placements are in Portuguese, and nurses must communicate safely with patients and healthcare teams. For professional registration, foreign-trained applicants may need to prove sufficient Portuguese language ability. The Ordem dos Enfermeiros states that proof should normally correspond to at least C1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), such as CAPLE’s DAPLE or DUPLE, unless the applicant qualifies for an exemption. Applicants who cannot prove language competence, or where the Ordem has justified doubts, may be required to complete an oral and written language-control procedure.
Step 5. For International Students, Submit All Requirements and Obtain a Diploma
Once the language requirements and academic eligibility are clear, international students should submit the requirements requested by their chosen institution. Admission rules vary by university or polytechnic, so applicants should check the official course and admissions pages. In general, first-cycle applicants need a qualification that gives access to higher education, such as a Portuguese secondary school diploma or an equivalent foreign qualification. Depending on the institution and applicant status, students may also need to show the required entrance-subject knowledge or equivalent entrance exams.
- Language proficiency certificate, if required by the institution
- Secondary school diploma or legally equivalent qualification
- Academic transcripts and any entrance-exam or equivalency documents required by the institution
- Passport, identification card, or other proof of identity
- Any additional documents requested by the university or polytechnic
Non-EU students should also check Portuguese visa and residence rules before traveling. For higher education, the residence visa or residence permit process may involve proof of admission or enrollment, proof of tuition payment when applicable, proof of means, a criminal record certificate, accommodation or residence information, and health insurance or SNS coverage. Requirements can change and may vary by consulate, so applicants should check the official Portuguese visa portal, AIMA, and their local Portuguese consulate.
Step 6. Apply for Registration in the Portuguese Nursing Society
After completing a recognized nursing qualification, graduates who want to work as nurses in Portugal must apply for registration with the Ordem dos Enfermeiros, the Portuguese professional regulator for nurses. Professional practice in Portugal requires being registered as an effective member, holding a valid professional card, having professional civil liability insurance, and keeping Ordem dues regularized.
Please visit the Ordem dos Enfermeiros for further details regarding the registration of nurses in Portugal.
Step 7. For Foreign Nurses, Obtain All the Necessary Qualifications in Working as a Nurse in Portugal
Foreign-trained nurses who wish to work in Portugal should first determine whether their qualification is covered by EU/EEA/Swiss recognition rules, the Brazil-Portugal arrangements, or third-country rules. In many third-country cases, the applicant must obtain specific recognition of the nursing qualification from a Portuguese public higher education institution before registration with the Ordem dos Enfermeiros. The exact process depends on the applicant’s nationality, where the qualification was obtained, and the professional situation.
Documents commonly requested for foreign-trained applicants include the following:
- Certificate of specific recognition or equivalence, when required
- Proof that the applicant is not temporarily suspended or prohibited from practicing in the country of origin or provenance
- Criminal record certificate from Portugal and from the country of origin or provenance, as required
- Passport, identification card, or other proof of identity
- Portuguese taxpayer number, when applicable
- Passport-style photograph
- Proof of Portuguese language competence, when required
Documents may need to be legalized and translated by a certified translator. After online submission and payment, the Ordem may require originals or certified copies within the period stated in its instructions. Applicants should follow the specific instructions for their category on the Ordem dos Enfermeiros website.
To know more about the qualifications, please see the Ordem dos Enfermeiros website.
Step 8. Look for Possible Portuguese Employers and Meet the Country’s Cost of Living
Once the foreign nurse’s qualification and registration requirements are met, and once the nurse has legal authorization to work in Portugal, they can look for employers in the public, private, or social healthcare sectors. Before relocating, plan for housing, immigration costs, translations, legalizations, registration costs, and the cost of living. Nurses working in Portugal should also keep their professional registration and other practice requirements current.
We hope that this article on Steps to Become a Nurse in Portugal was helpful. Make sure to also check out the Available Programs in Europe!
