Tuition at the University of Coimbra for international students is €7,000 a year for most bachelor’s and integrated master’s degrees and €18,000 a year for Medicine. Coimbra has no fully funded scholarship of its own. What it does have is a set of fixed tuition discounts for international students, worth €1,000 to €2,000 a year, tied mainly to your entry grade. These discounts come from UC Regulation no. 346/2025, in force since 2025/2026.
The 2026/2027 application calls for bachelor’s degrees have all closed. The last one ended on 17 July 2026, and the deadline is 26 January 2027, when the first 2027/2028 call closes. Below I explain who counts as an international student, the fees, every merit award in the regulation with its amount and grade cut-off, the language rules, and how the application works, so you are ready when the next call opens.
Who counts as an international student at the University of Coimbra?
Portugal has a legal category called the International Student Statute, set by Decree-Law no. 36/2014 and amended by Decree-Law no. 62/2018. In general it covers applicants who are not Portuguese and not nationals of another EU member state. Some groups are treated as national students even without a Portuguese passport, for example people with long legal residence in Portugal or family members of EU citizens. Check article 3 of the statute if you are unsure where you fall.
This matters because your status decides two things: the fee you pay and whether the merit discounts below apply to you. Applicants from Brazil, Angola, India, Nigeria, China or the United States, for example, would usually apply under this statute through UC’s special competition for international students.
University of Coimbra tuition fees for international students
These are the fees UC lists for first-time international students in bachelor’s and integrated master’s degrees under the special competition.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee | €50 |
| Enrolment fee | €20 |
| Annual tuition, bachelor’s and integrated master’s | €7,000 |
| Annual tuition, integrated master’s in Medicine | €18,000 |
| Zero Year in Portuguese Language | €7,000 |
| Zero Year in Specific Subjects (Sciences or Humanities) | €5,000 |
| Physical and sports aptitude test (some courses) | €45 |
| Medical examination for prerequisites (some courses) | €40 |
Master’s fees are set course by course, so check the page of the programme you want. If you pay a €7,000 fee and win a €2,000 merit discount, your real tuition is €5,000 a year for the normal length of the degree.
University of Coimbra scholarships for international students
All of these awards come off your tuition bill. UC does not pay them to you as cash. They are set out in Regulation no. 346/2025, published in Portugal’s official gazette (Diário da República) on 17 March 2025. It replaced the older Regulation no. 34/2021 and applies to students enrolling from 2025/2026.
| Award | Who it is for | Value per year | Main condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduation Merit Scholarship | New bachelor’s and integrated master’s students | €1,000, €1,500 or €2,000 | Entry average of at least 15 out of 20 (14 with an extra condition) |
| Incentive Scholarship for Priority Fields of Study | Bachelor’s students in courses on UC’s priority list | €2,000 | Entry average of at least 13 out of 20 |
| Incentive Scholarship for Master’s Research and Scientific Production | Full-time master’s students | €2,000 | Your master’s is not funded by any other source |
| CPLP Master’s Scholarship | Master’s students from Portuguese-speaking countries | €1,000 | Can be added to the €2,000 research award |
| Continuing Studies at UC Scholarship | International students who stay at UC for a new degree | €1,000 | Full-time enrolment |
Graduation Merit Scholarship: grade bands
To qualify you must enrol full time in a bachelor’s or integrated master’s degree through the international student competition (or a change of course or institution), have international status when you enrol, and have an entry grade of at least 140 on UC’s 0 to 200 scale. The amount then depends on your entry average, with no rounding up.
| Entry average (out of 20) | Discount per year |
|---|---|
| 17 or more | €2,000 |
| 16 to under 17 | €1,500 |
| 15 to under 16 | €1,000 |
| 14 to under 16, with one extra condition | €1,000 |
The extra condition for the lowest band is one of these: you are a certified elite athlete in your home country, you came from a secondary school that has an agreement with UC, or you took part in UC activities for international students in the three years before applying and hold a UC diploma for it. Once you have the award, it stays with you every year until you finish the degree in its normal length.
Priority fields award
UC publishes a list of priority courses before the first phase of each international competition. If you enrol in one of them with an entry average of at least 13, you get €2,000 off every year. You cannot combine this with the other awards in the regulation, so if you qualify for both, compare the amounts first.
Master’s awards
For master’s students, the research incentive gives €2,000 a year toward tuition if no one else is funding your master’s. Students from CPLP countries (Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe, and East Timor) get another €1,000 on top. If you already did a degree at UC as an international student and continue there, the €1,000 continuing studies award can also be added.
Prizes and distinctions without money
- Zero Year Prize: a UC Zero Year merit declaration for an average of 17 or more, and a 1-point weighting in the final Zero Year grade for an average of 14 or more.
- 1st Year UC International Student Merit Board: public recognition for top first-year international students with an entry grade of at least 14, noted in the Diploma Supplement.
- UC International Student Distinction Diploma: for an entry grade of 17 or more into UC or a new cycle.
- Diploma of Excellence: for master’s graduates who finish with an average of 17 or more.
Medicine applicants
None of the tuition discounts above apply to international students in the integrated master’s in Medicine, which costs €18,000 a year.
How you can lose a Coimbra merit discount
The regulation is strict. You lose the award at once, and must pay back what it covered, if you:
- change to national student status or an equivalent status
- drop out of the course
- move to part-time study or enrol for single semesters
If you do not finish within the normal full-time length, the discount stops and you pay full tuition for the extra semesters or years. If you finish with an odd number of semesters, the last semester’s discount is half the yearly value. You also have to stay up to date with enrolment and fees under UC’s academic regulations.
Entry requirements and language rules
Most bachelor’s degrees at Coimbra are taught in Portuguese. UC’s admission rules (amended by Order no. 272/2025 in November 2025) require Portuguese at B1 or B2 depending on the course. Many master’s and PhD programmes are partly or fully in English, so check each course page.
Your school results are converted to UC’s 0 to 200 scale. The same order sets out how UC treats several foreign systems:
| Qualification | How UC uses it |
|---|---|
| IB Diploma | Minimum final score of 24 (equal to 100 on UC’s scale), with passes in two Higher Level subjects |
| A-Levels | Your three best grades, averaged and converted |
| ENEM (Brazil) | Accepted, with course-specific weighting |
| Gaokao (China) | Average of six converted grades, three compulsory and three optional |
| Zero Year at UC | Zero Year average can count for 50% when you apply to a degree |
If your system is not listed, UC still converts your grades, and you may need to sit or prove specific entry subjects for your course. Some courses also have aptitude prerequisites such as a medical or physical fitness check.
Application dates at the University of Coimbra for international students
For bachelor’s and integrated master’s degrees, UC runs three calls a year. These were the dates for 2026/2027 entry, all now closed:
| Call | Applications | Results | Registration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 15 Dec 2025 to 26 Jan 2026 | 4 Feb 2026 | 5 to 12 Feb 2026 |
| 2nd | 16 Feb to 15 Apr 2026 | 23 Apr 2026 | 24 Apr to 1 May 2026 |
| 3rd | 20 May to 17 Jul 2026 | 27 Jul 2026 | 28 Jul to 4 Aug 2026 |
| Deadline | 26 Jan 2027 (1st call for 2027/2028), then 15 Apr 2027 (2nd) and 17 Jul 2027 (3rd) | (based on this year’s date; confirm on the official page when the call opens) | |
For 2027/2028 the deadline is 26 January 2027, the close of the first call. Last cycle that call opened on 15 December, so I would have documents ready by early December 2026. Applying in the first call also leaves more time for a Portuguese study visa. For master’s degrees, most applications at UC open in March, with dates set course by course.
How to apply to the University of Coimbra as an international student
- Pick your course: check its language of teaching, entry subjects, prerequisites and fee on the UC course page.
- Check your status: confirm you fall under the International Student Statute, since this sets your fee and your eligibility for the discounts.
- Prepare documents: school leaving certificate, transcripts, proof of Portuguese level where needed, and passport. Check in the call notice whether your documents need certified translations.
- Apply online in an open call: submit through UC’s application portal and pay the €50 fee.
- Accept and enrol: after results, register within the window and pay the €20 enrolment fee plus your first tuition instalment.
- Apply for your visa: use your admission letter at the Portuguese consulate or visa centre for your country.
The regulation ties the undergraduate awards to your entry grade and does not describe a separate scholarship form, so ask UC’s international office at enrolment how the discount is applied to your fee. If you are writing to a professor or programme coordinator for a master’s place, my guide to a recommendation letter for a scholarship covers what a strong letter contains.
Full funding options beyond UC’s own awards
UC’s discounts cut your tuition, but they do not pay rent or food. If you need full funding, the most realistic route is an Erasmus Mundus joint master’s that includes Coimbra as a partner. These pay €1,400 a month for up to 24 months, and you apply to the consortium, not to UC. See my guide to the MARIHE Erasmus Mundus scholarship for how these applications work. For Southern Europe more generally, the Sapienza University scholarships in Italy are another option worth comparing.
Some universities abroad also have agreements with UC that waive tuition for a few of their own students. These are run by the partner institution, so ask your current university’s international office whether one exists.
FAQ on the University of Coimbra for international students
Does the University of Coimbra offer fully funded scholarships?
Not from its own budget. Its awards are tuition discounts of €1,000 to €2,000 a year, so full funding usually means an Erasmus Mundus programme or an outside sponsor.
How much is tuition at the University of Coimbra for international students?
€7,000 a year for bachelor’s and integrated master’s degrees and €18,000 a year for Medicine. Master’s fees vary by course.
Can I study at the University of Coimbra in English?
Many master’s and PhD programmes are taught partly or fully in English. Most bachelor’s degrees are in Portuguese and need B1 or B2 Portuguese.
When does the University of Coimbra application open for 2027?
The first bachelor’s call for 2027/2028 closes on 26 January 2027, the same date as last year’s first call, which opened on 15 December. Most master’s applications open in March.
Sources and updates
Award amounts, grade bands and the rules for losing an award come from the text of Regulation no. 346/2025 in the Diário da República, and from UC’s merit scholarships page. Fees and call dates come from UC’s page on bachelor’s and integrated master’s degrees for international students. Language levels and grade conversion come from UC Order no. 272/2025 of 6 November 2025. The master’s application timing comes from UC’s 2026/2027 master’s applications page, and the Erasmus Mundus amount from the European Commission. Information checked on 24 October 2026. I will update this post when UC publishes the 2027/2028 calendar and its priority course list.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
