Definition of International Student

An International student is a student who has neither a Portuguese nationality nor an equivalent status, and enters the University of Coimbra by means of the following systems and contests:

	Special Contest for Access and Admission of International Students to Bachelor's Degree and Integrated Master's Degree Courses in the UC »»
	System of Readmission »»
	System of Change of Institution/Course Pair »»
	Application to a 2nd cycle »»
	Application to a 3rd Cycle »»

Students having a dual foreign nationality (an EU-country nationality and a non-EU-country nationality) when applying may choose between an application as an international student (non-EU-country nationality) or as a Portuguese or Equivalent Status Student (an EU-country nationality). If students decide to apply as international students, they cannot request to change their status until they finish their cycle of studies.

Students having a Portuguese nationality cannot apply by means of the special contest for international students, even if they have a non-EU-country nationality. These students can only apply to the University of Coimbra by means of the National Contest for Access and Admission to Higher Education.

	Portuguese or Equivalent Status Students are:
1.	Students who have a Portuguese nationality.
2.	Students who have a European Union country nationality.
3.	Relatives from Portuguese citizens or from nationals of a European Union country, regardless of their nationality.
4.	Students who are not from a European Union country and not included in previous number 3, and who are living legally in Portugal for more than two years, uninterruptedly, on 1st January from the year they intend to apply to a higher education institution, and their children living legally with them as well. The time of residence in Portugal with a Student Visa does not count towards this purpose.
5.	Students who, on the 1st January from the year they intend to apply to a higher education institution, are holders of the status of equal rights and duties awarded pursuant to an international treaty signed by the Portuguese Government and the State where they are from.
6.	Foreign citizens who enter Portuguese Higher Education Institutions under the Special Access Systems within the scope of the National Contests for Access:
	a. Citizens from Portuguese-speaking African Countries; b. Nationals from East Timor and children of nationals of East Timor; c. Foreign staff members of a diplomatic mission accredited in Portugal and their relatives also living in Portugal, under a system of reciprocity.
7.	International mobility students, under an interchange agreement with that aim;