To register your son in a school, first you must gather all the necessary documents. If you have any problem to obtain those documents, place that same problem to the school. The registration should be presented, preferably, in the internet in the informatics platform available in the Portal das Escolas [www.portaldasescolas.pt]. Not being possible to fulfill the above referred, the register can be presented in a face-to-face mode in the responsible services of the teaching and education institution for the attendance, having these services to proceed to the registration in the informatics platform above referred.
- Identification document and card of the child, or birth certificate, National Registry of Minors;
- Registration form filled, with a photograph. This document is given by the school and, if you have any problem filling it, the assistant will certainly help you;
- Vaccination book, health centre card and “ficha de ligação”. This form, filled by the Health Centre, allows detect, at an early stage, visuals and hearing problems, for example. Therefore, is very important to register in the Health Centre of your residence area;
- Copy of a document from the Health Subsystem (Cards from SNS, ADSE, SAMS...) etc.;
If you have any problem to obtain those documents, place that same problem to the school.
Registration in the 1st year of the primary school is mandatory for children that complete 6 years old until 15 September.
Children that complete 6 years old between 16 September and 31 December may enter the primary school, if that is required by the educational responsible, depending on its definitive acceptance of the existence of a vacancy in the classes already established.
The registration should be presented, preferably, in the internet in the informatics platform available in the Portal das Escolas [www.portaldasescolas.pt], with the help of authentication through the citizen’s card.
Not being possible to fulfill the above referred, the register can be presented in a face-to-face mode in the responsible services of the teaching and education institution for the attendance, having these services to proceed to the registration in the informatics platform above referred.
In the registration act, the educational responsible or student, when is of legal age, should indicate, by preference order, up to five teaching and education institutions, whose attendance is desired.
For the purposes described in the item above, the teaching and education institutions should previously inform the students or educational responsible of the existing educational network.
The registration is sent to the teaching and education institution indicated as first choice.
For candidates with qualifications acquired in foreign countries, whether is primary school or secondary school, the registration, based in the given equivalence, is sent to the teaching and education institution.
The choice of the teaching and education institution, by the educational responsible or student, when is of legal age, depends on the existence of a vacancy.
The registration should be considered conditional, becoming final when the process of children and students distribution is concluded by the teaching and education institutions.
When the teaching and education institution requested by the educational responsible or by the student is not the one of the respective residence area and it is also offered the intended formation journey, the educational responsible or the student bear the costs, expenses or increase of costs that may result from this, such as with travel expenses, unless the local council works differently. In secondary school, the same formation journey is considered, offered the same course with the same options and/or required specifications by the student.
During the attendance of each teaching cycle or level, usually, student transfers are not allowed amongst the school network or independent schools.
Student transfers are made for the following reasons:
- Changing course or optional subject non-existing in the school where the student attends;
- Application of the punishment disciplinary measure that determines changing school;
- Situations, properly verified by the school, in which a transfer is requested at the express wish of the educational responsible or student, when is of legal age;
- Changing the household residence, properly verified.
In the pre-school and the primary school the normal period for registration is posted between 15 April and 15 June of the previous school year of the one the registration refers.
In secondary school the regular registration period is posted by the director of the teaching and education institution, it can’t exceed:
a) The third working day subsequent to the students school situation that want to change their formation journey;
b) 15 June for students that want to return to their formation journey.
Exceeded the period posted in point b) registrations can be accepted, in exceptional conditions and properly justified, on the following conditions:
- In the 8 working days immediately after the supplementary tuition fee payment, established in the internal procedure of the teaching and education institutions, this must not exceed €5;
- Ended the period posted in the previous point, until 31 December, by vacancy in the classes already established and the supplementary tuition fee payment, established in the internal procedure of the teaching and education institutions, this must not exceed €10;
In the recurring teaching of the secondary level the registration is made in the terms of the Decree no. 242/2012 10 August.
For candidates with qualifications acquired in foreign countries, whether is primary school or secondary school, it can be made a registration off the periods earlier posted, depending on its definitive acceptance of the existence of a vacancy in the classes already established.
In the school of you residence area, no registration can be refused, since it is inserted in the compulsory education, unless, all the vacancies are filled. In that case, the school will forward the student to another school of the area and ultimately it is the DGESTE responsibility to find a solution.
There is specific legislation to obtain equivalences. The equivalence should be requested to the director of the school of the residence area or the one you want to attend, being regulated by DL nº 227/05, 28 December.
The situations not predicted in the Decrees, are competence of the Directorate-General for Education.
The ones interested should always present, between other documents, the qualification certificated translated to portuguese and notarised by the home country Consulate or Embassy in Portugal, or the Portuguese Consulate or Embassy in that country, or with the Hague Convention Apostille
It is considered CAF the set of activities destined to guarantee the monitoring of the students of the primary school before or after the intra-curricular and extra-curricular component, as well as during the periods of school interruption.
CAF is implemented by the local Councils, parents' associations, private institutions of social solidarity or other entities that promote this kind of social answer, through an agreement with the school networks or independent schools.
AEC in primary school are educational and training activities that focus in learning the english language or other foreign language and some areas of sport, artistic, scientific, technical and information and communication technologies, connecting to the school with environmental and citizenship education. Once the registration is made, the educational responsibles compromise that their learners will attend to AEC until the end of the school year, concerning respect by the attendance duty in the Student Status and School Ethic.
The school board will answer to your questions and know how to send you to other entities, if necessary.
Yes, at any time. Talk to the school board and ask any information you think is necessary.
Source: Ministry of Education and Science
