Medical Residence in Portugal: see how to apply

On August 28, 2019, the Notice of the opening of amedical residency competition in Portugal (Notice no. 13438-A/2019 published in Diário da República) was published, here called Internato Médico.

Annually, candidates can apply for the National Access Test (NAP), which takes place annually in mid-November.

Read the article and find out in detail what the exam is, how to apply, requirements to apply, amount of the application and more.

Opening of a medical residency competition in Portugal: what is the National Access Test (NAP)?

It is a national exam composed of 150 multiple choice questions on various areas of medicine, similar to our medical residency exams in Brazil. The examination lasts 240 minutes and is divided in terms of content as follows: medicine 50%, surgery 15%, pediatrics 15%, gynecology/obstetrics 10% and psychiatry 10%.

Registration dates

The closing date for applications is the first working day following the publication of this notice of competition for medical residency in Portugal: until 20 September 2019.

Requirements for admission to the competition

Candidates are required to be:

• Graduates in medicine, integrated master’s degree in medicine or holders of the equivalence or recognition of the same degree in Portugal;
• Admitted to the Portuguese Medical Association;
• Internal doctors attending General Training or already holding General Training, the Common Year/equivalent or those who have successfully completed general training in another country, which has been granted equivalence recognized and validated by the Portuguese Medical Association;
• Internal physicians attending the first half of the Specialised Training programme or holders of a Degree/Title of Specialist*.

*This group is competing for only 5% of the competition spots.

How to register?

The application must be made online on the Medical Internship page from the given date. You must complete an online form (“application for admission”), which is located in the reserved area on the ACSS, I.P. website. A support manual is available to assist in the process of completing the form.

Once the form has been completed, it must be printed and signed. It must then be sent exclusively by post, by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt, until the end of the deadline (date of registration of the post), to “Administração Central do Sistema de Saúde, I. P., Internato Médico/2020”, Parque da Saúde de Lisboa/Edifício 16/Av.ª do Brasil, 53 – 1700 -063 Lisboa.

Simple copies of the documents required in the Notice of Competition for Medical Residence in Portugal should be sent with the form.

Candidates should print the registration voucher for the competition procedure, which contains the personal access code for personal use in future uses of the competition procedure.

Required documents

• Portuguese Tax Identification Number (TIN);
• Identification document;
• In the case of non-European foreign nationals: residence permit with work permit;
• Diploma or Certificate of completion of course for the Portuguese;
• Equivalence Certificate with final equivalence note from 0 to 20;
• Valid certificate of registration with the Portuguese Medical Association or valid professional license;
• Criminal record certificate issued by the Portuguese State;
• Certificate of payment of the registration fee.

In the case of candidates who have already completed the Common Year/General Training, they are attending the first half of a Medical Specialty or hold a speciality held in Portugal:

• Document proving the completion of the General Training/Common Year or equivalent training carried out in another country, to which the equivalence recognised and validated by the Portuguese Medical Association has been granted;
• Declaration of time spent attending Specialised Training (years and months) already completed on the date of opening of the tender procedure, which must identify, obligatorily, the area of specialisation and the establishment/service of health care placement;
• Certificate of Degree or Title of Portuguese Specialist.

I’m not European, so what now?

The topic that could frighten many people would be the issue of not having Portuguese or European nationality or even work permit in Portugal. Know that several types of visas can give you the possibility to practice medicine in Portugal or do medical residency here. Apart from the simple fact that if you are a spouse of a European could work without any restriction once legalized in Portugal before the SEF.

Registration fee

An amount of €90 must be paid and transferred directly to the bank account indicated in the Notice of competition for medical residency in Portugal until the deadline for registration, i.e. on 20 September 2019.

When will the test be held?

The test will take place on November 18, 2019 at 2 p.m. (1 p.m. in the Autonomous Region of the Azores) at a location that is indicated later according to the city of choice of the candidates.

Are you interested? So don’t miss out on learning more about how to become a doctor in Portugal and how the medical residence works in Portugal, just follow our articles.

Article published on the Euro Tips website: https://www.eurodicas.com.br/abertura-de-concurso-de-residencia-medica-em-portugal/

Author: Mariana Ramalho
Doctor & Consultant