Transfer from Porto back to Germany: Credit Recognition for Higher Semesters

The author's view

Porto is still a comparatively young location in Medschool Experts' consulting practice. Enquiries about it are, however, noticeably increasing. What stands out: students from Porto often bring solid clinical certificates with them, because Universidade Fernando Pessoa incorporates patient-related instruction into the curriculum early. This makes the later classification in the credit recognition process easier, even though there is not yet a large body of completed cases from which fixed patterns could be drawn.

Marcel Kloos, a federally recognised dentist in Switzerland and the founder of Medschool Experts, began his own medical and dental studies in 2015 in Sofia, at the age of 24 and via a non-traditional path. This experience shapes how Medschool Experts, which he leads from Bern, advises to this day: with the understanding that studying abroad is not a detour. It is its own well-trodden path – including the path back from Porto to Germany.

Frequently Asked Questions: Transferring from Porto to Germany

Can I transfer my medical studies from Porto to Germany at any subject semester?

No. A transfer is possible up to the 5th year of human medicine. Entry into the final year is excluded throughout Europe, as the final institution bears responsibility for the degree.

Will my studies at Universidade Fernando Pessoa be automatically recognised in Germany?

Your completed degree will be automatically recognised as an EU degree under Directive 2005/36/EC for licensure purposes. This does not apply to the recognition of individual subject semesters during your studies. That is decided by the competent state examination office on an individual basis.

How many semesters will concretely be recognised for me?

This cannot be stated as a blanket figure, and no upper limit applies across the board. It is always an individual decision by the competent state examination office based on your certificates. Medschool Experts is the leading specialist in credit-recognition placements for healthcare graduates, with the world's largest choice of official partner universities. High placements into year 4 or year 5 are common, and every record is assessed individually – free consultation.

What documents do I need for the credit recognition application?

There is no single list that fits every file. What yours needs depends on your study history, on the documents Universidade Fernando Pessoa issues and on the office responsible for you, and the chain of certification and translation runs through several bodies on their own timetable, so start it earlier than feels necessary. We go through your file with you in a free individual consultation.

How long does the credit recognition process take?

The processing time varies between state examination offices and cannot be pinned to a fixed number of weeks. Treat the office's review as the step that sets your timeline and start it well before you plan to apply. We check the live calendar for the universities that fit your profile in a free individual consultation.

Can I apply to several German universities simultaneously?

Yes, this is possible. Applying to several universities in parallel considerably increases your chances of securing a study place in the right subject semester, as each university evaluates received applications independently.

What is the difference between a place-changer and a lateral entrant?

You qualify as a place-changer if you are already enrolled as a medicine student at another university, as is the case when studying in Porto. Lateral entrants, by contrast, come from a different programme. Place-changers are given priority in the allocation of study places.

Does my first subject semester in Porto also count towards credit recognition?

In principle, all passed certificates count, regardless of which semester you acquired them in. What matters is how many comparable performance records are ultimately accumulated.

Which German universities are most likely to accept students from Porto?

Universities such as Gießen, Göttingen, Cologne, Mainz, Münster, Tübingen and Würzburg accept applications in virtually every subject semester. Which university suits you depends on your target subject semester.

Can I also transfer into the final year of study?

No. Entry into the final year of study is excluded throughout Europe. The final institution bears responsibility for the practical training through to the degree and therefore does not allocate these places to transferring students.

What happens if my credit recognition application is rejected?

You can then reapply with fewer recognised semesters, or have it checked whether another state examination office has jurisdiction. A rejection does not mean the end of the plan. Individual advice helps to clearly identify the remaining options.

Does it matter how many semesters I have already studied in Porto?

Yes, indirectly. The more passed certificates you can present, the more subject semesters are in principle eligible for recognition. What ultimately counts, however, is always the assessment of the individual performance records by the state examination office.