What to do before and after arriving in Porto

1 – Before coming to Porto
2 – Your first days in Porto
3 – Before leaving Porto
4 – Other questions

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1 – Before coming to Porto

  • Don’t forget to make an appropriate Health Insurance, to cover any problems you may have during your stay in Portugal. The preferred partner of the International Relations Office is . You can also request a European Health Insurance Card if available at your country of origin.
  • Always ask for confirmation that the accommodation you have booked is available for your date of arrival.
  • Check your e-mail regularly to have the latest information regarding your study period at UFP.
  • Check our academic calendar before planning your trips and before signing your Erasmus contract. Don’t forget to arrive 3-5 days before the beginning of classes, to ensure a good start in your everyday life in Porto. Also, you will only need to stay for the examination period at the end of the semester if you fail the continuous evaluation system (check “Class attendance and changes to the original study plan”).
  • Contact your Departmental Coordinator at UFP by email if you have any doubts about your courses. Take the opportunity to introduce yourself and to schedule an appointment for your first days in Porto with your coordinator.
  • Students can check the Flixbus website for travel options by bus to and from Porto.
  • Students must inform the International Relations Office of their exact date of arrival.

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2 – Your first days in Porto

  • When you arrive in Porto, you can go directly to your previously arranged accommodation (hotel, apartment, etc). After unpacking and settling down, come to the International Relations Office, located on the top floor of the Rectory building (main address), to present any documents you may have from your home university and to receive important information.
  • You will have to provide the International Relations Office with your address in Porto and the Portuguese phone number you will be using, so we can contact you in case of emergency.
  • When you arrive in Porto, you can go directly to your previously arranged accommodation (hotel, apartment, etc). After unpacking and settling down, go to the International Relations Office, located on the top floor of the Rectory building (main address), to present any documents you may have from your home university and to receive important information.
  • You will have to provide the International Relations Office with your address in Porto and the Portuguese phone number you will be using, so we can contact you in case of emergency.
  • Before starting to attend classes, contact your Departmental Coordinator at UFP (if you haven’t done it yet) to schedule an appointment.
  • If you have any conflict with your classes in the timetable, your Departmental Coordinator will assist you with any changes that you need to make to the original study plan. It can also happen that a certain course becomes unavailable because of an unexpected reason.
  • Students with residence visa with less than 6 months must communicate their arrival officially at the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA), within 3 days. For more information on necessary procedures and penalties should directly contact the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA)
  • Students who, having arrived at UFP, do not have a valid student visa will be prevented from enrolling and their situation will be reported to the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA).

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3 – Before leaving Porto

  • At the end of the semester, if you have been approved at the necessary evaluation procedures, you will not need to perform any exams.
  • If you are failing a specific course, you will need to inform the International Relations Office, to check the availability for an exam at that course.
  • Bring all the necessary documents to the International Relations Office (such as Certificates of Attendance) to be signed before your departure. Don’t wait for the last day!
  • Your grades will be sent directly to your home university as soon as they become available in our computer system (this may take some weeks, after your departure).

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4 – Other questions
If you still have questions after reading this page carefully, feel free to contact the International Relations Office through our email address: international@ufp.edu.pt.

The International Relations Office:
Nadine Trigo (Institutional Coordinator)
Ana Moutinho (Student Mobility Assistant)
Cândido Sobreiro (Student Mobility Assistant)

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