What Is Contratacao Inicial for Teachers in Portugal?

Contratacao Inicial fills temporary teaching needs not covered by career teachers, through a fixed-term employment contract with individuals holding qualificacao profissional for docencia, and is used for situations such as covering a teacher on maternity leave. Unlike the concurso externo, which aims to satisfy permanent staffing needs, Contratacao Inicial exists to satisfy temporary needs, according to guidance summarised across DGAE FAQ material for the Concurso Nacional de Professores.

How does Contratacao Inicial differ from the concurso externo?

The concurso externo is for candidates seeking to enter the career, accessing permanent Quadro vacancies in schools, while Contratacao Inicial fills temporary posts through a contrato de trabalho a termo resolutivo. A candidate who applied to the concurso externo but was not placed into any Quadro de Zona Pedagogica they applied to can remain in the running for Contratacao Inicial in the same cycle, per the same DGAE FAQ summary, which is why many candidates treat the two applications as connected steps rather than fully separate processes; the concurso externo itself is covered in what the concurso externo is.

Who can apply to Contratacao Inicial?

Eligibility is centred on holding qualificacao profissional for the docencia, the same underlying qualification requirement covered in our guide to eligibility for the concurso externo. Candidates should check the current aviso for any additional conditions specific to a given cycle.

How does placement work within Contratacao Inicial?

Placement follows the same preference-based, sequentially ordered mechanism used across SIGRHE, matching ranked candidates to available horarios in agrupamentos de escolas or escolas nao agrupadas, explained fully in how SIGRHE placement works. Candidates placed must present themselves at their assigned school on the first working day of September, according to DGAE guidance.

What happens after Contratacao Inicial if a candidate still has no placement?

Needs that surface after the Contratacao Inicial round is complete are covered through Reserva de Recrutamento, a separate mechanism we explain in what Reserva de Recrutamento is, and, for schools with TEIP or autonomy status, through each school’s own Bolsa de Contratacao de Escola.

Should a candidate track deadlines separately for each mechanism?

Yes. Contratacao Inicial, Reserva de Recrutamento and the concurso externo each open and close on their own schedule within the annual recruitment calendar, and missing an acceptance window in any one of them can mean losing that placement outright. Setting an exam countdown for each mechanism’s own deadlines, rather than a single generic date, is a practical way to keep track across a busy recruitment season.

Frequently asked questions

Does a Contratacao Inicial contract lead to a permanent Quadro placement automatically? No, it is a fixed-term contract; permanent placement happens only through the concurso externo, though repeated full-year contracts can eventually open a Quadro vacancy, as covered in our contracted versus Quadro comparison.

Can a candidate apply to Contratacao Inicial without ever having applied to the concurso externo? Eligibility rules can vary by cycle; candidates should check the current aviso rather than assume the two applications are always linked.

Is Contratacao Inicial open every year? It generally runs annually alongside the other recruitment mechanisms, but exact timing and vacancy numbers depend on the current aviso de abertura.

How is a Contratacao Inicial candidate ranked? Ranking draws on graduacao profissional, the same concept explained in how it is calculated.

Where can I find the exam page for the wider recruitment system? See the Concurso Externo de Docentes exam page.