The Recruitment Competition for Ensino Portugues no Estrangeiro

Portugal runs recruitment for teaching abroad through two related but distinct channels: the internal and external concursos for the Escolas Portuguesas no Estrangeiro (EPERP), run by the DGAE using an electronic application, and the Ensino Portugues no Estrangeiro (EPE) procedimento concursal, coordinated through the Instituto Camoes and its own online application. Neither is the same competition as the domestic concurso externo de docentes, though the qualification requirements overlap closely.

What are Escolas Portuguesas no Estrangeiro (EPERP)?

EPERP are Portuguese public network schools located outside Portugal, and the DGAE runs internal and external concursos for their Quadros using an electronic candidatura, with each cycle’s application window announced separately from the domestic concurso, per reporting on the 2025 cycle by S.TO.P.. Candidates should check the DGAE portal for the specific EPERP manual de instrucoes rather than assume the domestic concurso externo’s dates or forms apply.

What is Ensino Portugues no Estrangeiro (EPE) and how does it differ from EPERP?

EPE covers teaching posts in Portuguese language and culture programmes abroad rather than full Portuguese public schools, and its procedimentos concursais, including reserva de recrutamento rounds, are coordinated by the Instituto Camoes, Instituto da Cooperacao e da Lingua, through its own online application platform, per the Instituto Camoes’s own published recruitment process pages. Candidates must register through the EPE-specific application rather than through SIGRHE, which is used for the domestic concurso externo and EPERP.

Do the same qualification requirements apply?

Candidates for both EPERP and EPE generally need qualification recognised for teaching at the relevant level, similar in kind to the qualificacao profissional required for the domestic concurso externo, covered in our guide to concurso externo requirements. Specific language, cultural or country-context requirements can also apply depending on the posting, and candidates should read the specific procedimento’s notice rather than assume domestic eligibility rules transfer directly.

Is age relevant to these applications?

Minimum age conditions, where they apply, follow the same kind of reference-date logic used in the domestic concurso externo, covered in our guide to eligibility requirements; candidates can use our age calculator to check their age against a given reference date while confirming the specific condition in the current notice.

Should a candidate for teaching abroad also track the domestic concurso externo?

Many candidates interested in postings abroad also hold, or are working toward, a qualificacao profissional that also qualifies them for the domestic concurso externo, described in what the concurso externo is. Since EPERP, EPE and the domestic concurso run on separate calendars, a candidate weighing both routes should track each notice independently rather than assume one process’s deadline applies to the other.

Frequently asked questions

Is EPERP the same organisation as EPE? No, EPERP schools are run through the DGAE using SIGRHE, while EPE recruitment is coordinated by the Instituto Camoes through its own platform.

Can a candidate apply to EPERP, EPE and the domestic concurso externo in the same year? Each process has its own eligibility conditions and calendar, so a candidate should check whether simultaneous participation is permitted under the specific notices in force for that cycle rather than assume it by default.

Does teaching abroad through EPE count toward graduacao profissional for the domestic concurso externo? Whether foreign or EPE service counts toward domestic graduacao profissional depends on the applicable legislation and how that service is documented and validated; candidates should confirm this directly with the DGAE rather than assume automatic equivalence.

Where does a candidate apply for EPE positions? Through the Instituto Camoes’s own online application platform for procedimentos concursais, not through SIGRHE.

Where can I find the exam page for the domestic teaching competition? See the Concurso Externo de Docentes exam page.