Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technicians

The professions in the areas of diagnostic and therapêutic are regulated by Decree-Law No. 320/99 of August 11 comprise the activities contained in the annex to Decree-Law No. 261/93 of July 24, and use of scientific-based techniques for the purpose of health promotion and prevention, diagnostic and treatment of the disease or rehabilitation.

The professions develop in functional complementarity with other professional health groups, with equal dignity and technical autonomy of professional practice.

Regulate the exercise of professions contained in Decree-Law No. 320/99, of August 11, the following entities:

Profession of DIETITIAN- Order of Nutritionists;
Profession of PHYSIOTHERAPIST – Order of Physiotherapists;
Other professions – Central Administration of the Health System, I. P. (ACSS).

With regard to the professions under this ACSS, if you have:
– Obtained your professional qualifications in Portugal, you can immediately request your professional license and registration in the public registry, through the form itself made available on this site.
– Obtained your professional qualifications outside Portugal, you will have to apply for recognition of your professional qualifications and, if it is approved, you can apply for the issuance of the professional license and registration in the public registry. Both requests must be made through their own forms made available on this website.

WARNING: If you wish to practice as a Physiotherapist in Portugal, you should contact the Order of Physiotherapists, the national authority competent to regulate the exercise of this profession since December 14, 2021.

List of Professions

The professions in the Diagnostics and Therapeutic areas are regulated professions.

Please, find below the professions under ACSS:

Clinical and Public Health Analysis Technician;
Pathological, Cytological and Thanatological Anatomy Technician;
Audiology Technician;
Cardiopneumology Technician;
Pharmacy Technician;
Oral Hygienist;
Neurophysiology Technician;
Dental Technician;
Orthoprothesics;
Orthoptic Technician;
Radiology Technician;
Radiation Therapy Technician;
Speech Therapist;
Occupational Therapist;
Nuclear Medicine Technician;
Environmental Health Technician;

Note: Since 14th of December 2021, the Portuguese Physioterapy Council is the national competent authority responsible for all issues about the professional exercice as physioterapist.

The regulation of the Podiatrist profession equates, for all legal purposes, to a paramedical profession.

Professional Titles

identification-card

HOW TO OBTAIN RECOGNITION OF FOREIGN PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS IN PORTUGAL

If you have obtained your professional qualifications abroad and want to work in Portugal in one of the regulated professions in the areas of Diagnosis and Therapy under this institute, you need to ask for and obtain recognition of your professional qualifications to us. Only if you obtain this recognition (which is different from level recognition (diploma and academic degree) or specific recognition (course and degree equivalence) will you pass on to the stage of issuing a license/professional card and registering in the professional register.

If you wish to practice as a physiotherapist, you should contact the Order of Physiotherapists, the competent national authority to regulate that profession since 14/12/2021.

The professionals who hold a bachelor’s degree (1st cycle of higher education) acquired in countries outside the European Union (with the exception of Brazil) should go to a Portuguese higher education institution that teaches the course recognized as giving access to the diagnostic and therapeutic profession intended to apply for a specific recognition certificate (degree and course equivalence). This certificate should refer to the foreign course held by the applicant, the school and the country, as well as the equivalence to the academic degree and the course taught in Portugal that gives access to the profession that the applicant intends to pursue in our country.

The application form for recognition of professional qualifications is available below. The form and attachments listed therein (as the case may be) must be delivered in person to the ACSS or sent by mail.

Note: In view of the current epidemiological situation, all requests made in person are subject to prior appointment, preferably. To this end, you should send an email to atendimento@acss.min-saude.pt

FORM FOR PROFESSIONALS WITH QUALIFICATIONS OBTAINED IN THE EU, BRAZIL AND THE REST OF THE WORLD

Form

Knowledge of the Portuguese language

In accordance with Article 48 of Law No. 9/2009 of 4 March, professionals in the professions of the areas of diagnosis and therapy who have obtained their training in a foreign country, must prove the level of knowledge of the Portuguese language through a proof to be delivered, preferably with the application for recognition of qualifications or the professional ballot. Such evidence is obtained from higher education institutions or in schools duly certified for this purpose, in respect of each profession, in accordance with the following GRID.

Exclusively for Speech Therapist

In order to practice in Portugal, all applicants must carry out a verification test of European Portuguese, spoken and written, that includes knowledge, competences and skills directed to the practice of a Speech Therapist in Portugal, with a duration of 30 minutes. Applicants will be notified by ACSS, in due course, of the date, time and place of the referred test.

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