Portuguese Degree Evaluation: Diplomas, Degrees and Transcripts from Portugal and Brazil

Did you earn your diploma or degree in Portugal or Brazil and now need it recognized in the U.S.? A Portuguese degree evaluation states the U.S. equivalent of your education, so that USCIS, employers, universities and licensing boards can compare it to U.S. standards. This guide is for anyone who studied in a Portuguese-speaking system, and for the immigration attorneys who file their cases. It covers secondary diplomas, technical programs, bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees, professional degrees, and the transcripts that go with them. MotaWord's standard evaluation costs $65 with delivery in 72 hours. Same-day delivery costs $115 when you order before 3 PM ET on a weekday.

Why You May Need a Portuguese Degree Evaluation

Titles such as Licenciatura, Bacharelado or Mestrado Integrado mean little to a U.S. reviewer until someone states their U.S. equivalent. That is the job of a foreign credential evaluation. You will usually need one for:

• Immigration: H-1B specialty occupation petitions and EB-2 petitions, including the National Interest Waiver, must show a U.S. degree equivalent. Read our complete guide to the H-1B visa.
• Green cards: employment-based green card cases often depend on whether your degree equals a U.S. bachelor's or master's degree. Learn how the EB-2 visa works and who qualifies.
• University admissions: U.S. colleges need your courses in U.S. credits and a GPA. See how evaluations work for U.S. university admissions.
• Employment: employers and screening firms confirm that your degree meets the job requirement. See how evaluations work for employment in the U.S.
• Professional licensing and military enlistment: state boards and recruiters review foreign education before they accept an application.

Understanding the Education System in Portugal

Portuguese students complete 12 years of schooling. The upper secondary cycle (10th to 12th grade) ends with the Diploma de Ensino Secundário, and national exams are used for university admission. Students in professional courses (cursos profissionais) finish secondary school with a vocational qualification.

Higher education is offered by universities and polytechnic institutes, and programs are accredited by the Agency for Assessment and Accreditation of Higher Education (A3ES). Since the Bologna reform of 2006 and 2007, degrees follow three cycles measured in ECTS credits. Read our guide to the Bologna Process and European higher education.

• CTeSP (Curso Técnico Superior Profissional): a two-year, 120 ECTS short-cycle technical program at polytechnic institutes
• Licenciatura (first cycle): 180 to 240 ECTS, usually three years
• Mestrado (second cycle): 90 to 120 ECTS, one and a half to two years
• Mestrado Integrado: a single long program of 300 to 360 ECTS in fields such as medicine, pharmacy and architecture
• Doutoramento (third cycle): a research doctorate

Before the reform, Portugal awarded the Bacharelato (about three years) and a longer pre-Bologna Licenciatura (usually four to five years). Both still appear on older diplomas.

Portugal grades on a scale from 0 to 20, and 10 is the pass mark. Results of 14 or more are commonly described as good, and marks of 18 to 20 are rare.

Understanding the Education System in Brazil

Brazil's system shares the language but not the structure. Students finish the Ensino Médio after three years of upper secondary school, and many take the ENEM exam to enter university. Secondary-level technical courses lead to a Técnico qualification.

Higher education is regulated by the Ministry of Education (MEC), and CAPES evaluates master's and doctoral programs:

• Bacharelado: four to six years, the main academic and professional degree
• Licenciatura: a degree that qualifies graduates to teach, usually four years
• Tecnólogo: a shorter higher education degree in a technical field, usually two to three years
• Especialização and MBA (lato sensu): postgraduate certificate programs
• Mestrado and Doutorado (stricto sensu): master's and doctoral degrees

The word Licenciatura shows why the two systems must be read separately. In Brazil it is a teaching degree, while in Portugal it is the general first-cycle degree. Learn the key differences between Brazilian and European Portuguese. Brazilian universities usually grade from 0 to 10, and the pass mark depends on the institution.

How Portuguese and Brazilian Credentials Are Evaluated in the U.S.

The evaluation depends on the title, the length of study, the credits or hours, and the institution's status. The patterns below are what evaluators usually find, and your evaluation report decides the equivalency for your documents.

Secondary and Technical Diplomas

The Diploma de Ensino Secundário from Portugal and the Certificado de Conclusão do Ensino Médio from Brazil are usually evaluated as comparable to a U.S. high school diploma. A Portuguese CTeSP is often credited as postsecondary technical study, sometimes compared to associate-level coursework, depending on its content.

Bachelor's Degrees

A Brazilian Bacharelado or Licenciatura of four years or more usually aligns with a U.S. bachelor's degree. A Portuguese Licenciatura of 240 ECTS often does the same. A three-year Portuguese Licenciatura of 180 ECTS is often evaluated as three years of undergraduate study rather than a full U.S. bachelor's degree. When it is followed by a Mestrado, the combined study can reach a U.S. bachelor's or master's level, depending on the evaluator's review. For H-1B petitions, a three-year degree is sometimes combined with work experience to reach the bachelor's level. See how Brazilian degrees compare to U.S. standards.

How to List a Brazilian Tecnólogo Degree on a U.S. Resume

A Tecnólogo degree (for example, Tecnólogo em Logística) is a full higher education degree in Brazil, but U.S. employers do not know the title. Evaluators often compare it to an associate degree or to two or three years of undergraduate study, depending on the hours completed. The safest way to put it on a U.S. resume is to keep the original title and add the U.S. equivalent from your evaluation report, for example: "Tecnólogo em Logística, [University], evaluated as equivalent to [the wording in your report]." Do not translate it as a bachelor's degree unless your evaluation says so.

Master's, Doctoral and Professional Degrees

A Mestrado from either country is usually compared to a U.S. master's degree when it follows a degree at the bachelor's level, and a Doutoramento or Doutorado is usually compared to a U.S. doctorate. A Portuguese Mestrado Integrado often aligns with a U.S. master's degree after a course-by-course review. Brazilian lato sensu programs such as an Especialização or MBA are certificates, and they are generally not treated as a U.S. master's degree.

Medicine, dentistry, law and engineering lead to regulated professions. An evaluation is usually one part of a licensing file, but it does not grant a license, and the state board makes its own decision.

Transcripts, Grade Conversion and GPA

Your transcript is the Histórico Escolar in Brazil and usually the Certidão de Registo or Certificado de Habilitações in Portugal. It lists each course (unidade curricular or disciplina), its credits or hours, and the final grade. Portuguese graduates since the Bologna reform often also have a Suplemento ao Diploma (Diploma Supplement).

Neither a 0 to 20 grade nor a 0 to 10 grade converts to a U.S. 4.0 GPA through simple math, because pass marks and grading habits differ. A course-by-course evaluation reads each grade against the scale on your transcript and calculates a GPA. Learn the difference between a general and a course-by-course evaluation. The report you need depends on who will read it:

Choosing the wrong report type is a common reason for delays. See how a course-by-course evaluation converts Portuguese and Brazilian grades into a U.S. GPA. An evaluation interprets your education in U.S. academic terms. It does not grant a license or confirm your ability to practice a regulated profession.

Documents You Need for Your Evaluation

Prepare clear scans of every page, front and back, including seals, signatures and QR codes:

• Diploma: your Diploma or Carta de Curso. Brazilian diplomas carry a registration stamp on the back, so scan both sides.
• Transcript: the Histórico Escolar, Certidão de Registo or Certificado de Habilitações, with every course and grade.
• Diploma supplement: the Suplemento ao Diploma, if you have one.
• Syllabi: the Conteúdo Programático, if a university or licensing board asks for course content.
• Proof of a name change: a marriage certificate, if the name on your diploma differs from your passport.

Some recipients also require a Hague Apostille on documents issued in Portugal or Brazil. When it is required, get the Apostille first so that it is included in the translation. Learn the most common RFEs on foreign academic credentials.

Names, Identity Documents and Translation

USCIS compares the name on your diploma with your passport and your civil documents. Missing middle names or a different surname order can trigger a Request for Evidence, so every translation in your file should spell your name the same way. If your petition includes a birth certificate in Portuguese, see how we translate birth certificates for USCIS. It must be translated in full, like your academic records. Read our guide to translating Portuguese birth certificates for USCIS.

Certified translation of your diploma and transcript can be added to your evaluation order at the quote stage, where our system detects non-English documents. See how we translate diplomas for academic evaluations. Certified translations cost $24.50 per page, with delivery in as little as 12 hours and free digital notarization.

How MotaWord Evaluates Your Portuguese and Brazilian Credentials

You order online, and each step is visible in one place:

1. Upload: upload your diploma, transcript and any other records, and choose a general or course-by-course evaluation.
2. Document check: our team checks that every page is complete and readable, and tells you if anything is missing.
3. Evaluation: an evaluator reviews the title, institution, credits and grades, and writes the U.S. equivalency. Our reports follow the USCIS Policy Manual standard for evaluations: credible, logical and well documented.
4. Download: the report arrives in your MotaWord client dashboard, with your invoices.

See everything you can do in your MotaWord client dashboard.

A standard evaluation costs $65 and is delivered in 72 hours, or $115 for same-day delivery when you order before 3 PM ET on a weekday. A course-by-course evaluation costs $120, or $200 same day. Live chat is available 24/7 for support, whatever your time zone. No evaluator controls the final decision of an officer or a school, so confirm the recipient's requirements before you order.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I translate a Brazilian technical degree to a U.S. resume format?

Keep the original title, such as Tecnólogo em Logística, and add the U.S. equivalent stated in your credential evaluation. That way, an employer sees both the real degree and a U.S. comparison backed by a report. Avoid calling it a bachelor's degree unless the evaluation says so.

How does the Portuguese grading system convert to a U.S. GPA?

Portugal grades from 0 to 20 with 10 as the pass mark, and Brazil usually grades from 0 to 10. There is no fixed formula, so a course-by-course evaluation converts each grade using the scale on your transcript and then calculates your GPA.

What is the U.S. associate degree equivalent in Brazil?

Brazil has no degree called an associate degree. A Tecnólogo degree is often the closest match, and evaluators may compare it to an associate degree or to two or three years of undergraduate study, depending on the hours.

Is a degree from Portugal automatically recognized in the U.S.?

No. There is no automatic recognition between Portugal and the U.S. Every diploma needs a foreign credential evaluation that states its U.S. equivalent, credits and, when needed, GPA.

Do I need a course-by-course evaluation for an H-1B visa?

Not always. A general evaluation is often enough, but a course-by-course report helps when the degree structure is not obvious, such as a three-year Licenciatura of 180 ECTS. Your attorney can tell you which report fits your petition.

Does an academic evaluation qualify me for a U.S. professional license?

No. An evaluation explains how your education compares to U.S. academic standards, but the state board decides on the license. Some boards accept reports only from specific evaluation services, such as NACES members, and MotaWord is not a NACES member, so check the board's rules first.

Can MotaWord evaluate both Brazilian and Portuguese degrees?

Yes. We evaluate degrees from both countries and read each one against its own credit system and grading scale. For questions before you order, reach out to us on our 24/7 live chat.

Get Your Portuguese Credentials Ready for the U.S.

Whether you hold a Licenciatura from Lisbon, a Bacharelado from São Paulo or a Tecnólogo degree, a clear evaluation saves you weeks of back-and-forth with USCIS, employers and schools. Order MotaWord's academic evaluation services to get a U.S. equivalency report for your degrees from Portugal and Brazil. Upload your documents for an instant quote, or talk to a real person on live chat 24/7. If you only need translations, see our certified Portuguese translation services.

Mark Rogers - Evaluation Specialist at MotaWord

Written and reviewed by Mark Rogers, Evaluation Specialist at MotaWord, drawing on the team's experience with diplomas and transcripts from Portugal and Brazil. MotaWord is SOC 2 Type II certified and a corporate member of the ATA and ITI, providing academic evaluations and certified translations in 120+ languages. Every certified translation ships with a signed certification of accuracy and completeness meeting USCIS requirements. See our diploma evaluation services →