University of Beira Interior
Universidade da Beira Interior
A mountain-town Portuguese university with 233 international places and lower fees for lusophone applicants.
- Students
- 10,000
- Tuition
- €3,000
- From · 2025-26 (latest published; 2026/27 fee order not found)
- Founded
- 1979
- QS World Ranking
- 901-950
- 2027 edition
About UBI
The University of Beira Interior (UBI) is a public university in Covilhã, a mountain town in central Portugal between the Serra da Estrela and the Serra da Gardunha. Its roots are in the Polytechnic Institute of Covilhã, created in 1973, which became a university institute in 1979 and a full university in 1986. Its first classes, in 1975, had 143 students in textile engineering and business administration.
Today UBI has more than 10,000 students spread across five faculties: Arts and Letters, Sciences, Health Sciences, Social Sciences and Humanities, and Engineering. It offers more than 37 bachelor's or integrated master's programmes, 43 master's programmes and 30 doctoral programmes. Many teaching buildings are recovered historic buildings, including former wool-industry premises turned into laboratories and classrooms.
International applicants outside Portugal usually enter through a special competition under the International Student Statute, not the national access contest. In 2026 the competition ran in three phases and offered 233 places across 37 bachelor's and integrated master's courses. Applicants may qualify with national exams such as ENEM, Gaokao, SAT, PAES or the IB Diploma, or with UBI's own online knowledge exam.
UBI suits students who want a small-city Portuguese university with a moderate cost of living, and who are comfortable with the international student fee of 5,000 euros a year, or 3,000 euros for applicants from Portuguese-speaking and Ibero-American countries.
Why students choose UBI
The 2026 international competition offered 233 places across 37 courses, with three application phases between January and June.
UBI accepts several foreign school exams: ENEM, Gaokao, SAT, PAES, EXANI-II, the IB Diploma and others, or its own online exam for candidates without a recognised exam.
Seven residences provide about 800 beds, including heating, hot water and electricity in the price, according to the university.
Fees for international first-cycle students were set at 5,000 euros for 2025/26, reduced to 3,000 euros for applicants from lusophone and Ibero-American countries.
Admissions
2026/27 international competition (2027/28 calendar not yet published)
Selectivity
UBI publishes vacancies rather than an acceptance rate: 233 places for international students across 37 courses in the January 2026 call. Medicine has a separate regulation and higher application fee.
Typical entry requirements
| Non-Portuguese secondary qualification | Applicants must not hold Portuguese nationality and must apply under the International Student Statute, with a declaration under honour. |
|---|---|
| Entry exam | A recognised national exam or the IB Diploma, or UBI's online exam (2026 dates: 19 February, 7 May, 2 July). |
| Fields | Bachelor's and integrated master's courses across five faculties; Medicine has its own regulation. |
Deadlines
- 1st phase (2026/27 cycle) Non-binding Passed19 January to 13 February 2026
Knowledge exam 19 February 2026; placement lists 6 March; enrolment 9-13 March 2026.
- 2nd phase (2026/27 cycle) Non-binding Passed23 March to 30 April 2026
Exam 7 May; placements 22 May; enrolment 25-29 May 2026.
- 3rd phase (2026/27 cycle) Non-binding Passed8 June to 26 June 2026
Exam 2 July; placements 17 July; enrolment 20-24 July 2026.
These are the 2026/27 dates, shown as the previous cycle because UBI had not published the 2027/28 calendar when checked.
How to apply
Apply online through the Academic Services platform under the International Student Statute, paying the application fee within each phase's application window. Placed candidates then enrol and register at UBI.
What admissions looks for
- An entry exam result recognised by UBI, from a national exam or the IB Diploma, or a pass in UBI's own online exam.
- Completed online application and payment of the application fee inside the phase's window.
- Candidates who are not Portuguese nationals, as confirmed by a declaration under honour.
Tips for applying to UBI
- 1 Pay the application fee inside the phase window: the university warns that late payment means the application is not considered.
- 2 If your country's exam is not on UBI's recognised list, plan for the online exam, and study the programme contents and bibliography published on the competition page.
- 3 Check whether you belong to the CPLP, OEI, Macau or Timor-Leste group: the first-cycle fee is 3,000 euros for those applicants instead of 5,000 euros.
- 4 Medicine has a separate regulation, a 250 euro application fee and a much higher tuition fee of 18,000 euros.
Costs & financial aid
2025-26 (latest published; 2026/27 fee order not found) · figures in EUR
UBI lists an International Student incentive grant and merit grants on its Academic Services site, and its social services (SASUBI) provide accommodation, canteens, medical and psychological support. Article 12 of the International Student Statute regulation provides a motivation grant, a 50 percent reduction of the initial tuition for international students enrolling for the first time in a first-cycle or integrated master's course; the list of grants is fixed each year (2022 regulation text, so confirm the current terms).
- 50 euros per option; 250 euros for Medicine
- Application fee, International Student Statute (2025/26 extract)
- 7 residences with about 800 beds
- Residences
Academics
Integrated Master's in Medicine
Has its own regulation, a 250 euro application fee and an 18,000 euro annual fee for international students.
Aeronautical and aerospace engineering
Named by Wikipedia among the university's engineering fields, alongside textile, paper, civil and electromechanical engineering.
Textile Engineering
One of the two courses the Covilhã polytechnic offered when it welcomed its first 143 students in 1975.
Sports Science
Degree and master's route taken by the former footballer Tarantini while still playing professionally.
Architecture
An integrated master's in architecture; painter Margarida Fleming holds this degree from UBI.
Industrial and Fashion Design
Listed by Wikipedia among the degrees UBI awards, alongside biochemistry and biomedical sciences.
Research
- UBI leads a European project to strengthen innovation and entrepreneurship in higher education, according to its news page.
- UBI's Erasmus and international pages link to the UNITA university alliance, and it describes involvement in national and international research projects as a strength.
- Its own site cites recognition from Times Higher Education, ShanghaiRanking and U-Multirank.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Arts and Letters
- Faculty of Sciences
- Faculty of Health Sciences
- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities
- Faculty of Engineering
Student life
UBI is a campus spread over four poles in the town of Covilhã, with 8 bars, several canteens and buffets, and 24-hour study rooms. The Associação Académica organises sport, six student tunas and one of the country's oldest university theatre groups, and in 2025 hosted the European University Handball Championship with UBI. Students' course-based nuclei organise conferences, parties, film sessions and even air festivals. The town sits between mountains, offering winter sports, trails and river beaches, and the university states that rents in Covilhã are lower on average than elsewhere in Portugal.
- Seven residences with about 800 beds.
- Six student tunas and a historic university theatre group.
- 24-hour study rooms and 8 bars across four poles.
- A volunteering programme running since 2018 with around 20 external partners.
Housing. Seven residences provide about 800 beds and usually include heating, hot water, electricity, common cooking areas and wi-fi in common areas.
Location
Covilhã is a hillside town in Portugal's Centro region, in the Cova da Beira between the Serra da Estrela and the Serra da Gardunha. The university describes it as a safe, young and innovative city, known as the Snow City, with skiing, hiking trails, river beaches, museums and a wool-industry heritage. Private accommodation in Covilhã costs less on average than in the rest of the country.
Notable alumni
- T TarantiniFormer professional footballer; degree and master's in sports science
- FE Fernando Elísio FreireCape Verdean politician; bachelor's degree in Economics
- MF Margarida FlemingPainter, street artist and illustrator; master's degree in architecture
- DM Dulcineia MouraEconomics professor in Porto; PhD in economics
- SC Sofia CraveiroPortuguese journalist and winner of the first Mário Soares 'Liberdade e Democracia' prize; degree in Communication Sciences from UBI in 2015
- FD Fava dos SantosPortuguese poet and publisher; degree in Textile Engineering from UBI
- PA Pedro AnderssonPortuguese financial journalist and author; lists UBI as his alma mater and one of the founders of SIC Notícias
Frequently asked questions
How much does UBI cost for international students?
For 2025/26, first-cycle tuition under the International Student Statute was 5,000 euros a year, or 3,000 euros for applicants from CPLP, OEI, Macau and Timor-Leste. Medicine was 18,000 euros. UBI's regulation says tuition is set each year by the General Council and published on the UBI website; the 2026/27 amounts were not found in a readable document, so check the current fee order before applying.
When do international applications open?
For 2026/27 there were three phases: 19 January to 13 February, 23 March to 30 April, and 8 to 26 June 2026. The 2027/28 calendar was not yet published.
Do I need to take an entrance exam?
You can use a recognised national exam such as ENEM, Gaokao, SAT or the IB Diploma, or take UBI's own online exam.
How many places are there for international students?
The January 2026 call listed 233 places across 37 bachelor's and integrated master's courses.
How is UBI ranked?
QS World University Rankings 2027 places it in the 901-950 band, THE World University Rankings 2026 in the 601-800 band and U.S. News Best Global Universities 2026-2027 at 1,380 (tie).
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
- UBI: Guide for future students
- UBI: Rest of the World (international candidates)
- UBI Academic Services: International Student competition 2026/27
- UBI: International student application calendar 2026/27 (Annex VIII)
- UBI: Despacho 2025/RT/41, tuition fees 2025/26
- UBI: Extract of fees and charges, application fees
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