Biologist - Temporary mobility in Portugal (first time)

To provide temporary and occasional services as a biologist in Portugal for the first time, you must submit a prior declaration to the Order of Biologists [Ordem dos Biólogos].

Any citizen of a Member State of the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland who is legally established in and has obtained their qualifications in one of these countries may apply.

If you obtained your professional qualifications in a third country, you should contact the competent authority to request the recognition of your qualifications.

Service channels

  • Realizar Online

    Apply for the freedom to provide services as a biologist in Portugal

Procedure and requirements

Documentos and requirements

To prove that you are a national of the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you will need to provide:

  • a passport or Citizen’s Card (or other type of proof of identity).

There are two mandatory requirements you will need to fulfil in order to prove that you have a higher education qualification in biology:

  • an academic education and professional experience of a total duration of at least 6 years;
  • professional experience of at least 1 year as a biologist.
  • If neither the profession nor the training relating to the profession are regulated in the Member State of establishment, applicants are required to have worked in the profession for at least 2 years during the past 10 years.

You will need to provide evidence of the following to meet these requirements:

  • your diploma or qualifications certificate;
  • a certificate of experience, issued by the relevant authority;
  • an attestation of competence issued by the relevant authority of the Member State of origin (Article 11 of Directive 2005/36/EC).

In addition, you must provide:

  • a certificate attesting that you are legally established in a Member State and are not prohibited from practising the profession; or a criminal record certificate if it is a profession with public health implications; • third-party liability insurance.

Procedure

You must apply online through the ePortugal portal. Applications are then examined by the Order of Biologists.

The time it takes for authorisation to be granted varies from 1 to 4 months, depending on whether additional documents or clarifications are needed. Should there be no reply from the competent authority after 4 months, it is tacitly accepted that the applicant may provide services.

The Order of Biologists’ decision on the application, whether express or tacit, is valid throughout the territory of Portugal.

Before completing the form, please consult the European Commission’s regulated professions database to find the name of your profession in the language of the Member State(s) in which you are established, or in English, Spanish, French or German. This information will be required to complete the form.

 

The procedure is set out below.

  1. Sending the form:

    • Click on the APPLY (REALIZAR SERVIÇO) button.

    • Log in using a valid means of electronic identification (Digital Mobile Key or Portuguese Citizen Card).

    • Complete the online form and attach the documents.

    • Submit your application.

  2. The Order of Biologists will confirm receipt of the application within 1 month (confirmation of online applications is immediate) and, if necessary, will request additional documents or information.
  3. The applicant has 1 month to correct or resolve any issues identified with the application. Once the application has been resubmitted, the competent authority has 2 months to issue a new decision.
  4. If no compensatory measures are required, the Order of Biologists will notify applicants of the final decision within a maximum of 4 months.

Where compensatory measures are required:

In addition, the Order of Biologists may determine compensatory measures in order to assess the applicant’s technical skills. These measures may consist of an adaptation period or test.

The final decision to authorise the applicant to practise the profession in Portugal is given after successful completion of the adaptation period or test.

Authorisation by tacit approval:

If the competent authority does not reply within the specified time limit, the application is deemed to have been accepted and the professional will be able to perform the services.

Obligations

Para trabalhar como biólogo em Portugal pode ser necessário fazer um estágio de adaptação ou prova de aptidão. Estas medidas de compensação seguem os critérios estabelecidos no artigo 11º da Lei nº 9/2009, na sua atual redação.

Additional Data

If you are a citizen of a non-EU, EEA or Swiss country, you must apply for this service in person.

Legislation, refusals, contests, claims

Legislation

Law No 159/2015 of 18 September on the first amendment to the articles of association of the Order of Biologists, approved by Decree-Law No 183/98 of 4 July, bringing it into line with Law No 2/2013 of 10 January laying down the legal framework for the creation, organisation and operation of professional public associations.

Rules of procedure: the Order of Biologists is the public association that represents graduates in the field of biological sciences or the legal equivalent.

Law No 9/2009 of 4 March, as amended, transposing into national law Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 September 2005 on the recognition of professional qualifications.

Ministerial Implementing Order No 90/2012 of 30 March specifying the regulated professions covered in the fields of agriculture, forestry, the sea, the environment and spatial planning, and designating the respective national authorities competent for the recognition of professional qualifications, in accordance with Law No 9/2009 of 4 March, as amended.

Reasons for refusal

 

  • Non-payment of application/communication fee.
  • Failure to comply with the technical requirements.
  • The applicant does not submit the requested document(s) and/or information, after a reminder to do so by the competent authority.
  • The applicant fails to turn up for the aptitude test or adaptation period after a reminder to do so by the competent authority.
  • The applicant submits false documents.
  • The applicant withdraws their application.

Means of opposition/Complaint to the Ombudsman

  • Complaints
  • SOLVIT Centre in Portugal
  • Appeal under national law in accordance with Article 46 of Law No 9/2009, as amended, in the absence of a decision within the prescribed period.
  • Submit the case to the national ombudsman.
  • Submit a complaint to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), which ensures that EU law is interpreted and applied in the same way in all EU countries and that EU institutions and countries respect EU law.

Competent Entity

Ordem dos Biólogos

Address: Rua Cidade de Rabat, 38 – r/c 1500-164 Lisboa

Phone number: 21 840 18 78

Email address: sede.nacional@ordembiologos.pt

Web url: http://ordembiologos.pt/