Guide · Portugal
How to write a motivation letter for a Portuguese university
In Portugal, a Master's is the second cycle (mestrado). At the University of Lisbon, international students apply to the faculty that runs the programme, and the motivation letter — carta de motivação — is one of the required documents: at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon (Ciências ULisboa), you cannot apply as an international student without it.
Places for international students are limited and set per programme — at Ciências ULisboa, at most five per Master's for 2026/27. A jury ranks the candidates, so your letter competes directly with the others.
Checked against official sources: October 2026
- 0–20
- Portuguese grading scale, 10 is a pass
- 2
- application phases at Ciências ULisboa (spring and summer)
- €60
- application fee at Ciências ULisboa
Your first letter is free — no credit card needed.
At a glance
- Is it required?
Often, yes
At Ciências ULisboa, the carta de motivação is on the list of documents every international Master's applicant submits, together with a CV, diploma and transcript.
- Length
About one page
Ciências ULisboa's notice for international students doesn't set a length. Without a limit, about one page is the norm — if your programme gives a limit, follow it.
- Language
Language of the programme
Write in the language the programme is taught in. For a Portuguese-taught programme, write in European Portuguese — not Brazilian: “facto”, “equipa”, “licenciatura”, “mestrado”.
- Grades
0–20, pass from 10
Portuguese universities grade from 0 to 20, and 10 is the minimum pass. Give your own grade on its original scale — the jury assesses it itself.
- Other documents
Certified and translated
Diplomas and certificates must be legalised by a consulate or carry a Hague Apostille. Documents not in Portuguese, English, French or Spanish need a translation. Degrees from outside the EU or the Bologna Process also need course syllabi and a DGES recognition statement.
- When to apply
Spring and summer
Ciências ULisboa takes applications from international students in two phases — for 2026/27, from 9 March and from 22 June 2026 — in its online system Fénix.
How to structure it
Opening: the programme and your reason
Name the mestrado and the faculty, and give your main reason in one or two sentences, linked to a concrete experience.
Your academic background
Your degree, your grade on its original scale and the courses or thesis that prepared you. The jury checks that your knowledge fits the programme — show the link.
Why this programme
What this programme offers that matches your next step. Name specifics from the programme page, not general praise of the university.
Your goal
What you want to do after the degree, in one or two realistic sentences.
Closing
A short formal closing. In Portuguese: “Com os melhores cumprimentos,” and your name; in English: “Yours sincerely,”.
Example: Master's application to Ciências ULisboa
Excerpt from a sample letter for a fictional applicant, in English. Check the language of instruction on your programme's page — for a Portuguese-taught programme, write in European Portuguese. The numbers in the margin match the steps above.
Dear Members of the Admissions Committee,
I am applying for the Master's in Data Science (Mestrado em Ciência de Dados) at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon. During my internship as a data analyst at a logistics company, I built Python dashboards that cut the weekly reporting time from six hours to one. The project showed me how much operational data can explain — and how little I knew about the statistics needed to trust it.
My Bachelor's in Computer Science, completed with a GPA of 3.6 out of 4.0, gave me a solid base in algorithms, databases and programming. In my thesis, I predicted delivery delays from 50,000 shipment records with gradient boosting. I chose this Master's because it builds on that base with the statistical and analytical depth my degree was missing.
[…]
Yours sincerely, Alex Weber
Common mistakes
Brazilian Portuguese
“Estou fazendo um curso de Ciência da Computação.”
“Estou a frequentar a licenciatura em Engenharia Informática.”
A reader in Portugal notices Brazilian spelling and grammar at once. Write European Portuguese: “facto”, “equipa”, “estou a fazer”.
One letter for every faculty
“I would like to study at a Portuguese university.”
“I am applying for the Mestrado em Ciência de Dados at Ciências ULisboa because …”
Candidates are ranked per programme — at Ciências ULisboa, by a jury of the faculty. A letter that could go to any of them doesn't explain why you chose this programme.
Converting your grades yourself
“My GPA of 3.6 corresponds to 17/20.”
“I completed my Bachelor's with a GPA of 3.6 out of 4.0.”
Give your grade on its original scale. The jury assesses it itself, and your own conversion may contradict your documents.
Leaving the letter to the end
Writing the letter on the last day of the phase
Letter first, then the certified documents
Apostilles, translations and the DGES statement can take time. If you start with the letter, you have time for the paperwork too.
Empty praise
“Lisbon is a wonderful city, and its university is famous.”
“Its Master's adds the statistical depth my degree was missing.”
“A beautiful city with a great university” fits any faculty in Lisbon or Porto. Name what this programme gives you that others don't.
Your CV in sentences
“From 2021 to 2022 I worked as a tutor, in 2022 I did an internship…”
“My dashboards showed me how little I knew about the statistics behind them.”
Your CV is already in the application. Pick the experiences that matter for this programme and explain them.
Questions
How long should a carta de motivação be?
About one page, unless your programme sets a limit. Ciências ULisboa's notice for international students doesn't give a length — a focused page reads better than two general ones.
Can I write it in English?
Yes, if the programme is taught in English or the faculty accepts English documents. For a Portuguese-taught programme, write in European Portuguese.
What is DGES?
The Portuguese Directorate-General for Higher Education. Ciências ULisboa asks applicants whose degree comes from outside the EU or from a country outside the Bologna Process for a DGES statement on the recognition of their degree and university.
Is it OK to use AI for a motivation letter?
Rules differ between universities. Use an AI draft as a starting point: check every fact, change anything that doesn't sound like you, and follow your university's rules.
Sources
Documents checklist
Documents you need to study in Portugal