On the framework of the SIMPLEX + 2016 Program and of measure # 220, called "Single Registry of Foreign Academic Degrees" it was published the Administrative Rule no. 227/2017 of July 25 that amends the "Regulation of the Process of Registration of Foreign Degrees" under Decree-Law nr. 341/2007", which came into force on August 24, 2017.
The main amendment to the previous regulation is the creation of a single registration process for foreign academic degrees, which aims to simplify administrative procedures through an electronic centralized management platform, which allows national higher education institutions, recognized by law, and to the Directorate General for Higher Education, to assign a unique number to each registration process under DL nr. 341/2007 of October 12.
The registrations made through this platform allows the dematerialization of the recognition processes, the standardization of the certification of recognitions made, the decrease of fraud scenarios and increases the transparency in public administration.
Also noteworthy is the issue of a registration certificate that eliminates the previous process of endorsement a stamp on the back of the original of the diplomas, as well as the change in the process of communication of the records, submission of thesis and information to be made available to the Scientific Repository of Open Access of Portugal, operated by the Foundation for Science and Technology.
The communication of the registers to the Directorate-General for Higher Education also ceases, since the new electronic platform will allow more centralized management and this communication will be carried out directly by the institutions that grant the registers to the Directorate-General for Education Statistics and Science, through the RENATES platform, as well as sending the thesis to the National Library.
