Academia da Força Aérea - Financial support for Master Students in Military Aeronautics

What you get at the Academia da Força Aérea

You train at the Academia da Força Aérea (AFA, the Portuguese Air Force Academy) on a fully funded place. There are no tuition fees. You also get free accommodation at the academy, free meals, free uniforms and equipment, free study materials, and the same medical care as regular Air Force staff. On top of that you draw a monthly salary that rises with your rank each year, from 226,14 EUR gross in your first year as a cadet up to about 1.658 EUR as a second lieutenant (Alferes) in the final year. If you train as a Pilot-Aviator (PILAV), you get an extra flight-service bonus of 300 EUR per year in years 1 to 5 and 600 EUR in year 6. You also get a 75% discount on train tickets. The courses combine a bachelor's and a master's in military aeronautical sciences. They take 10 semesters for pilots or 12 semesters for engineering, administration and medicine. After you graduate, you join the permanent ranks of the Air Force as an officer.

Who can apply

• School qualification: You have completed secondary education (the 12th year).
• Entrance exams: You have passed the Portuguese national university entrance examinations (Exames Nacionais) required for your chosen degree programme.
• Field at school: Any secondary school stream is fine, as long as you sit the state examinations required for your course of study.
• Courses: You can enter Pilot-Aviator, Aeronautical Engineering, Aerodrome Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aeronautical Administration or Medicine.
• Nationality: You hold Portuguese nationality.
• Age: On 31 December of the year in which you apply, you must be 21 years old or younger if you are a civilian, or under 26 if you are already serving in the armed forces.
• Appearance: You don’t have any tattoos on your hands, face, head or neck.
• Fitness: You pass the medical check and the physical, English, psychological and selection tests. Pilots also sit a flight-aptitude practical.

How to apply

You must apply online via the Centro de Recrutamento da Força Aérea (CRFA, the Air Force Recruitment Centre), either in person at the CRFA in Lisbon or its northern branch in Porto, or by registered post. You must complete your application within five working days of the publication of your national examination results (the ‘Ficha ENES’). Separate deadlines apply for the submission of proof of equivalence for school qualifications obtained abroad, for the re-assessment of second-stage examinations, and for the exceptional examination session: 25 August, 4 September and 23 September. The selection process then involves physical, English, psychological, medical and aptitude tests before you are admitted.