New teacher placement regime creates continuous competition and limits contracts

Decree-Law no. 209/2026, of November 3, published by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers in the Diário da República no. 213, 1st series, approves the new regime for the recruitment and placement of teaching staff and specialized technicians. The diploma replaces the current model, based on multiple procedures and placement windows, with two centralized national competitions. The rules will only take effect in the 2027/2028 school year and onwards, although preparatory acts may take place during the current academic year.

Two national competitions replace fragmentation

The new model is based on the internal and external competitive procedure (PCIE), held annually, intended for permanent needs and the mobility of tenured teachers, and the continuous competitive procedure (PCeC), which takes place throughout the school year to satisfy temporary needs. The processing and the annual allocation of permanent vacancies will be established by an ordinance from the Government members responsible for the areas of finance and education.

The preamble justifies the change due to administrative complexity and the need to reduce the time students spend without classes due to a lack of teachers. The first phase of the PCeC occurs after the conclusion of the PCIE and before the start of the school year, taking effect on September 1.

• The PCIE fills tenured vacancies in school clusters, non-clustered schools (AE/EnA), and pedagogical zone tenures (QZP), with an indefinite term contract.
• The PCeC covers full, incomplete, or composite schedules, via a fixed-term contract.
• The recovery of vacated vacancies or schedules is automatic for the highest-ranked candidate.

Ranking and priorities decide placements

Professional ranking is the central ordering criterion in both procedures and results from the sum of the scientific and pedagogical training grade, on a scale of 0 to 20, and the length of service divided by 365 days. Service rendered before obtaining training is weighted by a factor of 0.5, and time is determined officially based on the teacher’s digital biographical record.

• PCIE: six priorities, from the first (tenured teachers) to the sixth (candidates with only scientific training).
• PCeC: five priorities, with tenured teachers of the respective QZP at the forefront.
• Tie-breakers based on grade, length of service, age, and application number.

Tenured teachers without a teaching component and QZP teachers are mandatory applicants for the PCIE; in the PCeC, tenured teachers with fewer than eight teaching hours are required to apply until they obtain a placement.

Fixed-term contracts limited to three years

The succession of fixed-term employment contracts in public functions cannot exceed three years or two renewals, counting only contracts obtained for full annual schedules. Once the limit is reached, a vacancy is opened in the recruitment group and QZP, to be integrated into the PCIE of the following school year, with candidates ranked in the 3rd priority.

Temporary contracts last a minimum of 30 days and, at maximum, until the end of the school year; substitution contracts expire on the 5th school day following the return of the substituted teacher. Candidates placed in permanent positions with only scientific training shall have a provisional link for up to three school years, being required to complete their pedagogical training.

Deadlines, complaints, and algorithm audit

Placement is accepted on the digital platform until the end of the 2nd business day following notification in the PCIE and the 1st business day in the PCeC, with presentation to the service within the following two business days. Failure to accept or failure to present in two consecutive placements annuls the placement and moves the candidate to the end of their priority ranking.

Complaints are submitted within five business days and decided within 15 business days in the PCIE, with tacit approval in case of silence. The ranking algorithm is subject to regular auditing, with a published report and hearings with trade union organizations.

The decree was approved in the Council of Ministers on September 9, 2026, with ministers Joaquim Miranda Sarmento and Fernando Alexandre, promulgated by the President of the Republic, António José Martins Seguro, on October 23, and countersigned by the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, on October 26. It enters into force on the day following its publication, with Decree-Law no. 32-A/2023 remaining applicable to the procedures for the 2026/2027 school year and revoked only with the exception of the rules on the hiring of specialized technicians.

Source: Diário da República, no. 213, of November 3, 2026, 1st series, Presidency of the Council of Ministers (official reference: Decree-Law no. 209/2026).