Frequently Asked Questions

Choosing which level to enrol in is the responsibility of the applicant. Interested parties can consult the levels defined in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, CEFR, and take the Diagnostic Tests available on the BabeliUM website.

For enrolment purposes, it is not necessary to present any proof of having already achieved the previous level. It is, however, advisable to have knowledge of the level prior to the one you are enrolling in, in order to be able to follow the pace of the classes.

Please note:

• The levels for German, Arabic, Italian, Polish, Russian, and Turkish courses are subdivided as follows: »A1–Iniciação (no prerequisites), A1–Pós-iniciação (prerequisite »A1), »A2 (prerequisite A1–Pós-iniciação), A2 (prerequisite »A2), »B1 (prerequisite A2), B1 (prerequisite »B1), B1+ (prerequisite B1), (…).

This subdivision is made because it is not expected that, in certain languages, students can reach, for example, level A1 in a 48/30-hour course.

• Japanese levels are presented as follows: »A1–Iniciação (no prerequisites), A1–Pós-iniciação (prerequisite »A1), A1+ (prerequisite A1–Pós-iniciação), »A2 (prerequisite A1+), A2 (prerequisite »A2), A2+ (prerequisite A2), »B1 (prerequisite A2), B1 (prerequisite »B1), B1+ (prerequisite B1), (…).

• Portuguese Sign Language levels are presented as follows: A1, A2, B1, (…).

• French and English levels are subdivided as follows: A1, A1+, A2, A2+, B1, B1+, B2, B2+, C1, C1+.

• Spanish levels are subdivided as follows:

  • 30 hours: A1+, »A2, A2, »B1, B1, »B2, B2.

  • 48 hours: A1+, A2; B1; B2.

• For Galician, level B1 is considered the starting level. Galician levels are subdivided as follows: B1, B1+, B2, B2+.

Our courses are open to the community, so they can be attended by people within the University of Minho as well as by those with no institutional link. Therefore, the only difference will be the tuition fee applied (Internal/External).

Fees with Special Conditions:
The internal tuition fee is granted to students / researchers / faculty / TAG of UMinho / unemployed (with valid proof) / members of the APPEAL network (teachers and students aged 16 and over; minors only with authorization) / members of the Braga Municipal Social Fund and their direct relatives (spouses or equivalent and children) / students enrolled in courses for those over 23 years old, as well as other institutions with an established protocol under the agreed terms.

Fees with a 10% discount on the external tuition rate:
Members of “Casa do Professor“; researchers from the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) and direct relatives of AFUM members and their direct relatives; employees of Theatro Circo; employees of Edit Value; employees of Fundação Bracara Augusta; employees of FUJITSU; and employees of the UMinho Houses of Knowledge Network.

To enroll in our courses, consult the active course offers on our official page. If you do not have an account, you must register/create one. Afterward, log in to register for your desired course.

After submitting your online registration, you will receive the following message:

You should contact BabeliUM’s administrative services as soon as possible (Contacts) by emailing babelium@elach.uminho.pt. Please include your full name, the course you registered for, and a brief description of the error that needs to be corrected.

You must have a schedule compatible with the timetables proposed in the respective course. As these are final, they are very rarely subject to changes after publication.
Therefore, if the schedule is not compatible, you should not proceed with the enrollment. You will need to wait for new course offers.

If you have inadvertently submitted your registration, you should inform BabeliUM Administrative Services (see Contacts) to rectify this “false enrollment” situation

By doing so, you are duplicating your registrations. You should only submit an enrolment for the course(s) you actually intend to attend. Otherwise, you will be creating a duplicate registration (‘false enrolment’) and, consequently, assuming the obligation to pay the respective Registration Fee (€50)

For courses exempt from the registration fee the aforementioned procedure still applies (a €50 charge).

To cancel a registration you must contact BabeliUM Administrative Services in a timely manner to regularize the situation.

It is possible to cancel or withdraw at any time, though no refunds will be issued for amounts already paid. However, you may request a “Tuition Freeze”, applicable only to the tuition fee, within a maximum of 45 days after the course starts (contact Administrative Services for more information).

Please note that from the moment you receive the payment notification from the Administrative Services, a Registration Fee (€50) will be charged in case of withdrawal.

For courses exempt from the registration fee the same procedure applies (a €50 registration fee will be charged).

Notifications: These are sent via email. Failure to receive or read notifications for reasons beyond BabeliUM’s responsibility will still result in the registration fee being charged.

Payment for our courses should only be made upon receipt of the email notification from BabeliUM Administrative Services.

Generally, course fees must be paid in full before the classes begin. However, for semester-based courses, there is the possibility of paying in instalments.

Please contact the BabeliUM Administrative Services for further information.

After submitting your online registration, you will see your status as “Pending“ in your personal area.

Notification will generally be sent after the registration period ends. Therefore, you should wait for a notification from BabeliUM, which may occur up until the course start date.

Upon completion of our courses, a digital level certificate is issued to students who meet the requirements for academic passing and attendance (a minimum of 75% of classes). This certificate is aligned with the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) and certifies the language level attained by the student.