Military ranks of Portugal

The military ranks of Portugal form the system of hierarchical relationships in the Portuguese Armed Forces.

There are two basic systems of ranks. The first one is used in the Portuguese Army (Exército) and in the Portuguese Air Force (Força Aérea), consisting of traditional land military ranks. This system is also used in the National Republican Guard (GNR, Guarda Nacional Republicana), a gendarmerie force that can be put under the command of the Armed Forces in case of war. The second system is used by the Portuguese Navy (Marinha), consisting of traditional naval ranks.

In the Armed Forces of Portugal, the hierarchy of ranks divides them in three large categories: Officers (oficiais), Sergeants (sargentos) and Enlisted (praças). The officers category is, in turn, subdivided into three subcategories: General officers (oficiais generais), Senior officers (oficiais superiores) and Junior officers (oficiais subalternos).

The insignia of rank used in all branches of the Armed Forces is generally similar, despite some particular details existing in each branch. ^{[1] [2]}

Commanders

Rank group	Head of state	Chief of the General Staff
Portuguese Army [3]
Portuguese Navy [4]
Portuguese Air Force [5]

Commissioned officer ranks

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

NATO code	OF-10		OF-9		OF-8		OF-7		OF-6		OF-5		OF-4		OF-3		OF-2		OF-1						OF(D)						Student officer
Portuguese Army [6] v t e
	Marechal do exército		General		Tenente-general		Major-general		Brigadeiro-general		Coronel-tirocinado [lower-alpha 1]	Coronel	Tenente-coronel		Major		Capitão		Tenente			Alferes
Portuguese Navy [7] v t e
	Almirante da Armada		Almirante		Vice-almirante		Contra-almirante		Comodoro		Capitão de mar e guerra		Capitão de fragata		Capitão-tenente		Primeiro-tenente		Segundo-tenente			Guarda-marinha/ Subtenente
Portuguese Air Force [8] v t e
	Marechal da força aérea		General		Tenente-general		Major-general		Brigadeiro-general		Coronel		Tenente-coronel		Major		Capitão		Tenente			Alferes
National Republican Guard [9] v t e
					Tenente-general Comandante-general	Tenente-general	Major-general				Coronel		Tenente-coronel		Major		Capitão		Tenente			Alferes
NATO code	OF-10		OF-9		OF-8		OF-7		OF-6		OF-5		OF-4		OF-3		OF-2		OF-1						OF(D)						Student officer

Student officer ranks

Rank group	Student officer
Portuguese Army [10]	[lower-alpha 2]
	Tenente aluno	Alferes aluno	Aspirante aluno	Cadete aluno do 4° ano	Cadete aluno do 3° ano	Cadete aluno do 2° ano	Cadete aluno do 1° ano
Portuguese Navy
				Cadete aluno do 4° ano	Cadete aluno do 3° ano	Cadete aluno do 2° ano	Cadete aluno do 1° ano
Portuguese Air Force
				Cadete aluno do 4° ano	Cadete aluno do 3° ano	Cadete aluno do 2° ano	Cadete aluno do 1° ano

Other ranks

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

NATO code	OR-9						OR-8		OR-7		OR-6						OR-5						OR-4				OR-3		OR-2						OR-1
Portuguese Army [6] v t e
	Sargento-mor			Sargento-chefe			Sargento-ajudante		Primeiro-sargento		Segundo-sargento						Furriel			Segundo-furriel			Cabo de secção				Cabo-adjunto		Primeiro-cabo			Segundo-cabo			Soldado
Portuguese Navy [7] v t e																																No insignia			No insignia
	Sargento-mor			Sargento-chefe			Sargento-ajudante		Primeiro-sargento		Segundo-sargento						Subsargento						Cabo-mor		Cabo		Primeiro-marinheiro		Segundo-marinheiro			Primeiro-grumete			Segundo-grumete
Portuguese Air Force [8] v t e
	Sargento-mor			Sargento-chefe			Sargento-ajudante		Primeiro-sargento		Segundo-sargento						Furriel			Segundo-furriel			Cabo-de-secção				Cabo-adjunto		Primeiro-cabo			Segundo-cabo			Soldado
National Republican Guard [9] v t e
	Sargento-mor			Sargento-chefe			Sargento-ajudante		Primeiro-sargento		Segundo-sargento						Furriel						Cabo-mor		Cabo-chefe		Cabo-de-curso		Cabo			Guarda principal			Guarda
NATO code	OR-9						OR-8		OR-7		OR-6						OR-5						OR-4				OR-3		OR-2						OR-1

Lusophone comparative tables

• Army
  • Officers
  • Enlisted
• Navy
  • Officers
  • Enlisted
• Air force
  • Officers
  • Enlisted
• Military police
  • Officers
  • Enlisted

Notes

1. Colonel who has completed the General Officer training course. Between 1929 and 1937, the Coronel-tirocinado was called Brigadeiro.
2. worn on the left sleeve, 15 cm from the shoulder.

References

1. Statute of the Military Personnel of the Armed Forces of Portugal
2. Statute of the Military Personnel of the National Republican Guard
3. Ministry of National Defence 2011, pp. 3847, 3884.
4. Ministry of National Defence 2022, pp. 20, 160.
5. Ministry of National Defence 1997, pp. 5546, 5617.
6. "POSTOS E DISTINTIVOS EXÉRCITO". antigo.mdn.gov.pt (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 1 March 2010. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
7. "Os Postos". marinha.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 26 February 2021.
8. "Postos e Distintivos". emfa.pt (in Portuguese). Portuguese Air Force. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
9. "Distintivos". gnr.pt (in Portuguese). Republican National Guard. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
10. Ministry of National Defence 2011, pp. 3846, 3880–3881.

External links

• "Os Postos". marinha.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 26 February 2021.
• "Postos e Distintivos". emfa.pt (in Portuguese). Portuguese Air Force. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
• "Distintivos". gnr.pt (in Portuguese). Republican National Guard. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
• "Postos e Distintivos" (PDF). protocoloimagem.pt (in Portuguese). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 September 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
• Ministry of National Defence (30 June 2011). "Portaria n.º 254/2011" (PDF). diariodarepublica.pt (in Portuguese). pp. 3844–3847, 3876–3885. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
• Ministry of National Defence (9 September 2022). "Portaria n.º 234/2022" (PDF). files.dre.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 16 November 2023.
• Ministry of National Defence (16 October 1997). "Portaria n.º 1054/97" (PDF). diariodarepublica.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 16 November 2023.