DGERT and IPDJ Certification: what it means for your Yoga training
BeYoga School is certified by DGERT and recognised by IPDJ. Discover what these certifications mean in practice: what they represent for your professional path in Portugal and beyond.
When you choose a yoga teacher training in Portugal, you come up against an important question: is this school certified? And, if it is, what does that mean in practice? BeYoga School is certified by DGERT and recognised by IPDJ, and there are solid reasons why that matters to you. Certification is, in fact, one of the 7 objective criteria for comparing Yoga teacher trainings — but not the only one.
What is DGERT?
DGERT (Direção-Geral do Emprego e das Relações de Trabalho — the Directorate-General for Employment and Labour Relations) is the Portuguese public body responsible for certifying training providers. A school with DGERT certification has gone through a rigorous evaluation process that checks the quality of its programmes, the qualifications of its trainers, the pedagogical conditions and the trainee assessment processes.
It is not an automatic registration. DGERT certification involves auditing, documentation and compliance with the quality standards of the National Qualifications System. It means the school operates as a professional training provider, with obligations to support trainees, issue state-recognised certificates and meet defined pedagogical standards.
What DGERT certification guarantees the trainee
A state-recognised diploma
The certificate you receive at the end of the training is issued by a body recognised by the Portuguese state, not just by the school.
An assessed programme
The curriculum has been evaluated and approved by an independent public body. Pedagogical quality is not just a marketing promise.
Qualified trainers
The trainers hold the qualifications required by the national system, not just practical experience.
Complaint mechanisms
In case of any irregularity, you have access to complaint mechanisms through a public body independent of the school.
A BeYoga training cohort — Lisbon, 2026.
What is IPDJ?
IPDJ (Instituto Português do Desporto e Juventude — the Portuguese Institute for Sport and Youth) is the public body that oversees sport in Portugal, including physical and wellbeing activities. Recognition by IPDJ is relevant for anyone who wants to work as a yoga professional in formal settings: gyms, sports associations, clubs or municipal programmes.
In Portugal, yoga is recognised as a physical and wellbeing activity, which means its professionals fall within the regulatory framework for sport. BeYoga School’s IPDJ recognition places its graduates within that framework, with practical implications for anyone who wants to work in the sector.
“In a growing and increasingly regulated market, certification is not a bureaucratic detail: it is the difference between a training that opens doors and one with no formal recognition.”
BeYoga School
The impact on your professional path
Access to formal work settings
Many gyms, health clubs, companies and municipal councils require their yoga instructors to hold a diploma from a certified body. A training without certification can close those doors, regardless of the pedagogical quality of the course itself.
Invoicing as a physical-activity professional
In Portugal, to issue invoices (“recibo verde”) as a physical-activity and wellbeing professional, you need a recognised professional title. The BeYoga diploma, through DGERT certification and IPDJ recognition, meets that requirement.
Credibility with your students
When you present your training to potential students, the fact that you were trained by a state-certified school conveys credibility and trust, especially for those who don’t know the world of yoga and are choosing based on objective criteria.
Equivalences in the European Union
DGERT certification makes it easier, in some contexts, to have your qualifications recognised in other European Union countries — a relevant point for anyone planning to work or live outside Portugal.
Certifications that complement each other
Yoga Alliance is a private American (non-profit) organisation that sets international standards for yoga trainings, notably the popular RYT-200 and RYT-500. It is widely recognised in the yoga world and has market value in many countries.
DGERT certification, on the other hand, is a public certification, recognised by the Portuguese state, with legal standing in Portugal and concrete regulatory implications. The two coexist and complement each other.
BeYoga School has both, which means its graduates receive a diploma with public recognition in Portugal and eligibility to register the training with Yoga Alliance as RYT-200.
DGERT, IPDJ and certification in Portugal
Is DGERT certification mandatory to teach yoga in Portugal?
It is not mandatory for just anyone to teach yoga. There is no law preventing someone without a diploma from teaching. However, to work in formal settings (gyms, companies, public programmes) or to invoice as a physical-activity professional, the regulatory framework requires a recognised qualification. DGERT certification provides that framework.
What’s the difference between DGERT and Yoga Alliance?
DGERT is a Portuguese public body: its certification has legal standing in Portugal. Yoga Alliance is a private American organisation with recognition in the global yoga market, but no legal standing per se. Ideally, a good teacher training has both, as is the case with BeYoga School.
Is the BeYoga diploma recognised internationally?
BeYoga graduates are eligible to register with Yoga Alliance as RYT-200, which confers recognition in the international yoga market. For academic or regulatory contexts in other countries, each country’s specific procedures for recognising foreign qualifications apply.
Can I work in a gym in Portugal with the BeYoga diploma?
Yes. The BeYoga diploma, being issued by a body certified by DGERT and recognised by IPDJ, meets the usual requirements set by gyms and health clubs in Portugal for hiring yoga instructors.
How do I know whether a training has DGERT certification?
You can check directly on the DGERT website (dgert.gov.pt) whether a body is certified. Just search by the school’s name or its certification number. Any certified school should be able to provide its DGERT certification number immediately.
Train with a state-certified school
DGERT certification, IPDJ recognition and Yoga Alliance RYT-200 eligibility. Begin your path on solid foundations.
