Education in Portugal in 2026

The advantages of education in Portugal include affordable living expenses, good infrastructure and a wide range of academic programmes.

Primary and secondary education

Portuguese public education is free and compulsory for all children from 3 to 15 years old.

The Portuguese education system is divided into the following levels:

• Early education (educação pré-escolar) from 3 to 5 years old.
• Basic education (ensino básico) from 6 to 15 years old (compulsory). It is divided into three cycles, lasting four, two and three years each, and ending with a diploma (i.e., diploma do ensino básico for general studies or diploma de qualificação profissional de nivel III for vocational studies).
• Secondary education (ensino secundário) from 15 to 17 years old. Pupils select one programme focus:
  • Humanities (cursos científicos humanisticos)
  • Technologies (cursos tecnológicos)
  • Arts (cursos artísticos especializados)
  • Professional Studies (cursos profissionais)

State schools teach in Portuguese, but the country also has private international schools, approved by the government, which also prepare pupils to enter university.

There are 51 international schools in Portugal offering a range of programmes including British, American, French and International Baccalaureate (IB). These schools are mainly located in Lisbon, Porto and Algarve. Tuition fees at international schools range from 6,000 to 20,000 euros per year, depending on the level and curriculum.

Universities

Portuguese universities are regularly ranked in the QS World University List, including the University of Porto and the University of Lisbon.

The most popular courses with international students are Computer Sciences (Higher Technical Institute of the University of Lisbon), Law, Medicine (University of Coimbra), Engineering (University of Aveiro, University of Porto).

The cost of living in Portugal is lower than in some European countries (Spain, France, Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands). It is possible to rent a room in the main cities (Lisbon, Porto, Faro) for 300–600 euros per month. Accommodation for a single person, excluding rent, is around 750 euros per month, according to Numbeo, a large quality of life platform. In less popular cities, costs can be 20–40% lower.

Those who want to study in Portuguese can attend a preparation course at the University of Lisbon, University of Porto or the University of Algarve. Students who successfully complete the certificate can apply to university. Each university has its own rules of admission but generally the applicant must pass tests in the relevant majors.

Documents required

• application (via university website);
• secondary education certificate;
• academic transcripts;
• passport copy;
• teacher recommendations;
• proof of Portuguese language proficiency at B1/B2 level (if the programme is taught in Portuguese);
• letter of motivation.

All the documents must be translated into Portuguese and notarised.