Complete guide to studying in Portugal
Everything you need to know about becoming an international student in Portugal
Five top reasons to study in Portugal
- Good weather all year round
- Affordable tuition fees for EU/EEA and international students
- Beautiful country with beaches and mountains
- Has a well-established education system, with universities globally recognised
- Rich cultural history with UNESCO World Heritage sites
A quick introduction to Portugal
Portugal is located in the far west side of Europe, sitting in the South West of the Iberian peninsula, and is part of the EU/EEA. Sharing a border only with Spain, Portugal and Spain are two different countries with similar, but different languages.
If you’re an international student planning to move to Portugal to pursue your higher education, you won’t be alone. In the 2022/2023 academic year, nearly 75,000 international students were enrolled in Portuguese higher educational institutions, representing 17% of the total number of students enrolled that year.
From these nearly 75,000 international students, 17,028 came from Brazil, 6,910 from Guinea-Bissau, 6,440 from Cape Verde, 5,292 from Angola, and 3,406 from France.
International students are choosing Portugal to study due to its affordable tuition costs, high quality education, the warm climate, and the proximity to other European countries.
And at the end of the day, there is always something to do, without spending too much money; making it a convincing alternative to surrounding European nations.
Portugal’s higher education system
The higher education system is made of polytechnic institutions and universities, with both offering undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.
Whilst both polytechnic institutions and universities offer bachelor’s programs (Licenciatura), and master’s programs (Mestrado), and only universities offer doctoral programs (Doutoramento).
Higher education in Portugal follows the Bologna Process, which aligns the degree structures with other countries in Europe. This makes it simpler to earn transfer credits throughout universities in the EU, allowing you to continue your studies wherever you want in Europe.
Portugal’s higher education academic year normally runs from September to June. This can also depend on the date that you applied and your starting period, if you have exams, or what degree you’re doing.
Bachelor’s degrees in Portugal take three years of full-time study to complete,, while master’s degrees are two years of full-time study.
Each semester, in both bachelor’s and master’s degrees, will be composed of 6-7 subjects, and the second year of your master’s degree will be wholly dedicated to writing your thesis.
While most programs are taught in Portuguese, there has been an increase in English taught programs, with several master’s degrees now available taught in English.
| Features | Universities | Polytechnic Institutions |
| Programs offered | Anything from engineering and humanities to law and sciences | Mostly practical fields like business, engineering, and healthcare |
| Duration of programs | Bachelor’s: 3 years;Master’s: 2 years;Doctorate’s: 3+ years | Bachelor’s: 3 years,Master’s: 2 years; |
| Focus | Research-oriented, and theory | Practical and technical |
| Degrees available | Bachelor’s, master’s post-graduate, and doctorales | Bachelor’s, master’s post-graduate |
| Degree Recognition | Across Europe and globally | Within Europe and highly rated in applied fields |
| Admission Requirements | Entrance exams and high-school diploma | Mostly high-school diploma, some require entrance exams |
University rankings
Even though Portugal is a very small country, with a population of 10,0090,000 people, it is actually home to one of the first universities in the world, the University of Coimbra (established 1290), and its universities perform impressively in world university rankings.
| University | Times Higher Education World University Ranking | Best Global Universities | QS World University Ranking |
| University of Lisbon | 401-500 | 225 | 260 |
| University of Porto | 401-500 | 271 | 278 |
| University of Coimbra | 401-500 | 474 | 355 |
| University of Aveiro | 601-800 | 549 | 359 |
| Universidade Nova de Lisboa | 501-600 | 534 | 388 |
| University of Minho | 601-800 | 610 | 611-620 |
| ISCTE-IUL | 601-800 | 1,181 | 661-670 |
| Universidade Católica Portuguesa | 801-1000 | 1,228 | 901-950 |
Climate
Portugal’s climate depends on the region of the country. Generally, it’s influenced by the Mediterranean, and then there are variations from north to south and coastal to inland areas.
If you enjoy the sunshine, Portugal is a lovely country to be an international student.
Along the coast, the temperatures during summer range from 24ºC to 30ºC, while winters are usually between 8ºC and 15ºC.
The inland is more extreme, ranging from 30ºC to 40ºC during the summer, and 0ºC-10ºC during the winter. The northern regions are always colder and wetter, where the weather is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean.
In the Algarve region, there is a strong Mediterranean climate, with sunny and hot summers, and mild winters. The Algarve has less rain than the north region of Portugal, and is known to have an extended warm season, which attracts a lot of tourists and retirees.
Alentejo, situated between the centre of Portugal and Algarce, is known for being the driest and hottest region of Portugal, with temperatures reaching up to 45ºC in the present day, and also the coldest during winter, with temperatures dropping below 0ªC.
Lifestyle and welfare
Health
Portugal has a public healthcare service called Serviço Nacional de Saúde (SNS), which everyone has access to. International students have access to the healthcare systems, which is made up of both private and public options. However, how international students go about this is different between EU/EEA and non-EU students.
EU/EEA students have access to healthcare through their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). With this card, students can use public healthcare services at little to no costs, and it covers emergency systems, hospitalisation, and general medical care.
Non-EU students are required through their visa requirements to have private health insurance. Private healthcare options are slightly more expensive and non-EU students don’t automatically qualify for the SNS service, they are allowed to use it if they pay for it; and it’s a lot cheaper than the private options.
Leisure
There are many things to do in Portugal, but one of the most popular student activities is to go to the caffé before or after classes. It is very typical for students to stay the whole afternoon just socialising and drinking beer.
However, if this is not your scene, there is still so much to do, depending on where you’ve chosen to study.
Major cities like Porto, Lisbon, and Coimbra, are full of life with a lot of students and social scenes. Lisbon in particular is known for its nightlife, where students can enjoy music and dance
Porto and Coimbra are famous for their history; Coimbra is known as a university city, and Porto is known for the riverside views and wine tasting tours.
Additionally, if you’re studying near coastal areas, there are so many cliffs and pretty beaches, with opportunities to do so many things, from surfing and hiking to exploring picturesque fishing villages.
Food
Portugal’s food culture is very much based on meat and fish, a very Mediterranean diet. And that’s not all.
Portugal is also very famous throughout the world for the Pastéis de Nata, which are delicious rich custard tarts. Beyond that though, there are so many more pastries which are equally good!
Some top Portuguese dishes to look out for include:
- Bacalhau com natas: a mix of codfish with fried potatoes and cream baked in the oven. Don’t be discouraged by the ingredients, because this dish is elite
- Carne de Porco à Alentejana: a mix of pork cut in cubes, fried potatoes also in cubes, pickles and clams. It’s heaven!
- Arroz de Polvo: rice with octopus. That says it all
- Frango de churrasco: barbecued chicken with chips, rice and salad. This is the most basic Portuguese dish that every Portuguese eats once a week. However, this has to be from a typical Portuguese barbecue restaurant.
- Polvo à Lagareiro: boiled octopus with baked potatoes. The octopus has to be cooked correctly, or else it’ll feel like you’re chewing rubber.
Transport
Portugal has strong public transport links within the big cities of Porto and Lisbon, whilst elsewhere, public transport options are more limited.
In Porto and Lisbon, the public transport options are composed of trams, buses, and trains. Outside of the big cities, there are no trams, and access to trains and buses is more scarce.
However, you can travel between cities by train, with regional, intercity and alpha train services operated by Comboios de Portugal (CP).
Trains are the most expensive option when travelling between cities; however, there is more flexibility of locations than using a bus service, such as, for example, Flixbus.
Aside from train services, there are also the large bus companies. There is the aforementioned Flixbus, which is the cheapest travel option. There are also two more bus companies: Gipsyy, which have more limited timetable options; and the Portuguese version of National Express, Rede Expressos, which is more expensive than Flixbus.
Additionally, there are 3 airports in the mainland: Faro, Lisbon, and Porto; as well as airports in the islands of Madeira and the Azores.
Flying can become pretty expensive depending on where you are flying to and from, as well as the time of the year.
There are also flights available within mainland Portugal, which are fairly cheap compared to the service provided by trains and buses. From Lagos to Porto is around a 45 minutes flight for 30€, compared to a 6h train ride for 50€, or an 8h bus ride for 35€.
University cities
Portugal has 3 main university cities: Lisbon, Coimbra, and Porto. All are very different from each other and offer a very different atmosphere, so it’s very important to consider this when looking at universities.
Lisbon
Lisbon is not only busy with university students, but also many tourists. It’s home to some of the most prestigious institutions in Portugal, such as NOVA University Lisbon and University of Lisbon.
International students enjoy Lisbon because of:
- Vibrante nightlife and a very diverse cultural scene, as well as historic neighbourhoods like Bairro Alto and Alfama
- A cosmopolitan environment with a lot of museums, events, and theatres for everyone’s taste
- Very extensive public transport, it is easy to get everywhere in Lisbon, either by bus, tram, train, or underground. Also good flight prices to other countries in Europe and Africa
- A mild climate with coastal views and a lot of parks to enjoy
Porto
Porto is the second largest city in Portugal, and known for having historic architecture, a beautiful riverside, and the University of Porto which is highly ranked for research.
Apart from that, it’s also very popular for its wine culture and being so close to Douro Valley’s vineyards. Porto also has a more affordable cost of living comparing to Lisbon
Coimbra
Coimbra is known to be the “student city” in Portugal, mainly due to having one of the oldest universities in Europe, University of Coimbra, which dates back to 1290. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site, due to its historic campus, with the iconic University Tower and Joanina Library. Student life is still very much influenced by academic traditions such as “Queima das Fitas”, where students celebrate the end of the academic year with parties and parades. Since it’s a small city, there’s a very close-knit community feeling, with students meeting at various bars and cafés in the old town.
Student visas
If you are a student moving to Portugal from the EU/EEA or Switzerland for your studies, you won’t need a student visa.
If you are an international student, you will be eligible for a D5 visa, which is a visa of up to one year and can be renewed for additional one year periods.
This visa will allow international students to study at the most prestigious universities in Portugal, work part-time in Portugal, and travel freely within the Schengen Area.
Costs of studying
One of the attractions that Portugal can offer international students is comparatively low costs of tuition fees and living costs.
Course fees
Course fees are different for public and private universities. At public universities, bachelor and master fees usually range from 3,000€ to 5,000€ per academic year.
Private universities will charge between 9,000€ to 30,000€ overall for a bachelor’s degree, while for master’s programs, tuition fees can range from 3,000€ to 20,000€ overall.
Living costs
Living costs vary by a lot depending on each city, due to the rent costs while everything else costs the same. We have put together a guide to what you can expect to budget during your studies:
| Monthly cost of living | Lisbon | Porto | Coimbra |
| Student halls | 500€ – 800€ | 300€ – 550€ | 280€ – 450€ |
| Single rooms in shared apartments | 450€ – 700€ | 250€ – 500€ | 260€ – 350€ |
| Utilities | 100€ – 150€ | 100€ – 150€ | 100€ – 150€ |
| Transportation | 40€ with Navegante Metropolitano pass | 40€ with Andante Metropolitan pass | 30€ – 40€ |
| Groceries | 250€ – 350€ | 250€ – 350€ | 250€ – 350€ |
| Eating out (1-2x a week) | 150€ – 200€ | 120€ – 160€ | 100€ – 150€ |
| Going out (1-2x a week) | 160€ – 250€ | 130€ – 200€ | 120€ – 170€ |
| Total | 1,150€ – 1,790€ | 890€ – 1,450€ | 860€ – 1,310 |
These prices are just an estimate and may vary depending on factors mentioned in the table above.
Language
The main language in Portugal, contrary to what many people may believe, is Portuguese; not Spanish and not Brazilian Portuguese. However, with an increase of immigration in the last few years, many locals now also speak English, especially in areas with more tourism, such as Porto, Lisbon and the Algarve.
How do I apply to university?
Applying to Portuguese universities as an international student depends on what university, degree and level of study you are applying for, as well as what country you are from.
Generally, applications for undergraduate courses are made using the online application system operated by the Directorate General for Higher Education (DGES), which is the public higher education organisation in Portugal.
For more details, it’s best to get in contact with the university of your choice for your exact procedure.
Frequently asked questions
- Is it free to study in Portugal?
Both public and private universities charge annual tuition fees. However, it is cheaper to study at a public university than a private university, and tuition fees in general are lower than in some surrounding nations.
- Am I allowed to work while I study?
As an international student, you are allowed to work up to 20 hours per week during term time, and full-time during holidays.