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- Live in Portugal
Schools in Portugal for Expat Families: Public, Private and International
🎒 How Schooling Works in Portugal
- Compulsory education runs from age 6 until age 18 (or until students complete secondary school).
- The system is divided into pre-school (pré-escolar, from age 3), basic education (ensino básico, 1st to 9th grade) and secondary education (ensino secundário, 10th to 12th grade).
- The school year usually starts in mid-September and ends in June, with breaks at Christmas, Carnival and Easter.
🏫 Public Schools: Free and Open to All
Public schools are free and open to all children living in Portugal, regardless of nationality or residence status. Lessons are in Portuguese, and schools offer Portuguese as a Non-Native Language (Português Língua Não Materna) support for children who are still learning it.
📅 Public School Enrolment Deadlines
Enrolments are done online through the Portal das Matrículas, in fixed periods set every year by the Ministry of Education. For the 2026/2027 school year, the periods were:
- Pre-school and 1st grade: 22 April to 1 June
- 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 11th grades: 16 to 29 June
- 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grades: 1 to 13 July
- 10th and 12th grades: 15 to 24 July
Dates change slightly every year, so expect similar windows for 2027/2028 and check the official calendar each spring.
How places are allocated: you list five schools in order of preference. Priority criteria include, among others, siblings already at the school, special educational needs and the parents’ home or work address — so you’ll need proof of address. Lists of admitted pupils are usually published in July.
Arriving mid-year or from abroad? Children coming from foreign schools can be enrolled outside these periods, directly with the school or school cluster (agrupamento de escolas) — but only if there are places in existing classes. The sooner you contact the school, the better.
📝 Grade Placement for Children From Abroad
To place your child in the right grade, the school will look at their previous studies. Bring school reports and certificates from previous years — ideally with a translation. Schools can now analyse and grant the equivalence of foreign studies more quickly, which makes placement easier.
🏛️ Private Portuguese Schools
Private Portuguese schools (colégios) follow the national curriculum, usually with smaller classes, extra activities and sometimes bilingual programmes. Many open applications in the autumn or early in the year for the following September and fill up quickly — apply early.
🌍 International Schools: What to Expect
International schools teach in English (or French, German and other languages) and follow British, American, International Baccalaureate (IB) or other curricula.
- Fees: broadly, from around €5,000–€8,000 per year at the more affordable schools, €8,000–€18,000 at mid-range schools, and up to around €29,000 at premium schools, mainly in Lisbon and Cascais. Add enrolment fees, uniforms, meals, transport and activities.
- Admissions: many schools open admissions for September from the autumn of the previous year, and popular year groups often have waiting lists. Most also accept pupils during the year if there’s space.
- What’s usually required: application form, previous school reports, sometimes an entrance assessment or interview, and an application fee.
📍 Lisbon, Cascais and Sintra
The Lisbon area has the widest choice of international schools in Portugal. Some of the best known include:
- St. Julian’s School (Carcavelos) — British curriculum and IB, one of the oldest international schools in the country
- Carlucci American International School of Lisbon – CAISL (Sintra) — American curriculum and IB
- St. Dominic’s International School (Cascais) — IB programmes from primary to diploma
- TASIS Portugal (Sintra) — American boarding and day school
- King’s College School Cascais — British curriculum
- Oeiras International School (Oeiras) — IB
- United Lisbon International School and PaRK International School (Lisbon)
- Lycée Français Charles Lepierre and Deutsche Schule Lissabon — for French and German curricula
📍 Porto and the North
- Oporto British School — one of the oldest British schools in continental Europe, with IGCSE and IB
- CLIP – Oporto International School — international curriculum
- Lycée Français International de Porto — French curriculum
- Deutsche Schule zu Porto — German curriculum
- CLIB – The Braga International School — a popular option for families moving to Braga
📍 The Algarve
- Nobel Algarve British International School (Lagoa and Almancil) — British curriculum
- Vilamoura International School (Vilamoura, Loulé)
- Aljezur International School (Aljezur, west coast)
- Deutsche Schule Algarve (Silves) — German curriculum
- Barlavento International Primary School (Lagos)
Schools in the Algarve are spread out, so school transport and commuting times are worth considering when choosing where to live.
📋 Documents You'll Usually Need
- The child’s passport or ID and residence documents (if available)
- Previous school reports and certificates
- Vaccination record
- Proof of address
- The parents’ NIF
🚀 Final Considerations
The right school depends on your child’s age, how long you plan to stay and your budget. Younger children often adapt quickly to Portuguese schools, while older students may benefit from an international setting. Whatever you choose, start early — public school deadlines are strict, and international schools fill up fast.
📢 Expert Advice: Visit schools before deciding, ask how they support children who don’t yet speak Portuguese (or English), and check the commute at school-run time.
Moving to Portugal with your family? Step Inside Portugal helps with the paperwork for your whole family, so you can focus on settling in. ✨
This article is for general information and reflects the rules as of October 2026. Confirm enrolment dates and requirements with your local school.
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