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Schools and Childcare in Portugal

Researched and written with AI tools from official sources. How we make our guides

How childcare and schooling work in Portugal from birth to 18: free creche places, preschool, public, private, and international schools, and what you pay.

The Portugal Brief 8 min read

Last verified: October 2026.

Who this is for

  • You are moving to Portugal with children from birth to 18, from the EU or outside it.
  • You are choosing between a creche, a public school, a private school, or an international school.
  • You want to know what school really costs and which help you can claim.

Not for you if: you are ready to apply for a public school place. Read Enrolling Your Child in a Portuguese Public School instead.

Every child living in Portugal can have a free place in the public system, whatever their nationality. School is compulsory from age 6 until age 18 or the end of year 12. Before that, creche (nursery, under 3) is free at participating creches for children born on or after 1 September 2021. Public preschool (age 3 to 6) is free for 5 hours of teaching a day.

Public school charges no tuition, and textbooks are free from year 1 to year 12. You pay for meals, extra hours, and materials, with income-based help. Private and international schools charge fees.

How the system is organised, by age

StagePortuguese nameUsual agesYears
NurseryCrecheUnder 3Not compulsory
PreschoolEducação pré-escolar (jardim de infância)3 to 6Not compulsory
Primary, first cycle1.º ciclo6 to 10Years 1 to 4
Second cycle2.º ciclo10 to 12Years 5 and 6
Third cycle3.º ciclo12 to 15Years 7 to 9
SecondaryEnsino secundário15 to 18Years 10 to 12

The first three cycles together are basic education (ensino básico). Public schools are grouped into school clusters (agrupamentos de escolas). Each cluster enrols children for all its schools.

Starting year 1. A child who turns 6 by 15 September must start school that September. A child who turns 6 between 16 September and 31 December may start early if you ask and a place is free.

In secondary school, pupils choose a general academic course or a vocational course. Both lead to the year 12 certificate.

The 2026/2027 school year

The public school year runs from mid-September to June. For 2026/2027:

  • Start: between 11 and 15 September 2026. General academic courses in secondary school started on 21 September 2026.
  • Christmas break: 16 to 31 December 2026, with classes back on 4 January 2027.
  • Carnival break: 8 to 10 February 2027.
  • Easter break: 22 March to 2 April 2027, with classes back on 5 April.
  • Last day: 4 June 2027 for years 9, 11, and 12; 11 June for years 5 to 8 and 10; 30 June for preschool and years 1 to 4.

Creches usually open most of the year. Ask each one about the weeks it closes.

Free creche places (Creche Feliz)

Creche Feliz is the government programme that makes creche free.

Who qualifies. Children born on or after 1 September 2021 who attend a creche in the programme. There is no income test for these children.

Which creches take part:

  • creches and registered childminders (amas) in the social sector, run by charities with a Social Security agreement
  • creches run by town councils, public universities, public institutes, and other public bodies, since 1 January 2024
  • private creches that have joined the programme

How to get a place:

  1. Search for creches with free places on the Creche Feliz app or the Social Security website. The Carta Social, the government's register of social services, also lists every creche.
  2. Contact the creches you like and ask to register. Many keep waiting lists, so start early.
  3. If no social sector creche near your home or work has a place, a private creche in the programme can take your child. You then complete the Creche Feliz form with the creche.

Ask each creche what, if anything, it charges on top, such as extra activities. A private creche outside the programme charges its full fee. Places are hardest to find in the big cities, so stay on several waiting lists at once.

Preschool (jardim de infância)

The law now makes preschool universal from age 3. The state must provide a network with room for every child from that age. In practice, places are still short in some towns, so younger children may wait.

What is free. In public preschools and non-profit social ones, the teaching part (5 hours a day) is free. Public preschools stay open until at least 17:30 and for at least 8 hours a day.

What you pay for. Lunch, the time before and after teaching hours, activities, and school holiday cover form the family support part (componente de apoio à família). You pay a share based on your household income.

When places are short, children are taken in this order:

  1. children who turn 5, then 4, by 31 December
  2. children who turn 3 by 15 September
  3. children who turn 3 between 16 September and 31 December

You apply for a public preschool place through the same portal and window as year 1. See Enrolling Your Child in a Portuguese Public School.

Public, private, or international school

Your choice depends on your child's age, how long you plan to stay, and your budget.

Public school suits families who plan to stay. There is no tuition, and teaching is in Portuguese. Children who do not speak Portuguese get support through Portuguese as a non-native language (Português Língua Não Materna, PLNM), in a separate group or within the normal class.

Private Portuguese schools (colégios) teach the national curriculum in Portuguese and charge fees. Some have contracts with the state; pupils in those schools also get free textbooks.

International schools teach a foreign curriculum, such as British, International Baccalaureate, American, French, or German. Most are around Lisbon, Porto, and the Algarve. Fees vary widely and often come with enrolment, meal, and transport charges. Popular schools have waiting lists, so apply before you move.

Before you pay a private or international school, check:

  • that the Ministry of Education has licensed it
  • which qualification your child will finish with, and where it gives access to university
  • the full cost in writing, including any non-refundable enrolment fee
  • how much Portuguese is taught

What public school costs

There is no tuition from preschool to year 12. You pay for some extras, with help for lower-income families.

  • Textbooks. Free for years 1 to 12 in public schools and in private schools with state contracts. You request vouchers on the MEGA platform each summer. See Getting Free School Textbooks in Portugal.
  • School meals. The national rules set the price a pupil pays for a school lunch at €1.46. Some councils charge less.
  • School social support (Ação Social Escolar). It follows your child benefit band. Band 1 families (escalão A) get free school lunches. Band 2 families (escalão B) pay half. Both get help with books and materials. Apply at the school, usually when you enrol.
  • Transport. Ask your town council about school transport and any help with its cost.
  • Other costs. Notebooks, stationery, a calculator in later years, school trips, and sports kit.

Child benefit and other help, in outline

Child benefit (abono de família) is a monthly payment from Social Security for lower and middle-income households. In 2026 it is worth up to €190.98 a month for a child under 3, and less for older children. The highest income band gets nothing. Single parents get 50% more. Your child needs a social security number (NISS), and you apply online through the Social Security Portal.

Other help includes the child guarantee (Garantia para a Infância) for children in very low-income families, a disability supplement, and income tax deductions for each dependent child.

The amounts, income bands, and how to apply are in Child Benefits and Parental Leave in Portugal.

Enrolling in a public school

You enrol online on the Portal das Matrículas in a set window each spring and summer. Preschool and year 1 come first, from late April. You list five schools, and places go by priority rules, with siblings and home address counting. If your child has foreign school records, you can enrol outside the windows where there is room. Your child joins on a conditional enrolment while their past schooling is recognised. For dates, documents, and steps, read Enrolling Your Child in a Portuguese Public School.

Special needs, home education, and the islands

Special educational needs. Public schools follow an inclusive model. A multidisciplinary team in each school proposes the support your child needs. Each cluster also has a learning support centre (centro de apoio à aprendizagem). Ask each school what it provides before you choose.

Home education. It is legal, but your child must still be enrolled at a school that follows their progress. See Homeschooling in Portugal.

Madeira and the Azores. Each region runs its own schools, with its own calendar and rules. See our guide to living in the Azores and Madeira.

After secondary school

Public universities and polytechnics charge tuition. For a first degree, the maximum fee was €697 a year in 2025/2026. Check the higher education authority (DGES) for 2026/2027. Entry is through a national access competition that uses Portuguese national exams. Students with foreign school qualifications have separate routes. For a qualification already completed abroad, see Getting a Foreign Degree Recognised in Portugal.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules and amounts change each school year; check the official source before you act.

Sources

This guide is written from official sources and, where relevant, organisations' own websites.

Last verified October 2026. Rules and fees change; check the official source before acting.

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