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Schools and Childcare in Portugal

How Portuguese schooling works from nursery to year 12, free creche places, public or international school, what school costs, and child benefit.

Last verified: September 2026.

Who this is for

  • Parents moving to Portugal with children from birth to 18, from the EU or outside it.
  • Residents choosing between a creche, a public school, a private school, or an international school.
  • Families who want to know what school really costs and which help they 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".

Updated September 2026. Preschool from age three is now a legal right, and child benefit rose in January 2026.

Portugal gives every child living here 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, up to age 3) is free at participating nurseries, and public preschool (age 3 to 6) is free for 25 hours a week. Public school costs you meals, materials, and trips, not tuition. Textbooks are free. International schools charge fees in the thousands of euros a year. This guide shows how each stage works and what help you can claim.

How the system is organised, by age

Portuguese schooling runs in stages. The ages below are typical.

StagePortuguese nameAgesYears
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 has a head school that handles enrolment for all its schools.

Who starts year 1: a child who turns 6 by 15 September starts 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 track (science and technology, economics, languages and humanities, or visual arts) or a vocational course. Both lead to the year 12 certificate. English is taught from year 3.

The school year

The public school year runs from mid-September to June. For 2026/2027, classes started between 11 and 15 September 2026. The last day depends on the level:

  • years 9, 11, and 12: 4 June 2027
  • years 5 to 8 and year 10: 11 June 2027
  • preschool and years 1 to 4: 30 June 2027

The breaks for 2026/2027 are:

  • Christmas: from 16 December 2026, with classes back on 4 January 2027
  • Carnival: 8 to 10 February 2027
  • Easter: 22 March to 2 April 2027

Creches usually stay open most of the year, including much of the summer. Ask each one about its closed weeks.

Free creche places (Creche Feliz)

Creche Feliz is the government programme that makes creche free. It applies to children born on or after 1 September 2021. In practice, every child now of creche age qualifies, whatever the family income.

Who qualifies:

  • children living in Portugal who attend a creche in the programme
  • there is no income test

Which creches take part:

  • all creches run by charities and social institutions (IPSS and misericórdias) with a Segurança Social agreement
  • creches run by town councils, universities, and other public bodies
  • private creches that joined the programme
  • registered childminders (amas) in the network

What free means: the monthly fee, meals, and normal hours are covered. You may still pay for extras such as swimming or music, nappies, and uniforms. A private creche outside the programme charges its full fee.

How to get a place:

  1. Search for creches with free places on the Segurança Social website or the Creche Feliz app.
  2. Contact the creches you like and ask to register. Many keep waiting lists, so register early, even during pregnancy.
  3. The creche confirms the free place through Segurança Social. You do not apply for the benefit yourself.

Places are scarce in Lisbon, Porto, and the Algarve. Some places are kept for children in low-income families. If no place is free, stay on several waiting lists at once.

Preschool (jardim de infância)

The law now says every child from age 3 has a right to preschool. The state must build a network big enough to offer it. In practice, places are still short in some towns, so younger children may wait.

Public preschool is free for the teaching part, 25 hours a week. This is usually 9:00 to 15:30. Before and after those hours, most schools offer family support hours (componente de apoio à família). Your town council or a parents' association runs them, and there is a fee that depends on the council and your income.

When places are short, the law puts children in this order:

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

Preschool places are also offered by social institutions (IPSS), often at low or no cost, and by private schools for a fee.

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. Tuition is free. Teaching is in Portuguese. Children who do not speak Portuguese get extra support through Portuguese as a non-native language (Português Língua Não Materna, PLNM). Younger children usually settle faster. Teenagers close to national exams find the switch harder.

Private Portuguese schools (colégios) teach the national curriculum in Portuguese, usually with smaller classes and longer hours. They charge monthly fees. Some have agreements with the state and charge less.

International schools teach a foreign curriculum in English or another language: British (IGCSE and A levels), International Baccalaureate, American, French, or German. Most are around Lisbon, Cascais, Porto, and the Algarve. Fees usually run from several thousand to over €20,000 a year. Expect extra charges for enrolment, meals, transport, and uniforms. The best known 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 whether it gives access to Portuguese or foreign universities
  • the full cost, including non-refundable enrolment fees
  • how much Portuguese is taught

What public school costs

Tuition is free from preschool to year 12. You pay for some extras.

  • Textbooks: free for years 1 to 12 in public schools, through vouchers on the MEGA platform. Workbooks are not included. See "Getting Free School Textbooks in Portugal".
  • School meals: lunch in the canteen costs about €1.46 a day in most public schools. Some councils charge differently.
  • School support (Ação Social Escolar): your child's support band follows your child benefit band. Band A (first child benefit band) gets free lunch. Band B (second band) pays half. Both get help with school materials. Apply at the school, usually when you enrol.
  • Transport: town councils run school transport, often free for pupils in compulsory schooling who live far from school. Ask your council.
  • After-school activities: in years 1 to 4, free enrichment activities (such as sport, music, or English) run in the afternoon. Family support hours before and after school cost extra.
  • 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 Segurança Social. Legal residents with children can claim it. The amount depends on your household income band (escalão) and your child's age. Band 5, the highest incomes, gets nothing.

BandUnder 3Age 3 to 6Over 6
1€190.98€75.13€75.13
2€161.65€75.13€75.13
3€132.07€59.33€54.35
4€88.43€44.77none

These are the monthly amounts from 1 January 2026. Single parents get 50% more. Larger families get extra for younger children. You apply online through Segurança Social Direta. Your child needs a social security number (NISS).

Other help:

  • the Childhood Guarantee (Garantia para a Infância), a top-up for children in low-income families
  • a disability supplement for children with a disability
  • IRS income tax deductions for each dependent child and for education costs

For amounts, rules, and parental leave, see "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, usually from late April. You choose up to five schools, and places go by priority rules, with siblings and home address counting. A school cannot turn a child away for lack of papers. Children with foreign school records join provisionally while their past schooling is recognised. For the 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 must include every child. Each cluster has a team that decides the support your child gets, such as therapy, adapted teaching, or a learning support centre. Quality varies by school, so ask what the school provides before you choose.

Home education: it is legal, but your child must still be enrolled at a school that follows their progress, and there are exams at set points. See "Homeschooling in Portugal".

Madeira and the Azores: each region runs its own schools, with its own calendar and rules. The structure is the same. See "Living in the Azores and Madeira as an Expat".

After secondary school

Public universities and polytechnics charge tuition. For home students, including EU citizens and most legal residents, the maximum for a first degree in 2026/2027 is €697 a year. International students pay more. Entry is through the national access competition, which uses Portuguese national exams. Students with foreign qualifications, such as A levels or the IB, can apply through a separate route. See "Getting a Foreign Degree Recognised in Portugal" for recognising a qualification already completed abroad.

Sources

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

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