Destination guide, 2026 intake

Study in Portugal. Warm, affordable, and easy to stay.

Portugal gives you the soft landing. Tuition is low, the coast is beautiful, the cost of living is among the gentlest in western Europe, and the path from a student permit to long term residency is one of the clearest on the continent.

See if Portugal fits you

Portugal at a glance

Public tuition (yr)
€3,000 to €7,000
Living costs (mo)
€650 to €1,100
Main intake
September
Stay back
Strong residency route
Language
English or Portuguese
Financial proof
~€9,840 / yr

Why Portugal

Four reasons Portugal is the soft landing.

01

Gentle on the wallet

Tuition is modest and daily life is cheaper than Spain, France or the north. A careful student lives well in Porto or Coimbra on a real budget.

02

A clear route to stay

Portugal is known for one of the friendliest paths from student to resident in the EU, and time on a student permit counts toward it.

03

English is enough to start

Master programmes increasingly run in English, the locals speak it widely, and Portuguese is one of the easier languages to pick up as you go.

04

Sun, safety and a soft pace

Mild winters, a famously safe country, a relaxed rhythm and a quick flight to the rest of Europe. It is a place people settle into and rarely leave.

Universities we work with

The names that come up most often.

University of Lisbon

Public, Lisbon

The largest and highest profile in the country, strong across science, engineering, medicine and the arts.

University of Porto

Public, Porto

Research intensive and well ranked, especially in engineering, medicine and science, in a city students love.

NOVA University Lisbon

Public, Lisbon

Modern and international, home to the well regarded NOVA business school and strong English taught masters.

University of Coimbra

Public, Coimbra

Centuries old and a UNESCO site, the classic student city, affordable and full of tradition.

University of Minho

Public, Braga

Fast rising, industry connected and very good value, strong in engineering and technology.

Funding

Scholarships worth knowing.

University merit awards

Partial to full

Most public universities run their own tuition reductions and merit grants for strong international applicants.

Erasmus Mundus

Full, often €1,400 / mo

Joint masters based partly in Portugal, fully funded with tuition, travel and a monthly allowance.

Camões and bilateral grants

Varies

Government and bilateral awards for selected countries and research fields.

Lisbon is the priciest city. Porto, Coimbra, Braga and Aveiro run cheaper, and a full year in a mid cost Portuguese city often lands around €9,000 to €12,000 all in.

Portugal guidance, free, 2 minutes

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