Are you moving to Portugal with children? In addition to learning the ins-and-outs of immigration documentation, taxes and real estate, it is imperative to understand your options for schooling.
All legal residents of Portugal have free access to the Portuguese public schools. Private schools can also be considered, likely at a rate of approximately €500 per month. With both of these, your child will need to have a good fluency in Portuguese…or willing to learn the language quickly.
Alternatively, you can consider placing your child in an international school. Most utilize globally-recognized curriculum, and many have the endorsement of the government of their home country. In Portugal, there are schools for American, British, German, French and Dutch children. And, there are many others that offer well-rounded, fully-accredited international-minded education.
Following is a list of some of the most respected international schools in Portugal. Click school title to visit its website.
Porto
Colégio Alemão do Porto
Within the framework of the German-Portuguese exchange school, the pupils in the Portuguese subjects are of course also taught according to the binding Portuguese curricula. The teaching staff consists of German and Portuguese-speaking local teachers as well as teachers who are placed by the Federal Republic of Germany at the German School in Porto.
Levels: Pre-K to Year 12
Language: German and Portuguese
Annual Tuition: €4,000 to €5,100 Click for Fees Page
Address: Rua Guerra Junqueiro 162, 4150-386 Porto
Phone: +351 226 076 570
Email: info@dsporto.de
Colégio Luso-Francês
Colégio Luso-Frêncês is a Catholic educational institution of the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady. Known for its excellence in teaching, the school also has the human and material resources to provide students with a comprehensive education, whether in a classroom context or in a variety of differentiated extracurricular activities.
Levels: Pre-K to Year 12
Language: French
Annual Tuition: Inquire with the school
Address: Rua do Amial, 442, 4200-054 Porto
Phone: +351 228 347 150
Email: s.adm@lusofrances.com.pt
Lycee Francais International School in Porto
Set amongst the beautiful Parque Serralves, LFIP is part of the world-wide network of AEFE (Agency for French Education Abroad). The education is in conformity with the programs of the Minister of Education of the French government, and is also recognized by the Portuguese government and leads the student to obtain their Baccalaureate.
Levels: Pre-K to Year 12
Language: French
Annual Tuition: €4,700 to €5,400 Click for Fees Page
Address: 21 rua Gil Eanes, 4150-348 Porto
Phone: +351 226 153 030
Email: daf@lfip.pt
Oporto British School
OBS is “a genuinely international school but with a distinctively British flavour.” OBS is a fully accredited member of the Council of International School (CIS), the Council of British International Schools (COBIS), the International Baccalaureate (IB), and is inspected by the Inspeção-Geral da Educação e Ciência (IGEC) as well as the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI).
Levels: Pre-K to Year 12
Languages: English
Annual Tuition: €7,200 to €12,400 Click for Fees Page
Address: Rua da Cerca 338, 4150-201 Porto
Phone: +351 226 166 660
The Oporto International School
CLIP – The Oporto International School offers an international curriculum based on the National Curriculum for England, with certain modifications to suit both the school’s philosophical and pedagogical objectives, and the local context of CLIP, as an international school in Porto, Portugal.
Levels: Pre-K to Year 12
Languages: English and Portuguese
Annual Tuition: €7,000 to €11,000 Click for Fees Page
Address: Rua de Vila Nova, 1071, 4100-506 Porto
Phone: +351 226 199 160
Email: info@clip.pt
Cascais & Estoril Area
Deutsche Schule Lissabon
DSL is a German school abroad recognized and funded by the Federal Republic of Germany, which enables its students from kindergarten through elementary school and high school to acquire the German Abitur and German international Abitur.
Levels: Pre-K and Kindergarten
Languages: German and Portuguese
Annual Tuition: Click for Fees Page
Address: Rua Dr. António Martins 26, 2765-194 Estoril
Phone: (+351) 214 680 327
Email: estoril@dslissabon.com
Greene’s Tutorial College
Associated with the largest tutorial college in Oxford, Greene’s specialising in the British curriculum, helping students navigate their A Levels and IGCSEs. A levels are taught one-to-one or in small groups of shared tuition, which can be taken either face-to-face or online. Each student is allocated a Personal Tutor who will meet with them weekly and act as their academic mentor throughout their programme.
Levels: A Levels
Language: English
Annual Fees: Click for Fees Page
Address: Rua D. Afonso Henriques, nº 1614, 2765-576 Estoril
Phone: +351 211 165 450
Email: enquiries@greenes.pt
International Christian School of Cascais
ICSC offers American-style, faith-based, student-centered curriculum for grades PreK-12. It is accredited by the National Association of Private Schools and is a member of the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI).
Levels: Pre-K to Year 12
Language: English
Annual Tuition: Click for Fees Page
Address: Av. de Sintra 1154, 2755-322 Alcabideche
Phone: +351 21 484 2279
Email: admin@icsc.pt
Park International School
Park offer an International British education, being the first and only school in Portugal to teach the full Cambridge curriculum up until Year 11, with the goal of providing students with the knowledge and skills to become active global citizens. As well, Park teaches the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme for Grades 11 and 12.
Levels: Pre-K to Year 6 at Cascais Location
Language: English and Portuguese
Annual Tuition: €6,000 to €16,000 Click for Fees Page
Address: Rua Cesário Verde, 395 Pampilheira 2750-657 Cascais
Phone: +351 21 3026318
Email: all@park-is.com
Prime School
Prime School is an international education project carried out in collaboration with Cambridge International Education (CIE), from Pre-school to College, under the tutelage of the Portuguese Ministry of Education. The Sintra campus has a bilingual Cambridge Curriculum; in Estoril they offer the Cambridge Curriculum all in English.
Levels: Pre-K to Year 12
Language: English and Portuguese
Annual Tuition: Not Made Public
Address: Sintra – Rua Mestre Neves, 20 Portela de Sintra, Estoril – Rua Antoine de Saint-Éxupery
Phone: +351 219 235 496
Email: info@primeschool.pt
St. Dominic’s International School
The educational programme and learning at SDIS is inspired by, and constructed from, the twin influences of the International Baccalaureate Organization and its IB Learner Profile, and the Dominican motto of ‘Veritas’ held by the founders of the school which value the commitment to learning through inquiry andan on-going search for truth.
Levels: Pre-K to Year 12
Languages: Portuguese and English
Annual Fees: €10,000 to €19,000 Click for Fees Page
Address: Rua Maria Brown, Outeiro de Polima 2785-816, São Domingos de Rana
Phone: +351 214 440 434
Email: school@dominics-int.org
St. Julian’s School
The international curriculum for students ages 3 to 16 is based on the English National Curriculum. For students in their 11th and 12th year, St Julian’s offer the International Baccalaureate. On the Portuguese side, children access the Portuguese national curriculum, while also having several joint classes, sports and arts with the international students.
Levels: Pre-K to Year 12
Language: English & Portuguese
Annual Tuition: €10,000 to €15,000 Click for Fees Page
Address: Quinta Nova, 2775-588 Carcavelos
Phone: +351 214 585 300
Email: info@stjulians.com
Lisbon
British School of Lisbon
BSL’s curriculum is based on the English National Curriculum (ENC), considered by many to be the gold standard as it is both rigorous, respected and recognised around the world.
Levels: Early years to Year 7
Language: English
Annual Tuition: €11,300 – €14,535 Click for Fees Page
Address: Rua de S. Paulo 89, 1200-427 Lisbon
Phone: +351 211 511 942
Email: info@britishschool.pt
Carlucci American International School of Lisbon
CAISL is the oldest American international school in the Iberian Peninsula and the only U.S. State Department school in Portugal. CAISL operates as a dual American and International Baccalaureate programme. It works closely with and is guided by the Office of Overseas Schools and its designated Regional Education Officer (REO).
Levels: Pre-K to Year 12
Language: English
Annual Tuition: €9,692 to €20,532 Click for Fees Page
Address: Rua António dos Reis 95, Linhó 2710-301 Sintra
Phone: +351 219 239 800
Email: info@caislisbon.org
Deutsche Schule Lissabon
DSL is a German school abroad recognized and funded by the Federal Republic of Germany, which enables its students from kindergarten through elementary school and high school to acquire the German Abitur and German international Abitur.
Levels: Pre-K and Kindergarten
Languages: German and Portuguese
Annual Tuition: Click for Fees Page
Address: Largo Willy Brandt, 1600-891, Lisboa, Portugal
Phone: +351 217 510 260
Email: schulleitung@dslissabon.com
Lycée Français Charles LePierre
LFCL Lisbon is an international school managed by the Agence pour l’Enseignement du Français à l’Étranger (AEFE) under the French foreign ministry and it follows the official instructions of France’s Ministry of National Education.
Levels: Pre-K to Year 12
Language: French, with Portuguese and English compulsory
Annual Tuition: Visit Website
Address: Avenida Duarte Pacheco, 32, 1070-112 Lisbon
Phone: +351 213 824 400
Email: contact@lfcl-lisbonne.eu
Park International School
With several locations around Lisbon, Park offer an International British education, being the first and only school in Portugal to teach the full Cambridge curriculum up until Year 11, with the goal of providing students with the knowledge and skills to become active global citizens. As well, Park teaches the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme for Grades 11 and 12.
Levels: Pre-K to Year 11 (Algfragide), Pre-K to Grade 4 (Praça de Espanha and Restelo)
Language: English and Portuguese
Annual Tuition: €6,000 to €16,000 Click for Fees Page
Address: Rua da Indústria, 15, 2610-088 Amadora
Phone: +351 21 3026318
Email: all@park-is.com
United Lisbon International School
This new institution in the Parque das Nações neighborhood is the first in Portugal to join and offer the International Primary Curriculum (IPC). United Lisbon is currently pursuing authorization by both the International Baccalaureate Organization and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
Levels: Pre-K to Year 12
Language: English
Annual Tuition: €9,800 to €20,600 Click for Fees Page
Address: Avenida Marechal Gomes da Costa, No 9, 1800-255 Lisbon
Phone: +351 211 161 110
Email: info@unitedlisbon.school
Algarve
Aljezur International School
Learning in small groups with resources resources, projects and themes from organizations such as UNESCO, Oxfam and National Geographic, the Aljezur International School follows the UK national curriculum. At the age of 14, students begin a 2-year course in their chosen subjects, which leads to the Cambridge IGCSE examinations.
Levels: Years 7 to 11
Language: English
Annual Tuition: Click for Fees Page
Address: Sítio de Ezenha, 8670-116 Aljezur
Phone: +351 282 997 407
Email: admin@aljezur-international.org
Brave Generation Academy
Two tracks: 1) American Curriculum available to 11-year-old and up, allowing students to earn a US high school diploma and enrol in an American college or university; 2) designed for 12-year-olds, in formats of Lower Secondary (ages 12 to 14), International GCSE (ages 14 to 16) and A-Levels (ages 16 to 18).
Levels: 11/12 years old and higher
Language: English
Annual Tuition: €900 admission fee (€350 annual renewal), British Curriculum €385 monthly payment, American €3000, as well as €485 monthly. Click for Fees Page
Address: Vila Sol, Quarteira, Central Algarve
Phone: +351 913 578 362
Email: mail@ds-algarve.org
Deutsche Schule Algarve
A casual environment in which small learning groups give the teacher room for individual support. From early childhood to early adulthood, students receive the great possible learning and security.
Levels: Pre-K to Year 12
Language: German and Portuguese
Annual Tuition: €4,600 to €7,800 Click for Fees Page
Address: Sitio do Lobito, P-8300-054 Silves
Phone: +351 282 419 104
Email: mail@ds-algarve.org
Nobel International School Algarve
Nobel has two campuses–Lagoa and Almancil—following the curriculum of Globeducate’s British International School program. Both the Lagoa and Almancil campuses offer a contextualized English national curriculum; Lagoa caters for students from aged 3 to 18 years and also has a national section that follows the official Portuguese Ministry of Education program. Bilingualism is actively promoted and developed.
Levels: Pre-K to Year 12
Language: English and Portuguese
Annual Tuition: €6,500 to 12,000 Click for Fees Page
Address: Lagoa – Barros Brancos, EN125, Porches, Almancil – Caminho das Pereiras
Phone: +351 282 342 547
Email: info@nobelalgarve.com
Vale Verde International School
Providing a well-rounded education in the western Algarve. Vale Verde is affiliated with the European Council of International Schools, Cambridge Assessment International Education, Pearson and the Portuguese Associação de Estabelecimentos de Ensino Particular e Cooperativo.
Levels: Years 1 to 12
Language: English and Portuguese
Annual Tuition: €6,000 to 11,000 Click for Fees Page
Address: Alagoas, Estrada do Burgau, 8600-120 Luz-Lagos
Phone: +351 282 697 205
Email: admissions@vvis.org
Vilamoura International School
Vilamoura School has two tracks, one in English and one in Portuguese.
Levels: Kindergarten to Year 12
Language: English and Portuguese
Annual Tuition: €5,000 to €12,000 Click for Fees Page
Address: Sitio das Quintinhas, 8125-911 Vilamoura
Phone: +351 289 303 280
Email: colegiodevilamoura@civ.pt
