International schools are often held to a higher standard of education, offering a broader worldly scope and a deeper, more personalised focus on each child, letting each of them flourish, grow, and develop on their own. International schools in Portugal also tend to offer a wide variety of extracurricular activities, which are always a tremendous advantage and help children gain new skills and abilities.
Most international schools in Portugal tend to follow either the British or the American curriculums, though there are plenty that also offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) or the French or German curricula as an alternative.
International schools tend to combine the use of these curricula with proven alternative methods of teaching that are more fitting for a modern world, geared toward critical thinking, creativity, and other essential skills which are recognised by the best universities around the world, always a valuable advantage when considering enrolling a child in a Portuguese school.
Are International Schools Free in Portugal?
In Portugal, all children, whether citizens or foreign-born residents, are entitled to access the country’s public educational system free of charge. When it comes to the private system, which includes international schools, there are associated costs, usually in the form of tuition, registration fees, and administrative fees, among others.
It is important to bear in mind that there is no fixed cost of what a family may spend on a private school in Portugal, as each institution determines its own pricing structure. Regardless, according to research published in 2025 by the International Schools Database, a family may expect to spend, on average, between €4,649 and €14,179 per year on an international school in Lisbon, the Portuguese capital, which hosts 36 international schools as of the beginning of 2026.
The Portuguese Education System
The Education System in Portugal is similar to many other Western countries around the world, including the United Kingdom and the United States, being mandatory from the ages of 6 up to 18.
Public schools are organised into local clusters which have their own administration and management bodies and share the same overall project. The clusters usually include institutions across all levels, including kindergartens, elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools. Private schools are privately managed, with their own board of administrators.
It is important to bear in mind the following terms which apply to the Portuguese context and may not have a direct equivalent in an expat’s country of origin’s educational system. Some of the meanings may be lost in translation.
| School Level | Age |
|---|
| Nursery (Infantário) | 0–2 |
| Kindergarten | 3–5 |
| Basic Education 1st Cycle (Ensino Básico 1º Ciclo) | |
|---|
| 1st | 6–7 |
| 2nd | 7–8 |
3rd | 8–9 |
| 4th | 9–10 |
| Basic Education 2nd Cycle (Ensino Básico 2º Ciclo) | |
|---|
| 5th | 10–11 |
| 6th | 11–12 |
| Basic Education 3rd Cycle (Ensino Básico 3º Ciclo) | |
|---|
| 7th | 12–13 |
| 8th | 13–14 |
| 9th | 14–15 |
| Secondary Education (Ensino Secundário) |
|---|
Between ages 0 and 3, children attend nursery school, and from 3 to 6, children attend kindergarten. Unlike the following educational grades, both nurseries and kindergartens are optional, with parents being able to decide if they want their children to attend or not.
Between ages 6 and 9, children enrol in the 1st Cycle, commonly referred to as the Primary Education, from the 1st to the 4th grade.
Between ages 10 and 11, children enrol in the 2nd Cycle, commonly referred to as Basic Education, from the 5th to the 6th grade.
Between ages 12 and 14, children enrol in the 3rd Cycle, also referred to as Basic Education, from the 6th to the 9th grade.
Capping it off, between 15 and 18, children enrol in Secondary Education, from the 10th to the 12th and final mandatory education grade in Portugal.
The Best International Schools in Portugal
As of the writing of this article, in early 2026, there are 75 international schools in Portugal. According to the International Schools Database, 36 of them can be found in the capital, Lisbon, while 15 are in the Algarve and 6 of them are located in Porto. The remaining schools are in Setúbal (5), Braga (4), Madeira (3), Leiria (2), and 1 each in Torres Vedras, Caldas da Rainha, Fundão, and Ericeira.
The following does not reflect Portugal Homes’ stance on the matter as we are merely reporting on the lists provided by the .
Best Schools in Lisbon
1.
St. James’ Primary School is an elementary-level school, covering British and Portuguese curricula and teaching children from ages 6–10, which means it is a school focused on the Portuguese 1st cycle, teaching in both English and Portuguese.
Yearly Tuition: €8,300
Teaching Languages: English and Portuguese
2.
Prime School’s comprehensive curriculum teaches children from ages 3–18, meaning it covers education from Kindergarten all the way through to the 12th grade. The school uses the British and American curricula, with all classes taught in English.
Yearly Tuition: €11,885–€22,760
Teaching Languages: English
3.
Oeiras International School accepts children from ages 6–18, which means it boasts the infrastructure to teach students from the 1st grade to the 12th grade. The school focuses on the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum. Classes are taught in English.
Yearly Tuition: €13,547–€21,713
Teaching Languages: English
4.
St. Dominic’s International School also follows the IB curriculum, and its classes are taught in English. The school provides kindergarten services, accepting children from ages 3–18, and has programmes dedicated to the corresponding grading years of the Portuguese system.
Yearly Tuition: €11,500–€22,000
Teaching Languages: English
5.
United Lisbon International School follows both the IB and the American curriculums. The school accepts children from ages 3–18, having programmes for primary, basic, and secondary education. The classes are taught in English.
Yearly Tuition: €11,800–€24,000
Teaching Languages: English
Best Schools in Porto
1.
Oporto British School is a private school for children aged 3 to 18. Younger students follow the British curriculum while senior pupils study the IB Diploma Programme.
Yearly Tuition: €9,690–€17,280
Teaching Languages: English
2.
CJD International School is a private educational school open for children from 5 to 19, meaning the school boasts the necessary facilities to teach from the 1st to the 12th grade. It follows the Portuguese and British curriculums.
Yearly Tuition: €9,300–€11,000
Teaching Languages: English and Portuguese
3.
CLIP Oporto International School teaches a modified British curriculum, adapted to the school’s philosophical approach, in English to children aged 3–18, covering the entirety of mandatory Portuguese schooling, from 1st to the 12th grade.
Yearly Tuition: €9,140–€15,190
Teaching Languages: English
4.
Lycée Francais International Porto accepts children from the ages of 3–18, spanning the mandatory Portuguese 1st to 12th grades. It focuses on the French curriculum and classes are taught in French, while the school offers classes to learn other languages.
Yearly Tuition: €5,112–€6,214
Teaching Languages: French
5.
The German School of Porto focuses on teaching the German curriculum to children between the ages of 3–18. Classes are taught both in German and Portuguese.
Yearly Tuition: €4,860–€5,910
Teaching Language: German and Portuguese
Best Schools in the Algarve
1.
The Bright International School covers ages 3–16, accounting for Kindergarten up to the 10th grade under the Portuguese system. The school uses the British curriculum, with all classes taught in English.
Yearly Tuition: €11,885–€22,760
Teaching Languages: English
2.
Colégio Bernardette Romeira, based in Olhão in the Algarve region, teaches the British and Portuguese curricula in both languages to children between the ages of 3 and 15, spanning the mandatory Portuguese system from Kindergarten to the 12th grade.
Yearly Tuition: This school does not make their fees public
Teaching Languages: English and Portuguese
3.
With campuses located in Almancil and Lagoa in the Algarve, Nobel Algarve British International School accepts students from ages 3–18, providing the necessary infrastructure to teach Kindergarten and all of the mandatory Portuguese schooling years. The school teaches the British and Portuguese curricula in English.
Yearly Tuition: This school does not make their fees public
Teaching Languages: English
4.
Based in Loulé, Educan focuses on teaching the British curriculum to children between the ages of 5–16, corresponding to the Portuguese 1st to 10th grades, with a focus on small class sizes and personalised learning.
Yearly Tuition: €6,405–€8,432
Teaching Languages: English
5.
Vilamoura International School focuses on a bilingual approach, teaching the Portuguese, British, and IB curricula in both English and Portuguese to students aged 3–18.
Yearly Tuition: €7,135–14,135
Teaching Languages: English and Portuguese
Move to Portugal and Get the Best Education for Your Children
There are plenty of options for every expat and their family’s financial plan across every main region in Portugal, including other schools not mentioned in the previous lists. Regardless of the method of education or curriculum, one thing is certain: Portugal has some of the best international schools in the whole of Europe.
Parents can rest assured that, when moving to Portugal, their children’s education will be in safe hands and that they will have a vast array of opportunities for success. Besides methods and curriculums, international schools frequently only hire experienced teachers and are based in facilities with the latest equipment, with many of them actively integrating modern technological methods such as using iPads as an key tool for education.
The Portuguese international schools boast world-renowned and proven programs as well as a plethora of extracurricular activities, showing their dedication to educating and training their students for successful futures. With Portugal having all the conditions for families to grow happily together and international schools providing the environment for them to succeed, moving to Portugal becomes the easiest decision an expat can ever make.
While the educational opportunities available in Portugal make the choice to relocate an easy one, the process of actually moving and residing in the country is even more effortless with Portugal Homes.
