Skip to content
Homeschooling in Portugal

The guide to home education in Portugal

Read it in order if you are starting out, or jump to what you need. Each guide lists its official sources and the date we last checked them.

Getting started

  1. 01Ensino doméstico or ensino individual, the two legal ways to educate at homeThe two home education regimes in Portugal compared: who teaches, which school years they cover and how they relate to school enrolment.6 min read
  2. 02Who can teach a homeschooled child in PortugalQualifications for ensino doméstico and ensino individual, the one-child rule and siblings, foreign degrees, and what the law does not require.5 min read
  3. 03How to start home education in Portugal, step by stepFrom choosing the school to signing the protocolo: what the request must contain, documents, interview, deadlines, mid-year starts and renewal.7 min read

Working with the school

  1. 04The protocolo de colaboração, what it must say and how to agree fair termsWhat the agreement with the school must contain, how to negotiate portfolio dates and meetings, and how to answer requests that go beyond the law.6 min read
  2. 05The portfolio, what the law asks and how to build one that worksLegal rules for the homeschool portfolio in Portugal, what to include, tutor feedback, a sample structure for 2.º ano and tips for project-led families.7 min read
  3. 06The annual plan, what the law requires and what schools usually ask forWhat the law asks you to show about your curriculum, how schools format a planificação, how much detail is enough, and Cidadania e Desenvolvimento.6 min read
  4. 07The Portuguese curriculum for homeschooling familiesWhat the curriculum requires in home education: Aprendizagens Essenciais for 2026/27, the Perfil dos Alunos, weekly time and free resources.6 min read

Exams

  1. 08Exams for homeschooled pupils in Portugal (2025/26 to 2027/28)Which tests a homeschooled child sits in Portugal, when to register, how approval works and what changed with Despacho Normativo 3/2026.6 min read
  2. 094.º ano tests for homeschooled children (end of 1.º ciclo)The ModA tests and the seven equivalence tests a homeschooled child sits at the end of 4.º ano in Portugal, with durations, timeline and preparation.5 min read
  3. 106.º ano tests for homeschooled children (end of 2.º ciclo)ModA and the eleven equivalence tests a homeschooled child sits at the end of 6.º ano in Portugal, with types, durations, timeline and preparation tips.4 min read
  4. 119.º ano tests for homeschooled pupils (end of ensino básico)The provas finais of Português and Matemática and the equivalence tests a homeschooled pupil sits in 9.º ano in Portugal, and how grades are formed.4 min read
  5. 12Secundário exams for homeschooled pupilsHow homeschooled pupils in the cursos científico-humanísticos complete secundário in Portugal: national exams, equivalence tests and university entry.4 min read

Particular situations

  1. 13Moving to Portugal with children and homeschoolingCompulsory schooling for new residents, arriving mid-year, year placement under DL 7/2025, PLNM, language rules and foreign degrees.6 min read
  2. 14Homeschooling a child with special educational needsHow DL 54/2018 on inclusive education applies at home, the 2025 exam exemption for significant curricular adaptations, and the pending 2026 reform.5 min read
  3. 15Homeschooling in secondary school and applying to universityWhich secondary courses can be done at home, how national exams and equivalence tests work for external candidates, and the route to university.4 min read
  4. 16Foreign online schools and umbrella schools in PortugalWhy a foreign online or umbrella school does not by itself meet Portuguese compulsory schooling, and how some families combine one with ensino doméstico.4 min read
  5. 17Returning to school after homeschoolingHow a homeschooled child goes back to school in Portugal, at the end of a year or mid-year, which year they join, and which documents to keep.4 min read
  6. 18When things go wrong with the school or the examsWhat to do if the school refuses or ignores your request, asks for more than the law requires, or if exams go badly, plus appeals after the 2025 reform.7 min read