Ensino doméstico or ensino individual, the two legal ways to educate at home

Portugal allows children of compulsory school age to learn outside a classroom, but not outside the school system. The law offers two regimes, home education (ensino doméstico) and individual tuition (ensino individual), and both are set out in Decreto-Lei n.º 70/2021.11. Decreto-Lei n.º 70/2021, de 3 de agostoDiário da República This guide explains how they differ, which school years they cover and why your child stays enrolled in a school either way.

The two regimes side by side

Sources for the table: articles 4.º, 9.º, 11.º and 16.º of DL 70/2021.1

Ensino doméstico: taught at home by the family

The law defines ensino doméstico as teaching given at the pupil's home "by a relative or by a person who lives with him or her".1 The person who teaches is called the educator in charge (responsável educativo). It is usually a parent, but it can be another relative or another adult in the household.

The educator needs at least a licenciatura, in any subject, and must be able to deliver the curriculum in person.1 There is no requirement to hold a teaching qualification. The details, including what happens with degrees obtained abroad, are in Who can teach.

This is by far the more common regime. In 2022/23 the ministry's statistics office counted 592 pupils in the two regimes together, most of them in ensino doméstico and nearly two thirds in the 1.º ciclo.77. Ensino individual e Ensino doméstico, 2022/2023 tablesDGEEC

Ensino individual: a qualified teacher for one pupil

Ensino individual is teaching given "by a qualified teacher to a single pupil outside a school".1 The parents choose and name the teacher, who does not have to be a relative. The teacher must be legally qualified to teach (habilitado para a docência) and the request must include a criminal record certificate.1

The teacher also takes on assessment duties: running formative and summative assessment and reporting to the pupil, the parents and the school's tutor.1

Ensino individual suits families who want a professional to lead the teaching, for example a qualified private tutor, or a family member who is a certified teacher and prefers that framework.

One pupil per educator, with a household exception

In both regimes the educator may teach only one pupil, unless the pupils belong to the same household (agregado familiar).1 Siblings can therefore be taught together by the same parent. A parent cannot, however, take on a neighbour's child under ensino doméstico. Group arrangements need each child's own family educator, or a qualified teacher working with a single pupil under ensino individual.

Which school years are covered

DL 70/2021 applies to pupils within compulsory schooling who want to follow:1

Pre-school is universal but not compulsory, so it sits outside this law.44. Lei n.º 85/2009, de 27 de agostoDiário da República Compulsory schooling runs from age 6 to 18 and ends with a secondary diploma or when the pupil turns 18.4

Home education is a form of enrolment

This is the point most newcomers miss. Choosing either regime does not take your child out of the school system. The duty to enrol a child "also applies to ensino doméstico".33. Decreto-Lei n.º 176/2012, de 2 de agostoDiário da República Your child is enrolled in a real school, called the school of enrolment (escola de matrícula), which:1

• registers your child in the ministry's system;
• names a tutor teacher (professor-tutor) who follows progress;
• signs a collaboration agreement (protocolo de colaboração) with you;
• reviews your child's portfolio;
• runs the tests needed to complete each cycle and issues the certificates.

The enrolment is conditional until the protocol is signed.1 The step by step process is in How to start.

The school of enrolment can be the state school for your area that offers the year in question, or a private or cooperative school you choose.1 Free textbooks and school social support under the law apply only to pupils enrolled in state schools.1

What both regimes share

Once approved, both regimes follow the same rules:

• Curriculum. Teaching follows the Perfil dos Alunos and the Aprendizagens Essenciais of each subject, plus Cidadania e Desenvolvimento, with Portuguese as the language of schooling.1 See Curriculum.
• Protocol. Each family signs a protocol with the school, normally for one school year.1 See The protocolo.
• Portfolio. Progress is followed through a portfolio discussed with the tutor teacher, with at least one in-person session at the end of the year.1 See The portfolio.
• Tests. Children sit the tests needed to complete each cycle as external candidates (autopropostos).155. Despacho Normativo n.º 3/2026, de 23 de fevereiro (exam regulation 2025-2026 to 2027-2028)Diário da República / JNE See Exams.
• Failure rules. The authorisation is cancelled after two consecutive years of non-approval at the end of a cycle, or for breach of the protocol.1 See If things go wrong.

Who decides your request

For ensino doméstico, the director of the school decides within 15 working days.1 For ensino individual, the school director gives an opinion within 10 working days and a central body decides within 15 working days of receiving it.1 In the law that body is DGEstE; after its abolition, the successor is not named in DL 70/2021.6 Expect ensino individual to take longer for that reason.

Choosing between them

A few questions help:

1. Does a parent or another adult in the home hold a licenciatura and have time to teach in person? If so, ensino doméstico is the usual route.
2. Is there no degree in the household, or do you prefer a professional to lead? Ensino individual with a qualified teacher is the alternative. Check Who can teach first.
3. Is your child heading for a vocational course in secondary? Neither regime covers it.
4. Are you arriving from abroad? Read Foreign families for placement, language and degree recognition.

You can also run the eligibility checker for a quick first answer. Whatever you choose, the school and the law decide the outcome; this guide explains the rules so you can prepare well.