Portuguese Language Exams for University in Portugal: CAPLE Explained

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

Bachelor's degrees in Portugal are taught in Portuguese with very few exceptions: our catalogue has only 2 programmes in English out of 1,438. International applicants therefore need Portuguese, and the reference certificates are those of CAPLE, the assessment centre of the University of Lisbon.

The CAPLE exams

Each exam corresponds to one level of the European scale:

• ACESSO: A1
• CIPLE: A2
• DEPLE: B1
• DIPLE: B2
• DAPLE: C1
• DUPLE: C2

You register for one exam and pass or fail it. Exams are held in several sessions a year at centres in Portugal and in many other countries. Certificates do not expire.

What universities ask for

There is no single national rule. Each institution sets the level in its regulations for international students, and the most common requirement is B2 (DIPLE), with B1 (DEPLE) accepted by some institutions, sometimes on condition that you attend a Portuguese course during the first year. Many universities also run their own Portuguese test for applicants without a certificate.

Brazilian Portuguese counts as Portuguese: applicants educated in a Portuguese-speaking country do not need a certificate.

How language fits into admission

Portugal has two main routes, described in how to get into a university in Portugal:

• The national access contest, used by Portuguese and EU applicants. It is built on national entrance exams, which are written in Portuguese. In practice, passing them is itself the proof of language. Foreign school exams can replace them in some cases, under rules published by each institution.
• The special contest for international students, used by most non-EU applicants. Here the institution states the language requirement directly and checks it with a certificate, a test or an interview.

Planning the time

Speakers of Spanish, Italian or French progress quickly in reading Portuguese and more slowly in listening, because European Portuguese pronunciation is hard to follow at first. Speakers of other languages should allow at least a year of steady study to reach B2. Several Portuguese universities offer intensive annual courses in Portuguese as a foreign language that end with a recognised certificate, and a visa can be issued for such a course.

Costs while you study

Public universities charge the same national fee to Portuguese and EU students, €697 a year in our catalogue, and a higher fee to international students. See how much it costs to study in Portugal.

Where to look next

• Student visa for Portugal
• All programmes and cities in Portugal

Official sources

• CAPLE: exams, dates and centres
• DGES: access to higher education
• Study in Portugal

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.