Scholarships and Part-Time Work for Students in Portugal

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

Portugal's money question splits along the same line as its admission system. Portuguese and EU students pay the national fee, €697 a year at public institutions in our catalogue, and some of them can get a state grant. International students pay the fee each institution sets, typically €3,500 a year at public institutions, and the state grant is in most cases closed to them. What they can find are tuition reductions offered by institutions themselves.

The state study grant: who is eligible

The state grant for higher education was rebuilt in 2026. Decree-Law 148/2026 of 20 July sets out who it covers, and the grant regulation approved by Portaria 331-B/2026/1 of 10 August applies from 2026/27. The grant is means-tested: it is meant to cover the extra cost of studying, minus what your household can contribute.

The decree-law lists who can benefit from direct social support. Among them:

Portuguese citizens and their family members;
citizens of other EU countries who have the right of permanent residence in Portugal, or who are workers in Portugal or have kept that status, and their family members;
non-EU citizens with a permanent residence permit or long-term resident status;
non-EU citizens from countries with cooperation agreements providing for these benefits, or whose law gives Portuguese students equal treatment;
stateless people, beneficiaries of international or temporary protection, and students in a humanitarian emergency.

In practice this means that an EU citizen who moves to Portugal just to study is not eligible in the first years, because permanent residence usually comes after five years of legal residence. A non-EU student on a study permit is not eligible either. Everyone enrolled, whatever their nationality, can use the indirect support of the social services: canteens and, where places allow, student residences.

The grant is requested through the online platform of DGES, the Directorate-General for Higher Education. For 2026/27 the main window ran from 14 August to 2 October, with later applications possible until 31 May for a prorated grant.

Help from institutions

Institutions are free to reduce their international fee, and several publish incentive schemes each year. Two examples:

Polytechnic University of Leiria offers merit awards worth 50% of the international fee for 2026/27: two per programme and teaching mode, for first-phase applicants with an application grade of at least 16 out of 20. The award continues for the whole degree if you study full time and pass the year. Leiria also has 50% reductions for students from Portuguese-speaking countries under specific cooperation agreements, and community grants from the second year for international students in financial difficulty, confirmed by its social services.
University of Évora gives incentives to international students who are nationals of the African Portuguese-speaking countries, or refugees or stateless people. For 2026/27 a bachelor's student with an average of at least 14 out of 20 pays €1,050 a year instead of the full fee, a merit reduction of €1,450. The cooperation and development incentive brings the bachelor's fee to €1,250.

Many institutions also give discounts to citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries. Look for the words *bolsa de mérito*, *prémio de mérito* or *redução de propina* in the call for international students, and apply for them at the same time as admission: some are only open to first-phase applicants.

Working while you study

EU citizens can work in Portugal without any permit.

Non-EU students with a residence permit for higher education study may work, as an employee or self-employed, alongside the studies for which the permit was issued. This is set out in article 97 of the immigration law, and the migration agency AIMA states it on its page for the study permit. AIMA does not publish a weekly hour limit for students, but the permit remains tied to your studies: you must enrol and make progress for it to be renewed. Ask your international office how to inform AIMA about a job at present, as described in our student visa guide for Portugal.

To be paid you need a Portuguese tax number (NIF) and a social security number.

Minimum wage

The national minimum monthly wage is €920 from 1 January 2026, set by Decree-Law 139/2025. It applies to full-time work in mainland Portugal, and part-time pay is calculated in proportion to the hours. The autonomous regions of Madeira and the Azores set their own amounts.

Where to find work

Your institution's career office. Most universities and polytechnics run one, with job boards and internship offers for their students.
The public employment service, IEFP, which publishes vacancies across the country.
Hospitality and tourism, common student jobs in Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve. Most other jobs need Portuguese.

Do not count on a job in the first months: AIMA appointments, the NIF and a bank account all take time.

Where to look next

Official sources

DGES: study grants: regulation and application (in Portuguese)
Decree-Law 148/2026: who can receive social support, article 3 (in Portuguese)
AIMA: residence permit for higher education students (in Portuguese)
DGERT: minimum wage for 2026 (in Portuguese)
Polytechnic University of Leiria: incentives for international students 2026/27 (in Portuguese)

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