Latest news and stories about state budget in education in Portugal for expats and residents.
New year, new cycle of training. The Portuguese Order of Certified Accountants (OCC) will organise a special training session focused on the 2026 State Budget, other tax changes and VAT in the construction sector, as well as the new contribution cycle and two-factor authentication. According to the Order, led by Paula Franco, this training cycle takes place between 16 ...

European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius conducted his first official visit to Portugal, meeting Defence Minister Nuno Melo and Education Minister Fernando Alexandre to discuss defence and space policy. He signalled that SAFE funds could reach the Portuguese government in the coming weeks or months, prompting analytical questions about budget timing, allocation between defence and civil space programmes, and coordination between national ministries and EU institutions. The visit underlined the need for clear planning to integrate incoming EU funding with Portugal’s defence and space policy priorities.

The funds are for payment of overtime and travel allowances.

According to the released data, the number of teachers covered by overtime payments “will shortly be revised upwards”, as will the funding allocated to these payments.

More than 30,000 teachers were covered.

According to published data, the number of teachers covered by the overtime payments “will shortly be revised upwards”, as will the funds allocated to these payments.

The ministry paid almost €26 million in overtime, which includes retroactive payments back to 2018 after a correction in the calculation. More than 5,700 teachers are receiving travel support.

The Ministry of Education believes the €750 supplement helped reduce the number of teachers retiring in 2025. In the previous school year, 1,496 teachers extended their careers.

The current amount stands at around €650 and will rise to €716, representing a 10% increase. However, schools say this rise is insufficient to meet their expenses, especially staff costs.

The monthly funding per pupil thus rises from €651.26 to €716.39 in special education schools, leading the Government to disburse €12.6 million this year.

The increase is intended to address the financial difficulties experienced by the schools, the government says.

The Ministry of Education said today it will increase by 10% the funds allocated to special education schools under cooperation contracts, clarifying that the boost aims to address the financial difficulties experienced by those schools.

According to the Foundation for Science and Technology, eight programme contracts corresponding to 95 scholarships have yet to be drafted or signed.

The latest episode of the weekly podcast 'Ao trabalho!' examines lingering uncertainty over tuition fee refunds and the implications for pay awards that recognise qualifications. Finance Minister Joaquim Miranda Sarmento’s response on the pay-award question is discussed alongside fast-moving items on labour policy, employment law and the state budget, with analysis of what these developments mean for workers and expats. The short, under-five-minute episode aims to distil key takeaways and policy consequences for those following workplace rights and public spending.

Finance Minister Joaquim Miranda Sarmento said on Wednesday that the Government will review the salary award for recognising qualifications. A measure that, in practice, amounts to the refund of tuition fees to young people who remain working in the country. Applications must be submitted by May each year, but in 2025 the ...

Protests will take place outside the Ministry of Education to demand an increase in the contribution paid by the State.

The government will introduce compulsory Physical Education for 1st‑cycle pupils in public schools from the next school year, affecting around 330,000 children. The Budget Law commits to hiring the teachers needed to deliver the measure but does not specify how much will be invested or the number of weekly hours to be allocated. The lack of detail raises implementation questions — recruitment timelines, teacher training, regional distribution, and fiscal impact — and creates uncertainty about curriculum time and equity of provision across schools.

“Carlos Moedas has no new ambitions for Lisbon and there is no way to solve the problems of access to housing, schools, or the social issues of the city,” argued the Left Bloc.

The Minister of Education believes that the decision will make higher education institutions dependent on the government, “lacking autonomy and capacity for innovation”: this is a “historical setback.”

The 2026 State Budget sees more than 160 proposed amendments, addressing issues ranging from toll charges to university tuition fees, with the Socialist Party (PS) taking a prominent role in opposing the measures.