Latest news and stories about international students in immigration in Portugal for expats and residents.
Over the past decade, the population of international students in Portugal has more than tripled, reflecting not only substantial numerical growth but also a diversification that extends well beyond traditional origin countries like Brazil and PALOP nations.
The president of the student ombudsman network calls for improved government coordination regarding visa access and scheduling, emphasizing that while institutions are not surrogate parents, better administrative support is essential.
The journey of young people who choose Portugal to study, whether on exchange or for a longer period, goes far beyond the arrivals terminal. It is not enough to attract them; it is necessary to know how to welcome them.
In the 2013/2014 academic year, the number of North American students choosing a Portuguese university for their studies did not reach 500. A decade later, the total is approaching two thousand.
The university rector specified that, of the approximately 10,000 students at the University of Évora, nearly 650 are international students, “of whom about 600 are from outside the European Union”.
The number of international students enrolled in Portuguese higher education institutions has reached 80,000.
Almost half a million people enrolled in higher education for the 2024/2025 academic year. This figure represents a 30 percent increase in the number of students over the last decade. PORDATA attributes this rise to the fact that there are more students in bachelor's and master's degree programmes. In addition to this, there was also an increase of 5,844 students in professional higher technical courses (CTeSP) and 4,753 in doctoral programmes.
More than three thousand students from Brazil are studying at the University of Coimbra through mobility programmes. Each academic year, the university cements its position as a top destination for Brazilians seeking to study in Portugal. In an interview with the Lusa agency, Vice-Rector João Nuno Calvão da Silva noted that a large portion of these students are enrolled in Law courses, as the legal systems in Portuguese-speaking countries are based on the Portuguese model. The university is currently seeing a historic record of international students, representing 120 different nationalities.
Coimbra is attracting an increasing number of international students. There are already over 3,000 Brazilians, and students from Portuguese-speaking countries are primarily seeking the Law degree, which is based on the Portuguese legal system.
The Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon (FMUL) has opened applications for its Medicine and Nutrition undergraduate programmes for international students, with a deadline of 14 August. For the 2026/2027 academic year, FMUL is offering 11 places for Medicine and two for Nutrition. Brazilian applicants must have a high school diploma and a minimum ENEM score of 700 in each subject. Tuition fees for international students are 18,000 euros per year for Medicine and 11,000 euros for Nutrition, significantly higher than the 697 euros paid by domestic students, unless specific criteria for equal treatment are met.
Rector Artur Silva revealed that 15% of UA students are international, with the largest group coming from Brazil. The supply of beds in university residences is being increased to keep up with demand.
The faculty reports that 13.54% of its students are from Brazil and there are 11 professors on the teaching staff. According to the institution, Brazilians add “competence, commitment, and friendliness to daily life”.
The number of international students enrolled in Portuguese higher education institutions continues to rise.
There are 165,000, and among them, there is a high level of academic failure. A study by the Belmiro de Azevedo Foundation points to the need to provide schools with more resources.
Data shows that more than half of international students studying in Portugal originate from Community of Portuguese Language Countries member states.
Home News Most foreign students in Portugal are from Brazil Most foreign students in Portugal are from Brazil The number of international students in Portugal has doubled over the last decade, with Brazil leading among CPLP countries, according to a study by the Prepara Portugal Training Centre.
The number of international students in Portuguese universities has more than doubled in 10 years, with Brazilians accounting for 70% of students from Community of Portuguese Language Countries member states.
The number of international students at Portuguese universities has more than doubled in 10 years, rising from about 20,000 in 2015 to approximately 42,000 in 2024.
