Scholarships in Portugal

Scholarships

General situation in terms of scholarships

Compared to other major EU countries such as France or Germany, Portugal does not offer a great many government-funded scholarships to its own students, EU students or international students. Scholarships that it does provide are chiefly funded through the DGES, theDireção-Geral do Ensino Superior, or for foreign students through theInstituto Português de Apoioao Desenvolvimento or the Instituto Camões. Portugal is a long-standing member of the EU, so it participates in all EU-derived scholarships, such as the Erasmus Mundus Programme. Although EU regulations prevent Portugal charging different fee structures to students from other EU countries, or refusing fee-payment grants, they may refuse support-scholarships to individuals not already resident in Portugal. The majority of scholarships provided by overseas institutions, public or private, for foreign study, can of course also be used to study in Portugal.

There are also a number of private and semi-private foundations and institutes which provide scholarships for study in sciences, technology, Portuguese language and Portuguese culture.

Type of scholarships and granting institution

The DGES provides merit-based scholarships for all levels of study in all programmes through public funding. Scholarships for post-graduate study by international students are also available, but many are limited to studies related to Portuguese language and culture. Some are highly specialised, for example for studies in the field of translation and conference interpretation. These scholarships are administered for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the Instituto Camões.

Under a plan designed to strengthen Portuguese universities in the areas of transportation, bioengineering, sustainable energy, and engineering design and advanced manufacturing, the government has partnered with overseas universities to provide scholarships for post-graduate programmes in those areas. Additionally, the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) runs an annual, merit-based competition for PhD scholarships (bolsas de doutoramento), open to candidates of any nationality. The scholarship covers tuition fees and pays a monthly maintenance stipend plus social security and insurance contributions for up to four years. The monthly maintenance stipend stood at around €1,310 in 2025 and was raised by €50 for 2026, in line with the increase in the national minimum wage. For the 2026 call, FCT is awarding 1,600 PhD scholarships (50 more than in 2025): 1,000 through the General Application Line and 600 through the Non-Academic Environment Application Line, with applications open from 2 to 31 March 2026.

Availability and conditions for getting a scholarship

Conditions and requirements for scholarships vary considerably with the level of the degree and the granting organisation. To study at a Portuguese university, EU, EEA and Swiss students do not require a visa. If they stay for more than 90 days, they must apply for a Certificado de Registo de Cidadão da União Europeia (CRUE) at their local town hall; there is no multi-year residency requirement before this can be done. International students normally require a visa, which is applied for at the Portuguese embassy in their own country. International students must also have their qualifications recognised as being sufficient to enter the level of programme they are applying for. Insurance for health care is also required; EU students use the European Health Card to access care, which is paid for by their own country. International students may need private insurance, although for developing countries this may be included in the scholarship.

The DGES provides merit-based scholarships for general study. The Bolsa por Mérito is worth €2,050 a year, paid in 10 monthly instalments, and is awarded for exceptional academic performance regardless of income. In addition, DGES social scholarships are means-tested and have a minimum value of around €871 a year, paid monthly by bank transfer to the student. Applications typically open between June and September; for the 2025/2026 academic year applications opened on 25 June 2025. Applications are submitted through the on-campus offices of either SAS (Serviços de Ação Social) or GAS (Gabinete de Ação Social).

Local scholarships for foreign students

There is a one-month scholarship for studies in the field of education paid by the Portuguese government. The Instituto Camões scholarships for study of the Portuguese language and culture have a maximum length of twelve months. The Programa Pessoa scholarship pays a monthly stipend of €650.

Additionally, for students already studying Portuguese at a foreign university, the Programa Curso Anual offers an 8-month scholarship, with the earliest start in October 2026. This pays €450 a month, with a higher first instalment of €825. Applicants must be under 45 years of age. They must have been accepted by the university they wish to study at. Travel costs to Portugal are not covered by government scholarships.

TheInstituto Português de Apoioao Desenvolvimento provides scholarships for students from historic Portuguese overseas territories (PALOP and Timor-Leste) to study in Portugal to be future leaders, military officers and educators in their home countries. These scholarships pay a monthly stipend, fees, educational material costs and a settling-in allowance.

Typical scholarships in Portugal

Most local and EU students could apply for the standard government merit-based scholarship. EU students could apply for the wide variety of general EU scholarships and use them for study in Portugal. Foreign students could be eligible for Instituto Camões scholarships for studies of Portuguese language and culture, Instituto Português de Apoioao Desenvolvimento scholarships for more general studies or Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia scholarships for studies in the sciences.