Learning Portuguese in Portugal – free PLA courses and certificates

Documents you need

• Residence permit or proof of a pending residence application

  Or proof of a NISS

  required

• Identity document

  required

Step by step

1. 1

   Step 1: Check that you can enrol in a PLA course

   You can enrol if you hold a residence document, or can show one of the following: proof that you started an application to extend your stay or for a residence permit or its renewal; proof of an application for international or temporary protection; or proof that you have a NISS. Holders of seasonal work, temporary stay or residence visas can also enrol.

2. 2

   Step 2: Find a course near you

   PLA courses are run by public schools (through the Directorate-General of Schools, DGEstE), IEFP vocational training centres and Qualifica centres. Search for "Português Língua de Acolhimento" on the national training offer portal, or email AIMA's Portuguese language unit at lingua.portuguesa@aima.gov.pt to ask for the nearest providers. Then contact the school or centre directly about enrolment, start dates and timetables.

   In Lisbon, community associations also run PLA courses. For example, Renovar a Mouraria offers 25-hour beginner and 150-hour advanced PLA courses, funded by the EU Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund.

3. 3

   Step 3: Follow the course

   The A pathway (A1 + A2) and the B pathway (B1 + B2) each last up to 150 hours. Courses are organised in 25- or 50-hour training units on themes such as daily routine, food and culture, health and services, work, and life in society. A specific 25-hour unit helps learners who use a non-Latin alphabet.

4. 4

   Step 4: Practise online

   AIMA runs an Online Portuguese Platform (Plataforma de Português Online) at pptonline.aima.gov.pt.

5. 5

   Step 5: Get a certificate if you need one

   Completing a PLA course gives you a certificate of the level achieved. Other ways to prove basic Portuguese for permanent residence include a certificate from a Portuguese school, an IEFP basic Portuguese course certificate, or an exam at a CAPLE centre (the University of Lisbon's centre for Portuguese as a foreign language exams).

For children

Watch out

Common mistakes

• Waiting until the permanent residence application to look for a course; places and start dates vary.
• Studying only from apps without speaking practice; courses and conversation groups help you use the language in real situations.

Tips

• Ask your employer whether it supports language training during working hours.
• Practise everyday phrases at the café, market and pharmacy; small daily conversations help a lot.

Frequently asked questions

Editorial answers written by our team, based on the sources below.

Official links

In your plan

• Enrol in a Portuguese courseAdd to plan
• Renew your residence permit on timeAdd to plan
• Start your job search in PortugalAdd to plan
• Prepare school enrolment and equivalence for your childrenAdd to plan
• Register with the employment service IEFPAdd to plan

Sources

Written and checked by HomiStart editorial against the official sources below. Next scheduled check: 6 Apr 2027.