Updated in May 2026: this how to homeschool in Portugal guide reflects the current homeschooling framework in Portugal.

Homeschooling in Portugal is legal, regulated and connected to the Portuguese education system. This guide walks you through the main steps, from the initial decision to assessment and certification.



Before You Start: Understand the Main Concepts

A few terms come up throughout the process. Here is what they mean in the Portuguese system.

Concept Description
Homeschooling, or ensino doméstico is education provided at the student’s home by a family member or by someone who lives with the student.
Individual Teaching, or ensino individual is education provided to one student by a qualified teacher outside a school setting.

Read more about the Tutor’s Role in Homeschooling in Portugal here. 
Enrollment school is the school where the student is officially enrolled. Even when the child learns at home, the school remains responsible for monitoring and certifying the learning process.
Responsible educator Record of the student’s curricular and pedagogical-didactic path, organized with documentation and information on evidence of work and learning carried out by the student, presented in various media.
Teacher-tutor is the teacher appointed by the school to follow the student’s educational process.
Collaboration Protocol is the agreement between the school and the parent or legal guardian. It defines how the learning process will be organised, monitored and assessed.
Home Educator In homeschooling, the student’s family member or the person who lives with him/her;
In individual teaching, the teacher appointed by the parent.
Student Portfolio is the organised record of the child’s learning, including evidence of work, progress, activities, assessment and reflection.

New to Homeschooling in Portugal?

If you need the general overview before following these practical steps, start with the main guide. It explains what homeschooling means in Portugal, who it may suit, how it differs from individual teaching and what parents should know before making a decision.

Read the Homeschooling in Portugal Guide



Step 1: Decide if Homeschooling Is the Right Option

Homeschooling in Portugal gives families more flexibility, but it also means taking on the full educational and administrative responsibility for a child’s learning. The school remains involved, and the Portuguese curriculum framework still applies.

The questions most families consider at this stage: time, structure, the child’s learning needs, social interaction, Portuguese-language assessment and the logistics of keeping everything organised across a school year.

Step 2: Confirm That You Meet the Legal Conditions

The responsible educator must hold at least a higher education degree equivalent to a Portuguese licenciatura. If the qualification was obtained outside Portugal, it is worth confirming its equivalence with the school before submitting the request.

At this stage, reading the official DGE information and reaching out to the school directly will give you the clearest picture of what applies to your situation.

Read This Before Hiring a Homeschooling Tutor.

Step 3: Identify the School of Enrolment

The child must be enrolled in a school, which remains part of the structure throughout the homeschooling process.

In general, the request goes to the director of the school in the child’s area of residence, as long as that school covers the relevant education level. Some families work with a private or cooperative school instead.

The school of enrolment appoints the teacher-tutor, monitors the learning process, discusses the portfolio and certifies the child’s learning.

Step 4: Prepare the Formal Request

The parent or legal guardian submits a formal request for homeschooling. The exact documents depend on the school and the child’s situation, so it is worth confirming current requirements directly before submitting.

In general, the request covers the reason for choosing homeschooling, information about the student, the responsible educator and the proposed learning process. Keeping copies of everything is useful throughout the year.

Step 5: Prepare the Educational Project

The school will typically ask for an educational project outlining how the child’s learning will be organised.

This is where you explain how you intend to manage the curriculum, structure the learning process, cover the required areas and document progress. A practical educational project might include:

– subjects or learning areas, weekly rhythm, curriculum references, learning methods, resources, reading, activities, portfolio organisation, assessment evidence and communication with the school.

Step 6: Understand the Collaboration Protocol

After the request is reviewed, the school and the parent or legal guardian agree on a collaboration protocol.

This document defines how the learning process will work during the school year: curriculum management, monitoring, portfolio discussions, communication, assessment requirements, use of Portuguese as the language of schooling and other practical details.

Reading it carefully before signing gives you a clear picture of what both sides are committing to.

Read the Collaboration Protocol Guide

Step 7: Meet the Teacher-Tutor

The school appoints a teacher-tutor to follow the student’s educational process.

The teacher-tutor monitors learning, discusses the portfolio and helps the school understand how the student is progressing. A clear working relationship here makes the process smoother, particularly around portfolio organisation, evidence and assessment expectations.

Step 8: Organise the Student Portfolio

The student portfolio is a key part of homeschooling in Portugal. It gathers evidence of the child’s learning and development throughout the year and may include written work, projects, reading records, photos of activities, assessments, student reflections and notes from the responsible educator.

Starting the portfolio early and updating it regularly is far easier than reconstructing a year of learning at the end.

A simple portfolio might include: student information, school details, collaboration protocol, calendar, subject sections, projects, reading records, assessment evidence, student self-assessment and responsible educator notes.

Read the Homeschool Portfolio Guide

Step 9: Start Teaching and Document Learning

Once the process is approved and the protocol is signed, the daily learning work begins.

The family organises the rhythm at home, in line with the agreed educational project. Documenting learning consistently does not mean keeping every worksheet. It means saving meaningful evidence that shows progress, effort and development across the year.

Useful evidence might include: written work, reading logs, project photos, completed activities, corrections, short reflections, practical tasks and examples from different subjects.



Important Notes for Expat Families

Families living in Portugal follow Portuguese education rules regardless of language spoken at home. Homeschooling remains connected to the Portuguese curriculum, and assessment and certification apply in Portuguese.

For children adjusting to a new country and language, it is also worth thinking about integration: opportunities to engage with Portuguese language, daily life and social environment are part of the bigger picture.

Homeschooling is possible for expat families, and works best when planned within the Portuguese education context from the start.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Assuming that homeschooling in Portugal works like homeschooling in other countries is the most common source of confusion. The Portuguese model has its own structure, school connection and monitoring requirements.

Other situations that create difficulty: starting without confirming the responsible educator requirement, leaving the portfolio until the end of the year, or assuming that private tutoring automatically qualifies as individual teaching under Portuguese law.

Read This Before Hiring a Homeschooling Tutor

Final Thoughts

Homeschooling in Portugal works well when families go in with accurate expectations: it requires preparation, organisation and ongoing engagement with the school.

The process is manageable. It just needs a clear system from the start.

If you are still at the research stage, the main overview is a good next step.

Read the Homeschooling in Portugal Guide

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