The Student Guide to Portugal

You are not going to Portugal (just) for tourism!

Do you want some advice to go to study in Portugal ? There they go!

Taking  Portuguese classes  before going to study in Portugal is essential to enroll in a university. Although you are sure to meet Portuguese who speak English or even Spanish, the classes will be taught in Portuguese.

You can take intensive courses  as soon as you have the opportunity to progress in speaking and listening. A  fun course  will allow you to speed up your memorization to communicate easily and travel on your own to Portugal.

The cost of living is a bit lower in Portugal. The minimum wage is € 680 compared to € 900 in Spain, so life is a little more affordable. The food is a tad cheaper both in supermarkets and in restaurants, where you can find menus for 10 €.

To find accommodation, you can ask your university or ESN for help . In Portugal, the new company  Uniplaces specializes in student accommodation.  Feel free to check their website. To stay in a shared flat, it is possible to find between € 200 and € 400 per month depending on the location of the apartment and its category. And don’t forget to request a room in the university residence. Places are expensive, but not rent: € 100 per month.

The best advice we can give you is to  keep an open mind . When you go to another country, you tend to compare it to yours and, although it is natural, this habit does not help you fully immerse yourself in the culture of the country. Because, although Spain and Portugal are two European countries and have a common history, there are  differences in language and culture  between the two countries.

Portuguese is similar in writing to Spanish, but verbally it is very different. The sounds are richer, the accent is more pronounced and you will have to practice to successfully master the  Portuguese conjugation .

The  personality of the Portuguese  is also different from ours. Without generalizing, the Portuguese are colder and less outgoing than the Spanish. They attach great importance to decorum and treatment of you. They also have a hard time saying no, which can cause some problems on a day-to-day basis. On the other hand, although they seem introverted at first glance, you just have to break the ice to discover that they are welcoming, helpful and kind people.

As in Spain, the  Catholic religion  occupies an important place in Portugal, like football, which is a true cult for them.

As for the hours of meals , they follow the time of the other European countries and not the Spanish time, although they like the party anyway.

Have fun immersing yourself in Portuguese culture by listening to fado, tasting typical dishes, and traveling through the country to the Azores, Lisbon, and Faro.