Registering for home education

You start by sending a written request to the director of a school in your area that offers your child’s year or secondary course.

The request needs to identify you, your child and the responsible educator. It should also say which year and legal route you are applying for and explain why you are making the request.

What to include

• Your name, address, and civil and tax identification details, along with the same details for the responsible educator.
• Your child’s details and the year you are applying for.
• Whether the request is for ensino doméstico or ensino individual.
• A clear explanation of why you are making the request.
• The responsible educator’s qualification certificate. Ensino individual also requires the criminal-record certificate specified by the law.

Schools usually handle the documents and notifications by email or through an electronic platform. Ask where to send everything and whether you also need to use the Portal das Matrículas for the underlying enrolment or renewal.

For home education, the school director has 15 working days to decide after the request is registered at the school. For individual education, the school gives its opinion within 10 working days, then DGEstE has 15 working days to make the decision after receiving it. Approval stays conditional until you and the school sign the collaboration protocol.

Yes. A child should not have to wait for their Portuguese residence card before they can access school education.

If your child’s residence application is still being processed, contact the public school or agrupamento for your home address. Take their passport or other identity document, proof of your address, any previous school records and any receipt or document you have from the residence application. The school can tell you what it needs for your child’s circumstances.

If you cannot use the Portal das Matrículas, the current enrolment rules allow you to make the request in person at the public school serving your area. The school then records the application in the official system.

If your child is in an irregular situation in Portugal, for example because their visa has expired, you can ask AIMA for a Credencial de registo de menores. Once approved, this credential can be shown to a school grouping so your child can access education. It does not replace or settle a residence application.

For home education, school enrolment is only the first part. Your child still needs an escola de matrícula, and you must then make the separate home-education request and agree the collaboration protocol before the arrangement takes effect.

For a public school, begin with the school or agrupamento serving your home address that offers your child’s year or secondary course.

You can find the official school search through the Portal das Matrículas. Once you have found the likely school, contact its office before putting the request together. Check that it offers the right year or course, where to send the application and who deals with home-education enquiries.

If you prefer a private or cooperative school, you can apply to the school you choose. Ask it directly about acceptance and any fees.

Why this choice matters

The director of the escola de matrícula handles the application and protocol and appoints your child’s teacher-tutor. The school also follows and certifies their learning. Public-school placement and preference rules may limit your options, so check that you have the right school before sending personal documents.

The interview gives the school a chance to meet you and your child and understand how you plan to approach their education.

It is part of the registration process, not an entrance test. The law does not give schools a fixed list of questions, so each conversation may be a little different.

It helps to be ready to explain

• Why you are requesting home or individual education.
• Who will be the responsible educator and how learning will happen in person.
• How the current Portuguese curriculum will be covered and what language will be used.
• How work will be recorded in a portfolio and shared with the teacher-tutor.
• Any support, accessibility or inclusion needs that should be reflected in the protocol.

This is a useful preparation list rather than an official script. The school may ask other questions based on your child’s age and circumstances.

The collaboration protocol is the agreement you make with the school about how your child’s education will work. Their home or individual education registration only takes effect once it is signed.

When your application is approved, the school sends you a draft. You have 10 working days, counted from the next working day, to return your proposal. You and the school then have up to 10 working days to agree the final version.

What the agreement records

• Who is involved and what each person or organisation will do.
• How the curriculum and compulsory citizenship themes will be covered.
• How the portfolio, meetings and other monitoring will work, including at least one end-of-year session at the school.
• The language of schooling and any agreed bilingual element.
• Required assessments, current contact details and the period covered by the agreement.

The protocol may also let your child use school spaces such as the library or resource centre. It normally lasts for one school year, and you and the school can agree to renew or change it.