Portugal Scholarships 2026/27 for International Students

Portugal is a genuine, and genuinely affordable, place to study in Europe, with bachelor's, master's and PhD programmes open to international students at Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra and the rest. But "Portugal Scholarships 2026/27" is one of the search terms that scam pages target, so the first thing to know is what is real. There is no single "Portugal Government Scholarship" that is fully funded and automatically open to every nationality. Portugal's own higher-education authority, DGES, has said so in writing. This guide sets out the routes that do exist - the FCT PhD studentships, the University of Porto international admission and its scholarships, and what everyone else actually pays.

Portugal Scholarships at a Glance

Is There a "Portugal Government Scholarship 2026"?

No. This is the single most important line in the guide. DGES - the Direcção-Geral do Ensino Superior, Portugal's Directorate-General for Higher Education - published a notice on 20 November 2025 headed "false information about scholarship programmes". It says that information circulating on digital platforms, often titled "Portugal Government Scholarships 2026" and claiming fully funded scholarships for citizens of all nationalities, "is false and does not correspond to any scholarship programme promoted by the Portuguese State". It asks candidates to rely only on official DGES and institution channels.

So treat any page, poster or "apply" button that promises a blanket Portuguese government scholarship - including the private-provider link on one of these posters - as marketing at best. The real money is in the specific routes below.

FCT PhD Studentships: Portugal's Genuine Government Funding

The clearest state-funded opportunity is the PhD studentship from the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal's national research funder. It supports research leading to a doctoral degree, across every scientific area, and it is open to international applicants.

What the studentship pays

An FCT PhD studentship is a funded research position, not a fee to be paid. It includes:

• A monthly maintenance allowance of €1,359.64 for a doctoral researcher based in Portugal, under FCT's 2026 allowance table (higher, €2,168.65, for approved periods abroad).
• Tuition and registration fees, paid by FCT directly to the host institution.
• Personal accident insurance and, where the rules apply, voluntary social-security contributions borne by FCT under the Research Fellowship Holder Statute.
• Support for training, and for presenting research at scientific meetings, with travel and installation help where applicable.

Beware secondary sites still quoting the older €1,259.64 figure: the official 2026 table sets the doctoral allowance at €1,359.64. Which extras apply depends on the terms of your specific studentship, so read the call and the regulation before you budget.

The 2026 timeline

The general 2026 call opened on 2 March 2026 and closed on 31 March 2026 at 5:00 pm Lisbon time, with provisional results on 31 July 2026 and final results expected in early November 2026. There was a separate line for research carried out partly in non-academic institutions - companies, public bodies, health, cultural or social organisations - which required at least 12 months of the studentship in the same non-academic host in Portugal, and drew a record 833 applications for its 600 awards. If the pattern holds, the 2027 call should open in the first quarter of 2027; watch the FCT site and myFCT.

University of Porto for International Students

The University of Porto (U.Porto) runs the clearest admission route for international bachelor's and integrated-master's applicants, through its Special Call for international students. For 2026/27 it opened 712 places across most of its first-cycle and integrated-master's courses.

The 2026/27 application phases

Faculties including Sciences (FCUP), Engineering (FEUP), Medicine (FMUP), Sport (FADEUP), Economics (FEP) and ICBAS set their own application calendars, so the general phases are a guide, not a rule. All three 2026/27 phases have now passed.

What it costs

• International-student tuition for bachelor's and integrated master's runs from about €3,500 to €16,500 a year, depending on the faculty and programme.
• The Faculty of Sciences lists a full-time international bachelor's fee of €3,810 a year for 2026/27, for example.
• Citizens of CPLP (Portuguese-speaking) countries can qualify for a reduction of up to 45% on the international fee.

Scholarships at U.Porto

U.Porto does offer funding, but be clear about which kind:

• Merit scholarships, awarded for the best academic results regardless of a student's financial situation.
• Scientific scholarships, for undergraduate research and other research work.
• Some faculties add their own incentives by admission ranking.
• SASUP social-support scholarships exclude international-statute students. The university states plainly that "students with the International Student Status are not eligible for these scholarships"; SASUP aid is limited to EU nationals, stateless persons and nationals of countries with reciprocal cooperation protocols.

Other Portuguese universities run their own awards too. The University of Coimbra, for example, offers a tuition-fee exemption of up to €2,000 a year for international master's students - see our University of Coimbra Master's scholarship guide.

Can Pakistani Students Apply for Portugal Scholarships?

Yes - Pakistani students can apply to Portuguese university programmes and to FCT PhD funding where they meet the rules. But being an international student does not unlock Portugal's means-tested government grant. DGES is explicit: students who enter higher education under the international-student regime do not have access to direct social support, only to indirect social action, unless they hold the humanitarian-emergency student statute.

The DGES social-action grant reaches a third-country national only through permanent residence, long-term-resident status, or a cooperation or equal-treatment agreement with Portugal - that is, when they are settled in Portugal and not enrolled under the international-student regime at all. So a student arriving directly from Pakistan should plan around university fees, merit awards and, for research, the FCT route - not around a general "government grant".

Tuition, and the "Study in Portugal for Free" Myth

EU/EEA students pay Portugal's state-regulated fee, which is modest - commonly a few hundred euros a year for a bachelor's or integrated master's. International-statute (non-EU) students pay a separate, institution-set fee that is not capped by the State and is usually much higher: at Porto, €3,500 to €16,500 a year, with specialised programmes higher still. Portugal is affordable by European standards, but it is not free for international students, and no scholarship changes that unless its own page says it covers tuition.

Do You Need IELTS to Study in Portugal?

There is no single IELTS rule for Portugal. It depends on the university, the programme and the language it is taught in:

• English-taught programmes set their own English requirement - often around IELTS 5.5 to 6.5, higher for master's and PhD - and many accept alternatives (TOEFL, PTE, Cambridge, Duolingo) or a medium-of-instruction certificate from a previous English-taught degree.
• Portuguese-taught programmes ask for Portuguese instead, usually around B2.

So "study in Portugal without IELTS" is sometimes true and sometimes not. Check the language rule on your own programme page before you assume you can skip a test.

How to Apply, Step by Step

1. Pick your level and a real programme at a Portuguese university, and open its official page - not a third-party "scholarship" site.
2. Check the route. For a PhD with funding, look at the FCT studentship through myFCT and a host institution. For a bachelor's or master's, apply through the university's international admission, such as U.Porto's Special Call.
3. Read the eligibility and language rules for that programme - nationality, qualifications, English or Portuguese proof.
4. Budget for the real fee, and check whether any merit or scientific scholarship is open to you as an enrolled student.
5. Prepare your documents: passport, certificates and transcripts, CV, motivation letter, references, a research proposal for PhD applications, and any language certificate required.
6. Apply through the official portal - the university's system, or myFCT for FCT funding - and track your email and application account for decisions and document requests.

Claims to Ignore

• "Portugal Government Scholarship 2026 - fully funded for all nationalities." DGES says it is false and not a State programme.
• "Study in Portugal for free." International students pay institution-set fees, about €3,500 to €16,500 a year at Porto.
• "International students get Portuguese social-action grants." International-statute students get only indirect social action, not the direct means-tested grant.
• "No IELTS needed in Portugal." It depends on the programme; some accept alternatives or exemptions, and Portuguese-taught degrees need Portuguese.
• A private-provider "apply" link as a government scholarship. It is a company pathway, not a Portuguese State or public-university award.

Portugal, France or Italy?

Portugal works best if you can fund your own fees and chase a merit award, or if you are aiming at a funded FCT PhD. If you want a government stipend, France's Eiffel programme pays a monthly allowance but leaves tuition to the institution - see our France scholarships without IELTS guide. Italy asks you to fund yourself, then removes tuition and adds a regional living grant if your family income is low; read our University of Pavia scholarships guide, University of Insubria scholarships guide and Polytechnic University of Marche scholarships guide for how that works in practice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a fully funded Portugal government scholarship for all international students in 2026?

No. DGES issued a notice on 20 November 2025 that the "Portugal Government Scholarships 2026" circulating online is false and does not correspond to any programme promoted by the Portuguese State. The genuine funded route is the FCT PhD studentship; bachelor's and master's students mostly pay fees and compete for university merit awards.

Can Pakistani students study in Portugal?

Yes. Pakistani students can apply to Portuguese university programmes through the international-admission routes, and to FCT PhD funding, where they meet the eligibility rules. They do not automatically qualify for Portugal's means-tested government grant.

Can international students get a Portuguese government grant?

Not under the international-student regime. Those students have access only to indirect social action, unless they hold the humanitarian-emergency student statute. The direct means-tested grant reaches a third-country national only through permanent residence, long-term-resident status or a cooperation agreement.

Is it free to study in Portugal?

No. EU/EEA students pay a modest state-regulated fee, but international (non-EU) students pay institution-set fees, at the University of Porto about €3,500 to €16,500 a year, depending on the programme.

What is the FCT PhD studentship?

It is Portugal's national research funding for doctoral study, run by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia. The 2026 general call planned 1,600 studentships, including 600 in non-academic environments, and it includes a monthly allowance plus fee, insurance and training support. It is open to international applicants.

When was the FCT 2026 deadline?

The 2026 general call opened on 2 March 2026 and closed on 31 March 2026 at 5:00 pm Lisbon time, through the myFCT portal. No 2027 dates are published yet.

How many international places did the University of Porto offer for 2026/27?

712, across most of its bachelor's and integrated-master's courses, through the Special Call for international students. Phase 1 alone held 489 of them. All three 2026/27 phases have now closed.

Do I need IELTS to study in Portugal?

Not always. English-taught programmes set their own English requirement and often accept alternatives or a medium-of-instruction exemption, while Portuguese-taught programmes ask for Portuguese, usually around B2. Check your own programme page.

Official Links

• DGES: international students information
• DGES: grants and social-action support
• DGES: notice on false scholarship information (20 November 2025)
• FCT: PhD studentships
• myFCT: FCT application portal
• University of Porto: Special Call for international students

JobGader is not part of DGES, FCT, the University of Porto or the Portuguese government. This guide was checked against the official DGES, FCT and University of Porto pages on 16 September 2026. Amounts, calls and deadlines change, so confirm them on the official page before you apply.