## Where the free route exists

The CIPLE has a fee and always will. There is no waiver, and a retake costs the full fee again.

The subsidised end of the PLA system is different. Publicly funded Portuguese courses for
immigrants exist precisely because integration is the policy goal, and for eligible residents
these can be free or close to it.

## What to investigate

**Eligibility.** This is the whole question, and it depends on your residence status and
circumstances. It is worth asking directly rather than assuming you do not qualify.

**Where to ask.** Start with your local municipality and with the organisations that support
immigrants in your area. Provision is local, and the people running it know what is currently
available far better than any general guide.

**DGERT certification.** This does not become less important because the course is free. The
provider's DGERT certification is what makes the resulting certificate valid for a citizenship
application. Verify the number before you enrol.

## The real cost of the free route

Time. An A2 PLA course is 150 to 200 hours with a minimum attendance requirement, typically 80% to
90%. For someone working full time, possibly with children, that is the binding constraint, not
the fee.

Be honest with yourself about whether you can attend. A subsidised course you cannot complete is
more expensive than a paid route you can, because it costs months and produces nothing.

## What is genuinely free either way

Practising. Our homepage has three real exam-style reading questions with instant grading and no
account needed, and you get your score whether or not you ever subscribe. Our guides are free to
read as well.

That will not certify you. It will tell you roughly where you stand before you commit time or
money to either route.