Who can enrol in a PLA Portuguese course in Portugal?

The eligibility criteria

The criteria are generally broad, which surprises people who assume they will not qualify.

Typically eligible: third-country nationals legally resident in Portugal, refugees and asylum seekers, EU citizens resident in Portugal under some programmes, and family members of any of those groups.

The requirements: legal residence in Portugal through a valid residence permit, visa or other authorisation; registration with the relevant centre or training entity; and a commitment to attend regularly, since attendance rules are typically strict.

Not typically eligible: tourists and short-term visitors, and people with no form of legal residence status, although some humanitarian programmes may make exceptions.

Priority, and why a long-term resident should still ask

Programmes tend to prioritise immigrants in the earlier stages of integration, particularly those in Portugal for under five years. Some give priority to specific groups such as refugees, unemployed immigrants, or immigrants from countries where Portuguese is not spoken.

Longer-term residents who have not yet obtained language certification are generally also accepted. So if you have been here a decade and assumed the door was closed, ask rather than assume. Priority criteria vary by programme and by location, and the people running provision locally know what is currently available far better than any general guide.

Two things to confirm before you commit

The provider's DGERT certification. This is what makes the certificate valid for a citizenship application. Ask for the number and verify it.

That you can actually attend. An A2 course is 150 to 200 hours with an attendance requirement of typically 80% to 90%. A free place you cannot attend costs you months and produces nothing.