Free In-Person Portuguese Language Classes
Portugal offers free in-person lessons of Portuguese to everyone. From complete beginner to upper intermediate, irrespective of employment status or income level.
So over the course of one year, I attended Portuguese language classes at a school in Lisbon and walked away with a level B2 in Portuguese. Surprisingly, this option of Portuguese courses remains relatively unknown to most expats. Here’s all you need to know on how to apply and learn Portuguese for free.
The PLA Program
The classes are free of charge to everyone residing in Portugal, thanks to the program called Português Língua de Acolhimento (PLA) which translates to Portuguese Language as a Welcome. The program was formerly known as Portuguese for Speakers of Other Languages (Português para Falantes de Outras Línguas) or Portuguese for All (Português para Todos). It’s a wonderful initiative by the Portuguese government to help foreigners integrate faster.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of information regarding this program is only available in Portuguese so very few know about it.
PLA is funded by the program PESSOAS 2030 (Programa Temático Demografia, Qualificações e Inclusão) and fund FAMI 2023 (Fundo para o Asilo, a Migração e a Integração).