Learning Portuguese: free PLA courses, the A2 certificate, what the law requires

What the law asks, and when

Nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries are presumed to know the language for citizenship unless the contrary is manifest.

• 0 € PLA courses in public schools, IEFP centres and Qualifica centres, from age 16
• A2 the level required for permanent residence and citizenship
• 95 € the CIPLE exam fee at CAPLE; pass mark 55 %
• 150 hours per PLA level module (A1+A2 or B1+B2)

The free route: PLA courses

Português Língua de Acolhimento courses were created by Portaria n.º 183/2020 for residents aged 16 or more whose mother tongue is not Portuguese. They are taught in public schools (through DGEstE), in IEFP training centres and in Qualifica centres, often in the evening, and certify levels A1 + A2 (elementary user) and B1 + B2 (independent user) under the European framework. An A2 certificate from a PLA course proves the language for permanent residence, long-term status and nationality — AIMA says so on its own page, which spares the CIPLE exam fee.

Who may enrol: holders of a residence permit or, failing that, of proof that a residence request or extension is pending, of an asylum or temporary-protection application, or of a NISS; seasonal workers, temporary-stay and residence-visa holders too. Courses are funded by European programmes (PESSOAS 2030, FAMI 2030) and free for the student. To find the nearest one, AIMA’s language service answers at lingua.portuguesa@aima.gov.pt; the office enrols clients directly with the schools it works with.

The exam route: CIPLE

The CIPLE (Certificado Inicial de Português Língua Estrangeira) is the CAPLE’s A2 exam, run by the University of Lisbon in Portugal and at examination centres abroad. Four components — reading and writing (1 h 15), listening (30 min), speaking — in about two hours; grades from 55 % (suficiente) to 100 %; fee 95 € in 2026. Sittings are scheduled several times a year; registration is online. For someone who studies on their own or with a private tutor, the CIPLE is the certificate registries know best.

The ladder above it — DEPLE (B1), DIPLE (B2), DAPLE (C1), DUPLE (C2) — matters for regulated professions (doctors and nurses need a proven level for their professional bodies) and for university admission.

The culture and history test

The 2026 Nationality Act added knowledge of Portuguese culture, history and national symbols, and of the rights, duties and organisation of the State, to the language condition. The Government had ninety days to adapt the Regulation of Nationality; on the date of this page no test had been published, and the language certificate remained the proof registries request. We update this page when the test exists.

Learning as an adult: what works

Two things predict success among the clients we follow: a fixed weekly class (PLA or a language school) rather than an app alone, and using Portuguese in low-stakes places — the café, the market, the junta de freguesia — from the first month. Brazilian Portuguese media are a good listening bridge, with the caution that registries and exams use European Portuguese. Children in public school reach A2 faster than their parents and can become the family’s coaches.

Questions