Who can teach a homeschooled child in Portugal

The first practical question for most families is simple: am I allowed to teach my own child? In Portugal the answer depends on the regime you choose and on one formal qualification. This guide sets out the rules in Decreto-Lei n.º 70/2021, what they mean for siblings and group arrangements, and the open question around degrees earned abroad.

The person who teaches: the responsável educativo

The law calls the person who delivers the curriculum the educator in charge (responsável educativo).11. Decreto-Lei n.º 70/2021, de 3 de agostoDiário da República It is a separate role from the legal guardian (encarregado de educação), the parent who signs the request and the protocol. In many families one parent is both. In others, one parent is the guardian and the other, or another adult in the household, is the educator.

Requirements at a glance

Source: articles 4.º, 9.º, 11.º and 16.º of DL 70/2021.1

Ensino doméstico: a licenciatura in any field

For home education (ensino doméstico), the educator must hold "at least the degree of licenciatura".1 The law does not ask for a degree in education or in a subject related to what the child is learning. A licenciatura in engineering, law or fine arts meets the requirement in the same way as one in teacher training.

The educator must also be a relative of the child or someone who lives with the child.1 A grandparent, aunt or step-parent who shares the home can take the role, provided they hold the degree.

The certificate of academic qualifications (certificado de habilitações) goes with the enrolment request.1 A criminal record certificate is not among the documents the law lists for ensino doméstico.1

Ensino individual: a qualified teacher and a clean record

For individual tuition (ensino individual), the educator and any other teachers involved must be qualified to teach "under the legislation in force".1 In practice this means a professional teaching qualification, not simply a degree. The request must include the certificate of qualifications and a criminal record certificate (certificado de registo criminal).1

The teacher does not need to be a relative. Ensino individual is the legal route for families where nobody in the household has a licenciatura, provided they can find and pay a qualified teacher.

The ensino individual teacher also has formal assessment duties: carrying out formative and summative assessment and reporting to the pupil, the guardian and the school's tutor teacher.1

The one-child rule and the siblings exception

In both regimes, each educator may teach only one pupil, "unless the pupils belong to the same household" (agregado familiar).1

What this means in practice:

• Siblings: one parent can teach all the children of the household, each enrolled separately.
• Cousins or friends in another household: a parent cannot add them under ensino doméstico. Each child needs an educator from his or her own family.
• Learning pods and cooperatives: families can meet, share activities and trips, but each child remains the formal responsibility of his or her own family educator. A qualified teacher under ensino individual also teaches a single pupil.

Teaching in person, and in Portuguese

The school must refuse a request when the educator cannot deliver the curriculum in person.1 The law gives no hour count or definition, so be ready to explain at the interview how teaching time fits into your household's week.

Portuguese is the language of schooling in both regimes. A partial bilingual approach is possible only in a foreign language that belongs to the national curriculum, with proof of the educator's proficiency, and only if the school itself offers that bilingual provision.1 Families who speak another language at home should read Foreign families.

Degrees obtained abroad

The law only says "grau de licenciatura". It does not state whether a bachelor's degree from another country must first be recognised in Portugal.1 We have not found any official guidance that settles the point, and schools may differ.

The safer course is to start recognition early. Recognition of foreign degrees is handled by the Direção-Geral do Ensino Superior (DGES). According to its FAQ, automatic recognition takes up to 30 days and other types up to 90 working days.22. FAQ, Reconhecimento de graus e diplomas estrangeirosDGES If your school accepts the foreign certificate as it stands, you have lost nothing. If it does not, you already have the process under way.

What the law does not require

Families are often told they need more than the law asks. DL 70/2021 does not require:1

• a teaching qualification for ensino doméstico;
• a degree in a subject related to the curriculum;
• the educator to be a parent (a relative or co-resident adult is enough);
• a criminal record certificate for ensino doméstico;
• a fixed timetable, a minimum number of hours, particular textbooks or a particular teaching method;
• a reason from an approved list. The request must state its factual and legal grounds, but the refusal grounds in the law are about qualifications, presence, relationship and missing documents.

The flexibility is in method, not in content. The curriculum you follow and the tests at the end of each cycle are the national ones. See Curriculum and Exams.

Families enrolled before August 2021

When DL 70/2021 came into force, families already enrolled were exempt from the licenciatura requirement and the one-pupil rule until the end of the cycle or level their child was then in.1 By 2026 that transition has run its course, so every new request and every new cycle follows the current rules.

Next steps

1. Check that the educator's degree certificate (or teaching qualification) is at hand, and start DGES recognition if it was issued abroad.
2. For ensino individual, request the teacher's criminal record certificate.
3. Read Ensino doméstico or ensino individual if you are still choosing a regime.
4. Follow How to start for the request itself, or try the eligibility checker.