Erasmus in Lisbon

Finding a place in Lisbon

Housing is by far your biggest expense in Lisbon, and the market is tight, especially as the start of term approaches. Start your search early.

How much it costs

A room in a shared flat goes for €350–500 per month, bills included. A studio is more like €500–700. Simple rule of thumb: above €500 for a basic room, be wary — it's often a sign someone is cashing in on your ignorance of the market.

Neighbourhoods

• Bairro Alto: the heart of student nightlife, central and lively. Ideal if you want to be where it all happens (rooms €300–550 in a shared flat).
• Outlying residential neighbourhoods: quieter, with modern, more affordable flats, well connected by public transport.

Where to look

• Verified platforms (like Uniplaces): vetted listings designed for international students, with no local guarantor required.
• The ESN network and student associations: they often list flats from private landlords and help you handle the Portuguese.

⚠️ Avoiding scams

• Never pay the full amount before seeing the place. Students have paid a deposit for a studio only to find a shared room on arrival — or worse — and never got their money back.
• Platforms don't protect you in a dispute: as mere intermediaries, they are generally not liable for problems between you and the landlord.
• Be wary of listings that look too good to be true, and of landlords who refuse any video call of the flat.

Getting around Lisbon

Lisbon is well connected and public transport is affordable on a student budget. You won't need a car.

The network

Metro, buses, trams (including the famous tram 28) and suburban trains cover the city and its surroundings. The metro is the simplest option for everyday trips.

Fares

• Single ticket: around €1.50.
• Navegante monthly pass: around €40, valid all month across the entire network. It pays for itself quickly if you travel regularly.

The student deal

If you're under 23, a major discount (up to 50%) can apply on public transport, ferries included. Ask the transport operators directly when you arrive to find out how to get it with your student status.

Good to know

Get a rechargeable card as soon as you arrive rather than buying single tickets: it's more convenient and cheaper over time.

Your paperwork on arrival

Admin can feel daunting, but in Lisbon everything revolves around one document: the NIF. Get it first, the rest follows.

The NIF, your absolute priority

The NIF (Número de Identificação Fiscal), also called the contribuinte number, is your Portuguese tax number. You'll be asked for it for almost everything: opening a bank account, signing a lease, putting electricity or internet in your name. As soon as money is involved, it's mandatory. Do it as soon as you arrive: without it you can neither rent a place nor open an account.

Depending on where you're from

• If you come from an EU/EEA country, you can get your NIF yourself, directly on site, without a tax representative. It's simple and free.
• If you come from outside the EU/EEA, you'll generally need to go through a tax representative (someone living in Portugal or a specialised service) to apply. Look into this before you leave, as it's an extra step to plan for.

Where to get it

• In person, at a Finanças office (the tax administration) or a Loja do Cidadão. Arrive early: they're often crowded in Lisbon.
• Online, on the Portuguese tax authority's website.
• You can even apply before having an address in Portugal: you then get a "non-resident NIF" that already lets you open an account or sign a lease. The number doesn't change — it becomes "resident" once you register your Portuguese address.

Documents to bring

• A valid ID (national ID card for Europeans, passport otherwise).
• A proof of address less than 3 months old (bill or bank statement); your address in your home country is fine at first.

The logical order of your paperwork

1. NIF at the Finanças (the magic key).
2. Portuguese bank account (the NIF is the first document they ask for).
3. Housing contract, then electricity, water and internet in your name.

The language in Lisbon

The official language is Portuguese, but good news: you can get by perfectly well without speaking it.

English is enough to get started

You don't need to master Portuguese to study in Lisbon. Many courses are taught in English, and the Portuguese — especially young people — generally speak good English. Day-to-day communication won't be a problem.

But learning a few basics changes everything

Even if English gets you by, knowing a few words of Portuguese makes the experience much richer and is always appreciated by locals. A few essentials to start with:

• Olá: hello
• Obrigado / Obrigada: thank you (depending on whether you're a man or a woman)
• Por favor: please
• Bom dia / Boa tarde / Boa noite: good morning / good afternoon / good evening
• Quanto custa?: how much is it?

A small trap to avoid

European Portuguese sounds quite different from the Brazilian Portuguese you may have heard before. Don't be surprised if it sounds different from what you expected.