Erasmus in Porto

Porto is Portugal's second city and arguably the country's most lovable Erasmus destination. Less polished than Lisbon, rawer, more working-class, it lives at the rhythm of its river — the Douro — and of its students. The city is compact, hilly, criss-crossed by cobbled lanes that tumble down to the UNESCO-listed Ribeira waterfront.

The Universidade do Porto (U.Porto) is one of Portugal's largest, with more than 30,000 students. It includes the FEUP (engineering, one of the country's top engineering schools), the Faculdade de Belas Artes (FBA), the faculties of arts, economics, medicine and science. Alongside it, the Universidade Católica and the Politécnico do Porto round out the offer. FEUP in particular pulls in huge numbers of European Erasmus students thanks to its English-taught programmes.

Atmosphere-wise, Porto leans into its maritime, working-class identity: port wine ages in the cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia (south bank), Matosinhos beach is a 25-minute metro ride away, and the oceanic climate brings rain in winter but very pleasant summers. Above all, Porto is significantly cheaper than Lisbon: rent, restaurants, nightlife — everything costs 25–35% less, making it one of the best value-for-money Erasmus picks in Western Europe.

Porto's housing market has tightened in recent years under tourism and Airbnb pressure, but it remains much more affordable than Lisbon. Expect to pay between €250 and €450 per month for a room in a shared flat, depending on neighbourhood and quality. Studios start around €550–650. For a full monthly budget (rent + groceries + nightlife + transport), plan around €900 per month — one of the gentlest budgets in Western Europe.

The must-use platforms are Idealista.pt (the Portuguese #1, essential), Spotahome, Erasmus Play, Inlife Housing and Uniplaces. The ESN Porto Facebook group and local student listings are also great to slot into an existing flatshare. University residences (SASUP) exist but spots are limited and prioritised for Portuguese students.

Neighbourhood-wise: Baixa is the historic centre (expensive, touristy but magical), Cedofeita is the young hipster district with cafés and galleries, Bonfim is central, quiet and close to the arts faculty, Paranhos is THE student neighbourhood right next to FEUP, Boavista is chic and more commercial, and Foz do Douro runs along the sea (expensive but stunning). Watch out for the usual scams: never wire a deposit before viewing (in person or video), always insist on a written contrato de arrendamento, and check the landlord is who they claim to be.

Huge news for Erasmus students: since 2022 and confirmed for 2026, the Passe Andante Gratuito 4_23 makes public transport 100% free for all students aged 18–23 enrolled in a Portuguese institution, across the whole of Portugal. That covers the Porto metro, STCP buses, CP urban trains (including to Aveiro, Braga, Guimarães), and works in most of the country's major urban areas. You just need to buy the physical Andante card once (about €3) and apply online with your enrolment certificate. This is by far the country's best Erasmus perk — do not skip it.

The network itself is excellent: 6 metro lines (A to F) cover the city, the airport (line E, 30 min from the centre) and Matosinhos. STCP buses fill in the gaps, and the Guindais funicular links the Sé district to the Ribeira in 1 minute. To get out of town, CP urbano trains are fast: Aveiro in 1h, Braga in 1h, Guimarães in 1h15.

For long distances, CP (Comboios de Portugal) runs the Alfa Pendular (Portugal's high-speed train) to Lisbon in 2h45. Rede Expressos and FlixBus coaches serve the whole Iberian peninsula at low prices. Francisco Sá Carneiro airport (OPO) is a Ryanair / easyJet / TAP hub with cheap flights all over Europe.

ESN Porto is one of Portugal's most active Erasmus sections: welcome week, weekly parties, trips around the country (Lisbon, Algarve, Azores), port cellar tours, hikes in the Douro. Sign up for the ESNcard as soon as you arrive to unlock all the discounts.

The year's highlight is the Queima das Fitas in May: Portugal's biggest student festival, where graduates burn their symbolic ribbons while wearing the capa e batina (the long black cape said to have inspired the Hogwarts uniform). Huge concerts at the Queimódromo for a full week. Not to be missed under any circumstances. In June, the NOS Primavera Sound festival brings the cream of international indie music to Parque da Cidade.

Day-to-day, the nightlife revolves around Rua da Galeria de Paris and Rua do Almada in the centre, with an absurd density of student bars at sweet prices (a beer goes for €1.50–2.50). Galerias is the weekend epicentre. During the day, hit Matosinhos beach (25 min by metro), cross the Douro to tour the port wine cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia, and save weekends for trips into the Douro Valley (by train or cruise), to Aveiro (the "Portuguese Venice", 30 min by train) or Braga (40 min, one of the country's oldest cities).

Your first compulsory step on arrival is getting a NIF (Número de Identificação Fiscal), Portugal's tax ID. It's free and issued at any Finanças (tax office) with your passport or EU ID card. The NIF is essential for signing a lease, opening a bank account, buying a SIM card and even some online purchases.

For the bank account (NIB), the student-friendly options are Activobank (Millennium BCP subsidiary, no fees, fully online, highly recommended), Millennium BCP and Novo Banco. N26 and Revolut also work very well and many Erasmus students stick with just those. Don't forget to request your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before leaving — it covers the essentials during your stay.

For long stays (> 6 months), you can request a número de utente at your local Centro de Saúde, which gives you access to Portugal's public health system (SNS). EU citizens don't need a residence permit but must register with the city hall after 3 months (Certificado de Registo de Cidadão da União Europeia). Non-EU students must get a visto de estudante before leaving, then apply for a Autorização de Residência with AIMA (formerly SEF) once on the ground.

The official language is European Portuguese, not to be confused with Brazilian: the accent is more closed, faster, with many "swallowed" vowels (making listening tough at first), and quite a bit of everyday vocabulary differs. Don't worry if you struggle at the start — even Brazilians find the northern Portuguese accent challenging.

Good news for Erasmus students: many degree programmes are available in English, especially at FEUP (engineering), the Faculdade de Economia and the Católica. The Universidade do Porto also offers Portuguese as a foreign language courses via the Faculdade de Letras and the CAPLE-Porto centre, with intensive modules at the start of each semester, often at reduced rates for Erasmus.

English is very widely spoken by young Portuguese (Portugal doesn't dub films, unlike Spain or France), so you'll get by easily day to day. That said, making the effort to learn a few Portuguese basics — obrigado/a, bom dia, uma imperial se faz favor — is deeply appreciated and genuinely changes the experience. The language tandems organised by ESN Porto are a great way to progress fast.

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