Portugal student housing: Guide to finding accommodation and support

Students preparing for the upcoming academic year in Portugal face significant challenges in finding housing due to high rental prices, demands for advance payments, and intense competition for available spaces.

According to the Direção-Geral do Ensino Superior (DGES), a student is classified as a ‘displaced student’ if the distance between their residence and their place of study requires them to live in or near the university location. This status is also determined by the lack of viable public transportation or incompatible schedules between the two locations.

Displaced students may be eligible for financial aid to assist with rent. Furthermore, scholarship recipients with displaced status receive priority in the allocation of housing within university Social Action Services (SAS) residences, though these spots are not exclusively reserved for them.