Accommodation (Where will you live) & Phone Number
Internet & Phone Number
Profile 1: EU/EEA Student (Smooth Transition)
Phase 1: Pre-arrival and first days
- European Roaming: You can use the minutes and internet from your current subscription in your home country, at no extra cost.
- Additional data solution: If your roaming traffic is limited and you want dedicated internet as soon as you land, install a data eSIM through Airalo Portugal before your departure. You do not need Portuguese documents for activation.
Phase 2: Post-arrival (After obtaining your NIF)
- Classic Operators: For a local phone number, recommended for interaction with the university or landlords, you can go to the national operators (MEO, Vodafone, NOS).
- Special offers for young people: Request "under-25" subscriptions (Yorn from Vodafone or Moche from MEO) use the ID and NIF obtained at Finanças. You can also check out the new operator Digi Portugal's offers for very low prices in major cities.
Profile 2: Non-EU Student (Emergency Connectivity)
Phase 1: Pre-arrival (MANDATORY: Airalo eSIM)
- The barrier of lack of roaming: Your card from your home country will have huge roaming rates in Portugal, and at the airport you cannot buy or local card without passport and formalities.
- HubStudentsEurope solution: It is critical to buy and activate a mobile data package through our partner Airalo Portugal 24 hours before your flight. It gives you instant internet upon landing for maps, Uber or WhatsApp, without asking for your NIF or documents from Portugal.
Phase 2: Post-arrival (Emergency Prepaid with Passport)
- Legal registration: Portuguese law prohibits anonymous cards. In the first few days, physically go to an authorized store (Vodafone, MEO, NOS) and buy a simple prepaid card, presenting the physical Pass for scanning and legal registration.
Phase 3: Complete subscription (After obtaining the NIF and Bank Account)
- The upgrade: Once you have the NIF completed (through the digital trigger on our platform) and the account at ActivoBank, you can switch from expensive prepaid cards to advantageous youth subscriptions or plans offered by Digi Portugal, linking the direct payment to your bank account.
Accommodation (Where will you live)
Portuguese universities have extremely limited places in their own dormitories, making the private market very competitive.
- University Dormitories: Managed by the university social services (SAS). Prices between €255 - €550 / month (cheapest, but hard to get).
- Premium Private Residences: Chains like Livensa Living or Xior Student Housing offer all-inclusive rooms (gym, utilities included, cleaning) in Lisbon, Porto and Coimbra.
- Private Rentals (Quartos): Recommended platforms like Uniplaces and HousingAnywhere . Rooms in shared apartments (WG-style) cost between €400 - €800 / month.
- Contract signing condition: Generating the NIF is mandatory for the legal registration of the rental contract (arrendamente).
University Dormitories Managed by SAS (Serviços de Ação Social)
Although it is the most affordable option from a budget perspective, it is a logistical minefield for international students. Here is the raw reality, the application deadlines and the differentiated process depending on your profile.
Reality Check: What You Need to Know First
Shortage of Places: Portuguese public universities have an acute shortage of beds. Priority is given by law to Portuguese students receiving state social scholarships (*bolseiros*).
Traditional Atmosphere: Rooms are usually shared (2 to 4 students), kitchens are shared, and bathrooms are often shared across the entire floor.
Real Costs (€255 - €550 / month): The lower limit (~€255) is reserved exclusively for state scholarship holders. International students, if accepted, almost always pay the higher rate (between €400 and €550), depending on the city and the type of room (single or shared).
Profile 1: EU/EEA international student
European students have a slightly higher chance of securing a place compared to non-EU students, thanks to bilateral agreements and Erasmus mobility frameworks.
Application period: Crucial detail! Applications open well in advance of arrival (usually between June and August for the winter semester). You must apply directly through the SAS portal of the respective university (e.g. SASUP for Porto, SASUL for Lisbon).
Documents required for upload: In order to process your application, the SAS portal will ask you to upload:
- Proof of Enrolment (Declaração de Matrícula) obtained in the previous Step.
- European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).
- Financial note: At this stage you do not need a Portuguese bank account yet. The first month's deposit can be paid by international bank transfer (SEPA) or in cash directly upon arrival.
Profile 2: International student from outside the EU (Third Countries)
For students from outside the EU, admission to a public university residence is incredibly rare. It is vital to understand the rules of the game to avoid major bottlenecks.
- Enrollment status: Non-EU students are classified as "International Students" (Estudante Internacional). This means that you pay full tuition fees and are automatically placed at the bottom of the priority list for state residences.
- Waiting list trap: Many universities will place non-EU students on a waiting list that is only updated after the semester officially starts (October/November).
CRITICAL ALERT HubStudentsEurope: Do not rely on the SAS waiting list for your D4 visa application! The Portuguese Consulate requires a firm, concrete and already finalized proof of accommodation. If you send a certificate showing that you are on a waiting list, your visa will be rejected on the spot. It is mandatory to book a confirmed temporary accommodation or a room in a private residence.
The Safe Alternative HubStudentsEurope
Since places in public dormitories are extremely difficult to obtain and involve major visa risks, we recommend that you secure a room through:
- Premium Private Residences (Livensa Living, Xior): All-inclusive options (utilities, Wi-Fi, gym and cleaning included in the price), ideal for the visa application and a stress-free installation.
Although you can NOT submit a single application valid for all universities (each university manages its forms separately through its own SAS portal), the Portuguese Ministry of Education provides the official platform Observatório do Alojamento Estudantil - DGES.
What you can do there:
- You can check the total number of public beds available in your city and if they are already occupied.
- You can consult the official list of Protocolos de Alojamento DGES – government partnerships with local hotels or hostels that offer reduced rates for students when the classic dormitories are full.
Premium Private Residences
Livensa Living
If you want to completely eliminate bureaucracy, the risk of running out of space and want top conditions, private residence chains are the ideal solution. Livensa Living is the largest operator in Portugal, with modern campuses in Lisbon, Porto and Coimbra.
What does their All-Inclusive package include?
-Zero worries about bills: Water, electricity, gas, high-speed Wi-Fi internet and air conditioning (essential for Portuguese winters) are fully included in the monthly price.
Xior Student Housing
A Belgian public, private real estate company specializing in premium student accommodation. Unlike SAS (Serviços de Ação Social) dormitories that are state-subsidized and very cheap, Xior operates as a private all-inclusive business, offering excellent conditions but at considerably higher prices.
The company operates in over 40 university cities in 8 European countries, including Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Germany, Denmark and Sweden.
Standard amenities
All Xior complexes are designed as modern student communities, and the monthly rent usually covers all expenses:
- Full utilities: Water, electricity, heating and ultra-fast Wi-Fi included in the price.
- Premium common areas: Modern study rooms, fitness rooms (gym), cinema/TV rooms, laundry and outdoor terraces.
- Security: 24/7 video surveillance, reception and secure access.
- Room types: Fully independent studios (studio with kitchen and private bathroom) or suite rooms (private bathroom but shared kitchen).
Private Rentals (Quartos)
Uniplaces Portugal
If you prefer to live in a shared house with other international students (roommate/WG style) and want a more affordable option than a luxury residence, Uniplaces is the most popular platform in Portugal. You can find thousands of rooms in Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra, Braga and other university cities, with prices ranging from €400 to €800/month.
100% Safe Against Scams (Uniplaces Guarantee System)
The real estate market in Portugal is full of fake ads on social networks. Uniplaces completely eliminates this risk through a simple mechanism:
- Your money for the first month of rent is safely blocked by Uniplaces.
- Once you arrive in Portugal and check in to your room, you have 24 hours to check that everything matches the photos on the website.
- If the property is fake or has serious hidden problems, notify Uniplaces and they will refund your money and help you find something else.
How does it work with Documents and Visa?
- Instant booking from home: You can rent a room online from your home country using only your passport or ID card and a normal bank card. You do not need a Portuguese NIF or bank account at the booking stage.
- Saving for D4 Visa (Non-EU): As soon as the owner accepts your booking, you will receive an Official Uniplaces Accommodation Certificate by email. This document is 100% recognized and accepted by Portuguese consulates for your visa application.
- Subsequent registration of the contract: After you move in, many landlords will ask you for the NIF obtained in Step 1 and the IBAN from Step 2 to officially register the rental contract with the Tax Authorities (Finanças).
HousingAnywhere Portugal
It is another leading international platform, extremely popular among master's students, Erasmus students and young professionals coming to Portugal. It is strongly active in Lisbon and Porto, offering from rooms in shared apartments (colocation) to private studios, with prices ranging from €450 to €850 / month on average.
48-Hour Total Fraud Protection
HousingAnywhere completely eliminates the risk of sending advances to fake landlords on the internet through its secure payment system:
- The payment for the first month of rent is sent to the platform, not directly to the landlord.
- The money remains safely blocked with HousingAnywhere for 48 hours after you actually move into the house.
You have 2 full days to check the room. If the space does not exist or differs significantly from the photos in the ad, the platform blocks your funds, offers you emergency relocation assistance or refunds your money.
How do you proceed with Visa, NIF and Bank Account?
- Easy booking from home: You can rent the space online from your home country, using only your passport/ID card and an international bank card. You do not need Portuguese documents at the time of booking.
- Valid for D4 Visa (Non-EU): As soon as the booking is confirmed, you receive an official payment and confirmation certificate from HousingAnywhere. This PDF is 100% accepted by Portuguese embassies as firm proof of accommodation for the visa application.
- Registration of the contract upon arrival: Since many owners on HousingAnywhere are professional agents or managers, they will request your NIF from Step 1 and your local IBAN from Step 2 immediately upon arrival, in order to legally register the rental contract with the Tax Authorities (Finanças).
