Good to know
Good to Know
- Cascais/Lisbon-area international schools are consistently pricier than the Portugal-wide average, and headline tuition rarely tells the whole story — registration fees, meals, transport, uniforms, and devices commonly add €1,000–5,000+ per year on top.
- Several of the schools expat families in Cascais actually use — TASIS, CAISL — are technically in neighboring Sintra (roughly 20–25 minutes' drive), not walkable from central Cascais, but are treated as part of the same school-commute corridor by local families.
- Application windows for the following academic year typically open between October and January, so plan ahead if you're relocating for a September start.
- If budget is tight, some public secondary schools (e.g. Escola Secundária de São João do Estoril) offer bilingual Portuguese-English strands at no cost, though instruction is primarily in Portuguese and integration support varies.
- Fee schedules change year to year — treat all figures here as a planning guide and always confirm current-year pricing directly with the school before budgeting.
- For the bigger international schools around Cascais (St. Dominic's, St. Julian's), don't assume you can enroll a month before term starts for a popular grade — start the process 6–12 months ahead if you can, even though technically many schools describe admissions as 'rolling'.
- Smaller schools like IPS Cascais and the International Christian School of Cascais are genuinely more flexible about admission timing and mid-year starts than the bigger campuses.
- If you're considering the official Portuguese homeschooling route (Ensino Doméstico), start the foreign-degree recognition process with DGES immediately — this single bureaucratic step is commonly the longest bottleneck and can take many months.
- Many expat families sidestep the Portuguese homeschooling bureaucracy entirely by using an accredited international online school instead — legal, but be aware the resulting education isn't formally recognized within the Portuguese system if you plan to integrate into it later.
- We could not confirm a standalone, in-person homeschooling co-op based specifically in Cascais — homeschooling support in the area seems to run through national associations (ANPED, MEL) and informal, broader Lisbon-region expat groups rather than a dedicated local group.
Schools
St. Julian's School
- Founded
- 1932 — one of the oldest international schools in Portugal
- Location
- Carcavelos (within Cascais municipality, short drive from Cascais center)
- Curriculum
- British (English National Curriculum through IGCSE and A-Levels) plus the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme, with Portuguese studies included
- Ages Grades
- Nursery through Sixth Form (roughly age 3–18)
Tuition
- Starting Annual Fee
- €12,693
- Note
- 2025/26 tuition starts at the figure below for the youngest year groups; fees rise for older grades, and lunches are billed separately (around €1,209–€1,410/year depending on year group).
King's College School, Cascais
- Part Of
- Inspired Education Group (global premium schools group)
- Location
- Rua Cesário Verde, Cascais — new campus inaugurated September 2025
- Curriculum
- Cambridge International curriculum through Year 11, with a Bilingual Portuguese–English programme up to Year 5; the school is a Candidate School working toward IB Diploma Programme authorization for Years 12–13
- Ages Grades
- Early Years Foundation Stage (age 1) through Year 12/13
Tuition
- Lower Years Annual
- €11,754
- Upper Years Annual
- €15,576
- Note
- Published 2025/26 tuition; figures vary somewhat by source, likely reflecting different fee-schedule snapshots.
Alternate Range Cited
- Low
- €10,431
- High
- €16,590
TASIS Portugal
- Location
- Quinta da Beloura, Linhó, Sintra (roughly 20–25 min drive from central Cascais — outside strict walkable range but commonly used by Cascais-based expat families)
- Curriculum
- American curriculum (High School Diploma with AP courses) with an optional IB Diploma track
- Ages Grades
- Age 3–18 (Pre-K to Grade 12)
- Founded Context
- Part of the international TASIS network founded in 1956; this Portugal campus opened in 2020
Tuition
- Currency Local
- EUR
- Amount USD Range
- 14,859–30,861
- Amount Local Range
- 13,000–27,000
St. Dominic's International School
- Location
- São Domingos de Rana (part of Cascais municipality)
- Curriculum
- Full International Baccalaureate continuum — Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme, and Diploma Programme — taught entirely in English
- Ages Grades
- Age 3–18
- Notes
- Multicultural student body; popular among IB-seeking families, including many Brazilian expat families in the area.
Carlucci American International School of Lisbon (CAISL)
- Location
- Linhó, Sintra (near TASIS, short drive from Cascais)
- Curriculum
- American High School Diploma for all students, with an optional IB Diploma Programme in Grades 11–12
- Ages Grades
- Pre-K through Grade 12
- Notes
- Enrolled 755 students from 62 nationalities at the start of the 2025–2026 school year.
IPS Cascais British International School
- Location
- Bicesse, just north of Cascais
- Curriculum
- National Curriculum for England, adapted internationally, with Cambridge IGCSE in Years 10–11; a Sixth Form with Cambridge A-Levels is planned. Portuguese and Dutch language provision and EAL support included in Primary.
- Ages Grades
- Age 3–16 currently, with a new secondary campus due to open September 2026 to extend to Year 13
Tuition
- Registration One Off
- €4,000
- Annual Enrolment Charge
- €925
- First Year All In Example Age 3
- €15,999
Per Term Examples
- Year 10
- €5,610
- Reception
- €3,612
- Years 1 2
- €4,514
- Years 8 9
- €5,343
- Nursery 5 Full Days
- €3,541
St. George's British International School
- Location
- Rua dos Depósitos de Água, Cascais
- Curriculum
- Cambridge curriculum, bilingual in English and Portuguese, preparing students for IGCSE and A-Levels
- Ages Grades
- Not fully specified in available sources; spans primary through secondary
Aprendizes (International Active Learning School)
- Location
- Central Cascais
- Students
- Around 500 students from roughly 38 nationalities, predominantly Portuguese, Brazilian, and British
- Curriculum
- Bilingual, project-based model: Portuguese National Curriculum in Early Years and Primary (with daily English, arts, and social-emotional learning), transitioning to a Cambridge pathway in Secondary (IGCSEs and A-Levels/AICE)
- Ages Grades
- Age 3–18
Tuition
- Currency Local
- EUR
- Amount USD Range
- 12,116–19,202
- Amount Local Range
- 10,600–16,800
- Note
- 2025/26 figures; food included in fees.
PaRK International School
- Location
- Main campus in Alfragide (near Lisbon) with a Cascais campus
- Curriculum
- Bilingual Portuguese–English model plus full IB continuum (PYP, MYP, DP)
- Ages Grades
- Age 3–18 (up to Grade 12)
Tuition
- Currency Local
- EUR
- Amount USD Range
- 9,716–20,574
- Amount Local Range
- 8,500–18,000
- Note
- Figures reflect the Alfragide campus; Cascais campus pricing not separately published in sources found.
Brave Generation Academy
- Location
- Cascais campus (part of a multi-campus Lisbon-area network)
- Curriculum
- Hybrid education model preparing students for IGCSE, A-Levels, and a US Diploma
- Ages Grades
- Not fully specified in available sources
International Christian School of Cascais
- Founded
- 1980
- Location
- Cascais
- Curriculum
- American curriculum taught in English, delivered within a Protestant Christian ethos; accredited by the National Association of Private Schools and a member of the Association of Christian Schools International
- Ages Grades
- Pre-kindergarten through Grade 12
- Class Size Note
- Average class size capped around 12 students
Tuition
- Currency Local
- EUR
- Amount USD Range
- 9,144–13,716
- Amount Local Range
- 8,000–12,000
Escola Secundária De São João Do Estoril (Public, Bilingual Strand)
- Cost
- Free — this is a public Portuguese school, not a fee-charging international school
- Location
- Estoril, adjacent to Cascais
- Curriculum
- Portuguese national curriculum with bilingual Portuguese–English tracks offered in selected subjects
- Notes
- An option for expat families wanting to integrate into the Portuguese public system while keeping some English-language instruction.
Typical Cost Ranges
Primary Middle School Annual
- Currency Local
- EUR
- Amount USD Range
- 11,430–20,574
- Amount Local Range
- 10,000–18,000
Kindergarten Early Years Annual
- Currency Local
- EUR
- Amount USD Range
- 6,858–13,716
- Amount Local Range
- 6,000–12,000
High School Diploma Years Annual
- Currency Local
- EUR
- Amount USD Range
- 17,145–25,146
- Amount Local Range
- 15,000–22,000
Typical One Off Registration Fee
- Currency Local
- EUR
- Amount USD Range
- 572–4,572
- Amount Local Range
- 500–4,000
Homeschooling
- Legal Status
- Fully legal and regulated
- National Framework
- Homeschooling (Ensino Doméstico) is legal nationwide under Decreto-Lei n.º 70/2021, and is one of the more heavily regulated homeschooling systems in Europe rather than a loosely-tolerated option.
- Expat Alternative Path
- Many expat families instead enroll their child in an accredited international online/curriculum school (e.g. following a British or American curriculum). Because the child is never entered in the Portuguese school system, this route is not governed by Decreto-Lei n.º 70/2021 and offers more administrative simplicity, but the resulting education is not formally recognized within the Portuguese system.
- Cascais Specific Note
- We could not confirm a dedicated, documented homeschooling co-op physically based in Cascais itself. One advisory source describes Cascais, along with the Algarve, as an area where local school boards are more used to processing homeschool requests from expat families and tend to be more familiar with the law — but this comes from a relocation-advisory blog rather than an official source, so treat it as a general impression rather than a verified fact.
Core Requirements
- The 'Responsável Educativo' (the parent or household member who will teach) must hold a university degree (licenciatura) — a foreign degree must first be officially recognized in Portugal through DGES, a process that can take several months to over a year.
- The child must remain formally enrolled with a supervising public (or private) school, which oversees the arrangement even though teaching happens at home.
- Parents must submit a written request/education plan to that school; the school and family then sign an annual, renewable 'Protocolo de Colaboração' (collaboration protocol) covering curriculum, assessment methods, and meeting frequency.
- Children sit mandatory annual assessments at the supervising school to demonstrate progress, with national exams in Portuguese typically becoming mandatory around Year 9.
- An alternative, 'Ensino Individual,' allows a licensed teacher (rather than a family member) to deliver the at-home instruction under the same regulatory framework, for families where no household member holds a qualifying degree.
Regional And National Support Groups
- ANPED (Associação Nacional de Pais em Ensino Doméstico) — the national homeschool parents' association, providing legal guidance nationwide.
- MEL (Movimento Educação Livre) — a national nonprofit offering legal advice and curriculum support to homeschooling families.
- DGE (Direção-Geral da Educação) — publishes the official government guidance on Ensino Doméstico and Ensino Individual.
- Broader Lisbon-area expat homeschooling groups (mentioned in independent family blogs) reportedly organize meetups covering the wider Lisbon/Sintra/Cascais commuter belt, but we could not independently verify these as active, Cascais-specific, ongoing communities.
International Bilingual Enrollment
- Practical Tip
- Contact each school directly rather than relying on published policy pages — several schools explicitly say enrollment procedures and availability should be confirmed directly with admissions staff, since actual space can change quickly.
- Overall Pattern
- Most international/bilingual schools serving Cascais operate rolling admissions rather than a single hard annual deadline, but the largest, most established schools effectively have informal waitlists for popular grade levels because demand from relocating expat families is high.
- How Far In Advance To Apply
- There is no single Cascais-wide deadline. For the smaller/faith-based/British schools mentioned above, rolling, mid-year entry is realistic and commonly used by relocating families. For the larger, longer-established schools, applying 6–12 months before the intended August start is the safer approach for competitive grade levels (e.g. entry years, Grade 1, and exam-track years), since seats in popular years fill first on a rolling basis even without a formal priority round.
School Specific Notes
IPS Cascais (British International School)
- Admissions Style
- Rolling, first-come-first-served depending on availability, with interviews held throughout the year.
- Note
- Places are mainly awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, depending on availability, with priority given to children whose first language is not Portuguese or who have had the majority of their education in English.
International Christian School of Cascais (ICSC)
- Admissions Style
- No fixed enrollment period; admissions run year-round.
- Note
- The school does not have a designated enrolment period because it works with small groups, admitting students continually until a class is full, though renewals for returning students are prioritized over new applicants.
- School
- St. Dominic's International School / St. Julian's School (larger, longer-established schools)
- Admissions Style
- Not confirmed with a published fixed deadline in our research, but these are the largest, most in-demand schools in the area (roughly 1,000+ students each), so popular grade levels are the most likely to have genuine waitlists.
- Note
- Treat these two as the schools where applying earliest matters most; smaller schools like IPS and ICSC have more flexible, later-entry admissions.
Required Documents Typical
- Valid passport or national ID for the child (and often parents)
- Academic records / previous school transcripts or report cards
- Proof of residency in the Cascais area
- Health/immunization records
- Proof of English (or relevant language) proficiency for older grades
- Some schools schedule a written assessment and/or student interview; for younger children this is often replaced by an informal classroom observation
Typical Extra Enrollment Costs
- Note
- This range covers registration/application fees plus first-year extras like uniforms, meals, transport, and activities — separate from the annual tuition itself, which runs roughly €8,000–€25,000/year depending on school and grade.
Registration And Related Fees Range
- Low
- €1,000
- High
- €5,000
Cascais and its immediate metro area (including Carcavelos, São Domingos de Rana, Bicesse, and neighboring Sintra) host one of Portugal's densest concentrations of international and bilingual schools, reflecting a large long-term expat and diplomatic community. Curricula on offer include British (National Curriculum/IGCSE/A-Levels), American (High School Diploma/AP), International Baccalaureate (PYP/MYP/DP), Cambridge International, and Portuguese-bilingual hybrid models. Tuition generally runs higher than the Portugal-wide average, with premium British and American schools at the top end.
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
This section has no cited sources.
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Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.