CIPLE School – the online school that aims to help foreign residents to obtain the Portuguese language certificate, A2 level, required for applying for Portuguese Citizenship/Passport or Permanent Residency, will make this journey smooth and without the hassle and stress, as no exam or exams are needed in the end.

Yes, you read this right, the Portuguese A2 level language certificate is valid for obtaining Portuguese passport/citizenship, without the need to take an exam! Once you have completed the course with CIPLE School and with your CIPLE School certificate, you will be exempt from taking the official A2 Portuguese language exam called CIPLE, organised by the public exam center CAPLE.

Instead, you only need to complete the course! Additionally, this will give you the opportunity to have fun and focus on learning the language, history and culture instead of worrying about passing an exam or exams. Registering is one big hassle on its own and then imagine not passing the exam and having to re-register and going through all this again or again …

CIPLE School is a project created by Portuguese Connection School

Portuguese Connection is one of the most reputable Portuguese language schools for foreigners in the country. Its founders, Marco Sousa (General Manager & Partner) and Joana Paiva (Teaching Coordinator & Partner), launched this initiative to simplify the language learning process for foreign residents through personalised online courses (individual or small group classes) that offer flexible scheduling and easy class cancellation policies.

"Over all these years teaching Portuguese to foreigners (from over 100 different countries), we’ve witnessed how difficult it is - especially for immigrants living outside of Portugal - to secure a spot for the CIPLE exam. In most cases, they even have to travel to Portugal just to take it! With CIPLE School’s online courses, they can learn the language from the comfort of their homes and, at the end, receive the official A2 level certificate required for their Portuguese citizenship application!" - Marco Sousa

This was the main motivation that led the Portuguese Connection team to launch the new CIPLE School brand in 2024!


A highly experienced team in teaching Portuguese to foreigners …

CIPLE School boasts a highly dedicated team of back-office staff and teachers, all with extensive experience in teaching Portuguese as a foreign language. Every teacher holds a Master’s or PhD in Portuguese language education and goes through a rigorous selection and initial training process! They all have years of experience in teaching foreigners from all different backgrounds and levels …

Credits: Supplied Image; Author: Client;

"Given the current shortage of teachers in the market, it’s increasingly challenging to maintain our high standards in recruitment. However, we never compromise on quality and performance!" - Joana Paiva

CIPLE School benefits from the many years of full experience and high qualifications of the Portuguese Connection School staff.

Online Portuguese courses tailored to individual needs!

CIPLE School’s online courses, a total of 150 hours, covering A1 and A2 levels can be taken in small group settings, typically 4–5 students. You can choose the 15-week Intensive Course with 2-hour daily classes (Monday to Friday), or the 25-week Standard Course with 2-hour classes three times a week - for those who prefer a less intensive pace.

Group class times are designed to suit learners from different parts of the world, allowing everyone to join at convenient local times. For those seeking total flexibility in scheduling and the ability to cancel/reschedule classes, private lessons (one-to-one or private group classes) are the most popular option.

"We have many students with demanding professional lives who are constantly traveling. Through our private lessons, they can complete the CIPLE School course at their own pace. Otherwise, they would never be able to learn the language and obtain the A2 certificate needed for their citizenship process, which is one of the biggest goals for our students!" - Marco Sousa

Credits: Supplied Image; Author: Client;

All the online classes are held via Zoom. To enroll in a CIPLE School course, students must meet the following requirements:

● Be 16 years of age or older

● Have a Portuguese residence permit or have started the residence process

● Have a Portuguese Tax Identification Number (NIF)


What’s next?

The CIPLE School team is committed to raising awareness of its online courses among those who hold a residence permit in Portugal and will need to meet the language requirement for Portuguese nationality/permanent residence in the coming years.

"We want foreign residents to learn our language effectively and obtain the A2 certificate required for their nationality or permanent residence application without the bureaucracy and stress of having to pass the official Portuguese language exam, which many people can’t even manage to sign up for. We should be strict in requiring foreign residents to learn our language properly, but we must also simplify access to that learning."

For more information, feel free to contact the CIPLE School team.