Choosing a school in Lisbon: city, coast or Sintra

Lisbon’s international schools are spread across the city, the coastal line and Sintra. A school described as “Lisbon” may be in Carcavelos, Barcarena or Linhó. Decide on the curriculum and likely home area together.

English-medium routes

St. Julian’s in Carcavelos follows British education through IGCSE, then offers the International Baccalaureate (IB). It also has a Portuguese bilingual route. Compare it when British continuity matters and the coastal location works.

St. Dominic’s in São Domingos de Rana offers the full IB sequence: Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma. Oeiras International School in Barcarena does too. From September 2026, Oeiras allocates pupils among three nearby sites, so ask which address applies to each child.

CAISL in Linhó is an American school with Portuguese as a core subject. Older pupils can earn its American high-school diploma and pursue the IB Diploma. Choose it over a British route when US grade continuity matters, provided the Sintra commute is realistic.

TASIS Portugal in Quinta da Beloura also begins from an American academic base. Its secondary route moves through IGCSE to the IB Diploma. United Lisbon is the English-medium option in Lisbon proper, progressing through International Primary and Middle Years curricula to the IB Diploma or the school’s own graduate award.

These schools publish fees in different ways. Some current annual amounts are available only in a separate schedule or quotation. Request the full 2026–27 cost, including application, enrolment, capital and transport charges.

French, German and Portuguese education

Lycée Français Charles Lepierre near Amoreiras follows the French national curriculum through the baccalauréat. Its 2026–27 tariff separates French, Portuguese and other EU citizens from other nationalities and adds a first-registration charge.

Deutsche Schule Lissabon provides German education through the German International Abitur. It is a day school in Telheiras, not a German-language stream inside an IB school.

Colégio São João de Brito in Lumiar is a Jesuit Portuguese school leading to Portuguese qualifications. Its published 2026–27 fees use ten monthly payments. It belongs in the comparison if long-term integration into Portuguese education is more important than a portable international curriculum.

Make the search practical

Start with three questions: which qualification should the child hold, how much Portuguese should be part of daily learning, and which corridor can the household use every school day? Then ask each school about entry assessment, language support and the current-year place in the relevant grade.

Do not transfer a 2026 application date into a 2027 plan. Do not assume that “day school” includes transport from Lisbon. Test the route to the precise campus during the morning journey.

The Lisbon hub locates the schools. If your home search is already around Cascais, use the Cascais guide too. The Portugal guide explains the national system and alternatives outside this shortlist.

Friendly orientation, not formal admissions advice. Always confirm dates with the school.