· 6 min read
Learn Portuguese for Free: Official Options
By Language Lab editorial team
Learn Portuguese for free with Portugal's official Plataforma de Português Online, 24 modules at levels A and B, plus the BBC's archived Portuguese lessons.
The best free way to start European Portuguese is a government one. Portugal's migration agency, AIMA, runs the Plataforma de Português Online, a free self-study platform for adult speakers of other languages. It is organised in two levels, A and B, with 24 functional thematic modules in text, audio, video and image, and its interface is available in Portuguese, English, Arabic and Spanish. It gives no certificate; it is for practice and for building everyday vocabulary and grammar. The BBC's archived Portuguese pages add a beginner course called Talk Portuguese and holiday phrases with audio. Portuguese is also quick for English speakers: the US State Department lists it at 24 weeks of classes. One caution: on the day we checked, the platform was offline for maintenance.
The free options at a glance
| Resource | Who runs it | What you get | Variety |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plataforma de Português Online | AIMA, Portugal's agency for integration, migration and asylum | 24 thematic modules at levels A and B; text, audio, video and image; free access | European Portuguese |
| Talk Portuguese | BBC (archived) | An online course for beginners | Not stated on the index page |
| Portuguese Quick Fix | BBC (archived) | Holiday phrases to listen to, read, print and download | Not stated on the page |
| Brazil Inside Out | BBC (archived) | Features on carnival, music and football with transcripts in Portuguese | About Brazil |
| CAPLE example exams | University of Lisbon | Examples of the official Portuguese exams | European Portuguese |
Portugal's official platform
AIMA describes the Plataforma de Português Online as content for the acquisition of European Portuguese by adult speakers of other languages. It is a self-learning tool that lets you practise the language and learn and extend the vocabulary and grammar that are useful in daily life.
- Two levels: level A and level B.
- 24 functional thematic modules.
- Formats: text, audio, video and image.
- Interface languages: Portuguese, English, Arabic and Spanish.
- Cost: access is free.
- Certificate: none. AIMA states that the platform does not confer any kind of certification.
When we checked on 13 October 2026, the platform's address showed an AIMA notice that the page was under maintenance. If you find the same, try again later; the description page on AIMA's site remained online.
The BBC archive
The BBC's Languages site is archived and no longer updated, but its Portuguese pages are still online. They list Talk Portuguese, an online course for beginners, a guide with facts, 20 key phrases with audio and the alphabet, and Quick Fix lists of essential phrases. Some of the old pages rely on players built for Flash, which may not run in a modern browser.
European or Brazilian Portuguese?
Decide early which variety you are learning, because free material differs. AIMA's platform teaches European Portuguese. Brazil's official exam, Celpe-Bras, and the BBC's Brazil Inside Out belong to the Brazilian side. One difference a beginner meets at once is the word for you: the BBC's guide explains that tu is for people you are on first-name terms with and você is used in other cases, with você more widely used in Brazil.
Why Portuguese is a good bet
- It is in the easiest official group for English speakers: 24 weeks of classes by State Department figures.
- If you know Spanish, Italian or French, you will notice similarities, the BBC's guide says.
- Many words are familiar: televisão, estudante, universidade, mapa, problema.
- Pronunciation mistakes are usually forgiving. The guide notes that some sounds are harder, but mistakes generally will not change what you meant.
- It is spoken in Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique, Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and East Timor.
A free weekly plan
- Four days, 25 minutes: one module of the Plataforma de Português Online, level A.
- Every day, 5 minutes: BBC key phrases aloud, starting with Olá, Obrigado or Obrigada, and Fala inglês?
- Twice a week: recall last week's module from memory before opening it.
- Once a month: try part of a CAPLE example exam at the first levels.
The plan relies on practice testing and distributed practice, the two techniques a 2013 review of learning research rated as high utility. Rereading and highlighting were rated low.
When you want more than free
For tutoring, Portugal's Camões institute offers online Portuguese courses over 12 weeks in self-learning, basic and premium formats, the last two with personal tutoring sessions. For speaking practice at any time, Language Lab's Portuguese course is built around voiced real-life scenarios with an AI tutor.
Frequently asked
Can I learn Portuguese for free?
Yes. Portugal's AIMA offers the Plataforma de Português Online free of charge: 24 thematic modules at levels A and B for adult learners. The BBC's archived Portuguese pages are also free.
Is the Plataforma de Português Online really free?
AIMA's page says access is free. It also says the platform gives no certification.
Does the free platform teach European or Brazilian Portuguese?
European Portuguese. AIMA describes it as content for the acquisition of European Portuguese.
What languages is the platform available in?
Portuguese, English, Arabic and Spanish.
Can I get a certificate from free Portuguese courses?
Not from AIMA's platform. For a certificate you sit an official exam: CAPLE's exams in Portugal or Celpe-Bras in Brazil.
Is Portuguese easy to learn?
It is in the easiest official group for English speakers. The US State Department lists it at 24 weeks of classes.
Sources: AIMA, Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo, Plataforma de Português Online; BBC Languages, Portuguese, A Guide to Portuguese and Portuguese Quick Fix (archived pages); CAPLE, University of Lisbon, Perguntas Frequentes; Camões, I.P., Learning Portuguese; Inep, Celpe-Bras; US Department of State, National Foreign Affairs Training Center, Foreign Language Training; Dunlosky et al., Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 2013. Checked on 13 October 2026. Photo: The Dom Luís I Bridge at night, Porto, Islander61 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons).
