In Portugal, teachers require a professional qualification. This is obtained after having attended and passed an initial teacher training course offered at higher education institutes and universities, structured in accordance with teacher-education profiles. Such courses lead to a master’s degree-level professional qualification according to terms laid down in the law governing teaching qualifications for teachers in pre-school, basic and upper secondary education.  

From pre-school to upper secondary education, teachers belong to the same formal group. The teaching profession is single category. It consists of ten levels, all lasting four years, except for the 5th level which lasts two years.

With regard to key continuous professional development policies and measures (CPD), the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MECI) (Ministério da Educação, Ciência e Inovação - MECI)  has clearly focussed its strategy on consolidating Portuguese teachers’ competences and skills in management and leadership, as well as improving the professional qualifications of those observing classes, which is part of the external assessment of teachers’ scientific and pedagogical performance.

The vital role of vocational training programmes specifically tailored to the needs of the Portuguese education system is recognised. With the clear
and firm aim of enhancing the qualifications of human resources in education, various programmes in the field of training for school leaders, with particular emphasis on training programmes aimed at school headteachers and training programmes for external assessors of the scientific and pedagogical aspects of teacher performance evaluation, as specified below.

The 25th Constitutional Government resumed negotiations with trade unions on the revision of the statute governing the teaching profession (Estatuto da Carreira Docente - ECD), and the relevant negotiation protocol was signed on 19th November 2025 by 10 of the 12 trade union organisations. Through the revision of the ECD, the Government aims to make the teaching profession more attractive, stable, transparent and equitable. 
Education faces a structural challenge of teacher shortages in certain areas of the country, a pressure that is likely to intensify given the age profile of teaching staff in pre-school, primary and secondary education: around 60% of teachers are aged 50 or over and 26% are aged 60 or over.
In this context, the Government asked Nova School of Business and Economics to update the 2021 "Diagnostic Study of Teaching Staff Requirements", which identified a need to recruit around 20,000 teachers by the 2029–2030 academic year and around 39,000 by 2034–2035. Although the number of graduates from teacher training courses has been increasing in recent years, it remains significantly below estimated requirements.
Furthermore, the provision of training shows significant regional disparities, with a higher concentration in the Central and Northern regions, which contributes to exacerbating teacher shortages in the regions of Lisboa, the Península de Setúbal  and the Algarve.
Against this backdrop, the Government has been adopting a set of measures aimed at strengthening the capacity for initial teacher training and aligning training provision with the needs of the education system, notably through cooperation mechanisms with higher education institutions.

The career statute for kindergarten teachers and basic and upper secondary school teachers is regulated by Decree-Law No 139-A/90, 28 April, as amended by Decree-Law No 1/98, 2 January, Decree-Law No 121/2005, 26 July, Decree-Law No 229/05, 29 December, and Decree-Law No 15/2007, of 19 January, as republished by Decree-Law No 270/2009 , of 19 January. Decree-Law No 121/2005, 26 July, Decree-Law No 229/05, 29 December, and Decree-Law No 15/2007, 19 January, republished by Decree-Law No 270/2009, 30 September, amended by Decree-Law No 75/2010, 23 June, and by Decree-Law No 41/2012, 21 February.

Higher education institutions, within the scope of their autonomy, must ensure that they have a permanent teaching staff that benefits from enhanced job security, in appropriate numbers and in accordance with the respective Statute on University Teaching Careers (ECDU) and the Statute on the Career of Teaching Staff in Polytechnic Higher Education (ECDESP), which regulate the rights and duties of teaching staff in public higher education institutions in Portugal. These statutes legally establish the rules regarding the categories and duties of teaching staff, their recruitment, status, rights and duties, which include remuneration and pension rights.