The reimbursement of tuition fees to young workers residing in Portugal began this Tuesday, July 30.
The salary bonus, for which over 158,000 young people applied, can range from 697 euros for each year of undergraduate studies to 1,500 euros for each year of a master’s program. In the case of integrated master’s programs, the amount is 697 euros for the period corresponding to the undergraduate degree and 1,500 euros for the period corresponding to the master’s degree.
The payment is made by the Tax and Customs Authority (AT) via bank transfer to the IBAN associated with the registration of each taxpayer in the AT database. To check the payment status, simply access the ePortugal portal, the Tax Portal, or through the app Tax Situation – Payments, in the Refunds section.
The measure, announced by the previous government led by António Costa and now implemented by the executive of Luís Montenegro, provides for the refund of tuition fees to workers up to 35 years old (those turning 36 in 2024 are not included), who have graduated or obtained a master’s degree in public or private institutions in the year 2023 or later.
It is also a condition that the young people earn income in categories A or B of the IRS (that is, from dependent work or from activities as self-employed workers, commonly known as “green receipts”), which means that the measure only applies from the moment the recent graduate enters the job market. Therefore, it is necessary for workers to have submitted their IRS declaration to the tax authorities “on time.”
Younger individuals cannot also be dependents on someone else’s income declaration, meaning that those whose income is integrated into their parents’ IRS declaration will not receive the salary bonus.
To be entitled to the reimbursement of tuition fees, it was necessary to fill out an online form through the ePortugal website by May 31.
Read here how the salary bonus works.