{"id":98917,"date":"2026-03-30T17:06:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T17:06:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mozambique\/all-news\/mozambican-students-in-portugal-face-visa-and-rent-issues"},"modified":"2026-03-30T17:48:53","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T17:48:53","slug":"mozambican-students-in-portugal-face-visa-and-rent-issues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mozambique\/all-news\/mozambican-students-in-portugal-face-visa-and-rent-issues","title":{"rendered":"Mozambican Students in Portugal Face Visa and Rent Issues"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

What You Need to Know<\/h4>\n

Students from Mozambique and other PALOP countries studying in Portugal are facing significant challenges, including delayed visas, high accommodation costs, and curricular differences. These issues lead to mental health struggles and academic setbacks, prompting calls for better support and integration from educational institutions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Africa-Press – Mozambique. <\/strong> <\/span>Students from Portuguese-speaking African countries (PALOP) studying in Portugal are struggling with delayed visas, unaffordable accommodation and curricular differences that they say turn their academic ambitions into a fight for survival and mental health, according to several students speaking to Lusa.<\/p>\n

Bilkic\u0327a Ca\u0302mara, a Guinean student at the Faculty of Letters of the University of Lisbon, described to Lusa a reality in which academic success is often overshadowed by a struggle for survival and documentary regularisation affecting the majority of international students, particularly those from the PALOP countries.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is not one or two or three people going through this, it is the vast majority of students who enter through the special regime,\u201d she said, explaining that delays in visa issuance mean that many arrive in Portugal in December or March, when semesters are already nearly completed.<\/p>\n

This obstacle also affects students from other Lusophone countries.<\/p>\n

Beatriz Pires, a former student of the Faculty of Letters who came from Sa\u0303o Paulo, Brazil, said that documentation was the greatest hurdle, leaving her unable to study for around six months.<\/p>\n

According to Bilkic\u0327a Ca\u0302mara, students arrive so late that they cannot complete the first year due to too many pending courses, and many who arrive in March, halfway through the second semester, drop out.<\/p>\n

This late arrival generates \u201ctotal discouragement\u201d and mental health conditions described as \u201ccompletely destructive,\u201d said the Guinean student, who accompanies colleagues to psychology consultations.<\/p>\n

Ce\u0301line Machaieie, a Mozambican student at the Instituto Superior Te\u0301cnico, reported that her visa took almost two months, resulting in a first semester \u201cpractically lost.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt several points I even thought about giving up and returning to my country,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Beyond bureaucracy, financial barriers are another obstacle, as private rental rooms cost around \u201c\u20ac400 or \u20ac500,\u201d amounts unaffordable for students who arrive alone.<\/p>\n

This financial pressure pushes many students into precarious work and labour exploitation, where they end up abandoning their studies to support themselves, according to Bilkic\u0327a Ca\u0302mara.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have to choose either to continue with their studies or to work to support themselves. And many end up choosing the second option, which is to work to support themselves,\u201d she lamented.<\/p>\n

The students also highlight differences between the curricula of their home countries and the Portuguese system.<\/p>\n

Bilkic\u0327a Ca\u0302mara criticised the teaching as \u201cvery focused on Europe and the United States,\u201d emphasising that African or Asian perspectives, when taught, are presented from a Eurocentric viewpoint.<\/p>\n

Ce\u0301line also noted that content which in Mozambique would only be covered in higher education is already part of the secondary school curriculum in Portugal, requiring an \u201cextra effort.\u201d<\/p>\n

The students also reported episodes of prejudice, such as exclusion from group work or differentiation because they are Black women.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe work of effective welcoming and integration is not being done. In many universities, students arrive here completely alone, not knowing which way to turn. I do not see universities dedicating their time to show students around the faculty, or to provide mentoring or tutoring,\u201d said Bilkic\u0327a Ca\u0302mara.<\/p>\n

Beatriz Pires confirmed this view and said that support only comes from the students themselves, who have created groups to help those going through the same experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know exactly what exclusion is, what it is like to have a teacher who says we do not know how to write,\u201d said the Brazilian student.<\/p>\n

In response, they call for concrete measures from higher education institutions. Ce\u0301line and Bilkic\u0327a suggest open days and mentoring, as well as support classes to bridge curricular differences.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere must be greater awareness and recognition that these students face difficulties, they have just arrived, they are here alone, and they need to be integrated academically, socially, and culturally,\u201d said the Guinean student, concluding, \u201cIt is no use wanting foreign students (…) if they do not work seriously to integrate and support these students.\u201d<\/p>\n

The challenges faced by Mozambican students in Portugal are part of a broader issue affecting many international students from Portuguese-speaking African countries (PALOP). These students often encounter bureaucratic hurdles that delay their arrival and hinder their academic progress, exacerbated by financial pressures and cultural differences in education systems. The situation highlights the need for universities to provide better support and integration for these students, ensuring they can thrive in their new environment.<\/p>\n

Find more news and analyses on Mozambique<\/span> on the Africa Press<\/span> website<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What You Need to Know Students from Mozambique and other PALOP countries studying in Portugal are facing significant challenges, including delayed visas, high accommodation costs, and curricular differences. These issues lead to mental health struggles and academic setbacks, prompting calls for better support and integration from educational institutions. Africa-Press – Mozambique. Students from Portuguese-speaking African […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":98916,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3],"tags":[3286,283,404,8491,8492],"class_list":["post-98917","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-community","tag-mental-health","tag-mozambique","tag-portugal","tag-student-issues","tag-visa-delays"],"yoast_head":"\nMozambican Students in Portugal Face Visa and Rent Issues - Mozambique<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Mozambican students in Portugal face visa delays and high rents, impacting their academic success and mental health.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mozambique\/all-news\/mozambican-students-in-portugal-face-visa-and-rent-issues\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mozambican Students in Portugal Face Visa and Rent Issues\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Mozambican students in Portugal face visa delays and high rents, impacting their academic success and mental health.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mozambique\/all-news\/mozambican-students-in-portugal-face-visa-and-rent-issues\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Mozambique\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-03-30T17:06:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-30T17:48:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/mozambique\/sites\/64\/2026\/03\/sm_1774892346.700787.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"444\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mozambique\/all-news\/mozambican-students-in-portugal-face-visa-and-rent-issues#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mozambique\/all-news\/mozambican-students-in-portugal-face-visa-and-rent-issues\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mozambique\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Mozambican Students in Portugal Face Visa and Rent Issues\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-30T17:06:10+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-30T17:48:53+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mozambique\/all-news\/mozambican-students-in-portugal-face-visa-and-rent-issues\"},\"wordCount\":794,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mozambique\/all-news\/mozambican-students-in-portugal-face-visa-and-rent-issues#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/mozambique\/sites\/64\/2026\/03\/sm_1774892346.700787.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"mental health\",\"Mozambique\",\"Portugal\",\"student issues\",\"visa delays\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"community\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mozambique\/all-news\/mozambican-students-in-portugal-face-visa-and-rent-issues#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mozambique\/all-news\/mozambican-students-in-portugal-face-visa-and-rent-issues\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mozambique\/all-news\/mozambican-students-in-portugal-face-visa-and-rent-issues\",\"name\":\"Mozambican Students in Portugal Face Visa and Rent Issues - 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