CIPLE Exam Dates 2026

The CIPLE (Certificado Inicial de Português Língua Estrangeira) is the A2-level Portuguese exam most people take for citizenship. CAPLE, the body at the University of Lisbon that runs it, sets a calendar of sittings each year. Below is the 2026 calendar for CAPLE's own University of Lisbon centre, with the registration window for each date. Most centres in Portugal follow these dates; centres abroad vary, which the next section explains.

Two things are worth knowing before you read the table. Places at each centre are limited (the University of Lisbon's own centre, for example, takes 175 a session), and registration opens and closes on set dates rather than staying open until the exam. Popular centres fill well before the deadline, which is the whole reason it pays to know when a window opens rather than finding out after it has closed.

The 2026 CIPLE calendar

Registration opens at 15h00 Lisbon time on the day shown.

Not every centre offers every date

The table above is the University of Lisbon's own 2026 calendar. Centres outside Portugal typically offer the May, July, and November sittings, and each sets its own exact date within that month, which can differ from Lisbon's by several days. The University of Valencia, for example, ran its 2026 sittings on 12 to 14 May and 3 to 5 November, while Lisbon sat on 16 May and 7 November. Registration deadlines are often shared even when the exam day is not, and places (and sometimes the fee) differ from one centre to the next.

So treat this page as the map, not the final word. Once you have chosen a test centre, confirm that centre's exact date and deadline on the official CAPLE site before you plan anything around it.

How the registration window works

Each sitting follows the same rhythm:

• Registration opens several weeks before the exam, at 15h00 Lisbon time. The lead time varies by session, from about four weeks to ten.
• It closes roughly two weeks before the exam, or earlier if the centre fills first.
• Payment is due within 24 hours of registering, or the place is released.

That short gap between opening and closing, plus limited places at each centre, is why so many people miss a sitting. You do not need to refresh the CAPLE site every day for months. Set up a free alert for the centres you care about and you will hear the moment a window opens.

Ready to register? Our step-by-step guide to registering for CIPLE walks through the form, the ID rules, and the payment.

Before you rely on these dates

CAPLE can adjust its calendar, and international centres set their own logistics. These dates were checked against the official University of Lisbon exam calendar in July 2026. Always confirm the specific date and deadline for your centre on the official CAPLE website, caple.letras.ulisboa.pt, before registering.