How to Register for CIPLE

Registering for the CIPLE exam is not complicated, but a few details trip people up, and one of them (the ID number) can cost you your place on exam day. This guide walks through the whole process and flags the parts worth slowing down for.

One thing to settle first: register only through official channels. For most sittings that is the CAPLE website (CAPLE is the University of Lisbon body that runs the exam); some centres abroad take registrations through their own official page instead, and their entry in the centre directory will point you there. Either way, the only thing you pay is the exam fee. If a separate site asks you to pay it to handle your CIPLE registration, it is not official.

What you need before you start

Have these ready and the form takes about fifteen minutes:

The ID document you will bring on exam day (passport, citizen card, or residence permit), with its number to hand.
A working email address you check, the confirmation goes there.
A card to pay the fee. Payment is due within 24 hours of registering.
Your chosen centre and date. If you have not picked one, browse the exam centres and check the 2026 exam dates first.

The six steps

Open the official registration site. For most sittings that is CAPLE, at caple.letras.ulisboa.pt. A few centres abroad register through their own official page instead, so check your centre's listing.
Choose CIPLE, your country, and your centre. CIPLE is the A2 level, the one accepted for citizenship. Select it, then your country and the centre where you want to sit.
Pick an available date. Places are limited and popular centres fill early. If the date you want shows as full, you will need another date or another centre.
Complete the form. Enter your ID number exactly as printed on the document you will bring. A mismatch here is the most common reason people are turned away at the door.
Pay within 24 hours. The fee is 85 euros for the standard sitting (centres outside Portugal may charge more). Pay inside the 24-hour window or the place is released.
Save your confirmation. You will get an email with a registration number. Keep it, and check spam if it is slow to arrive.

The three things people get wrong

The ID number has to match, exactly. The number on your registration must be identical to the document you present on the day. If you register with a passport number, bring that passport. Renewing your ID between registering and the exam can leave you with a mismatch, so use a document that will still be valid.

The 24-hour payment window is real. Registering does not hold your place. Payment does. Miss the window and the form is gone, along with the place if the sitting fills in the meantime.

The fee is non-refundable. There are no refunds for withdrawing or not showing up. Only register once you are sure of the date.

Register before the window closes

The hardest part of CIPLE registration is often just being there when it opens. Registration runs for a short window before each sitting, and places can go before it closes. Instead of checking the CAPLE site for weeks, set up a free alert and you will know the moment registration opens for the centres you care about.

For the full calendar and each session's registration window, see the 2026 CIPLE exam dates.

Check the official details

Fees, forms, and centre availability change. This guide was checked against public CAPLE information in July 2026. Confirm the current fee and process on the official CAPLE website, caple.letras.ulisboa.pt, before you register.