Details

• Portugal
• MACEMS-25
• Graduate
• SoSe 2026
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months
• Contact: Login to see contact information

1. Preparation

I booked a plane to Lisbon (~EUR 200,-), and looked for accommodation before arriving (via Spotahome). The course registration took place before I arrived. Would recommend visiting the info call, where you learn a bit about how the bidding system works at Nova SBE.

2. Accommodation

I started looking a few months prior to the start of my exchange. Would recommend booking an accommodation through connections or trusted websites (I booked through Spotahome (includes a fee) and I know others booked through idealista). I lived in a shared flat with 4 roommates, very close to the metro station Arroios. I always felt safe here, though this area is known for being very international with many migrants but also many students. I lived around an hour away from university, and the proximity to the green line was really important for me, as it took me directly to the train station Cais do Sodre. Ultimately, there is a trade off when it comes to location. Either you live in the city and have more of an "Erasmus" semester with many students, cafes and night life, or you live close to uni, to have a short commute, live by the beach, and (many people who lived near uni did this) take surf lessons. In terms of location, if you want to live in Lisbon, I can recommend the green line (though Martim Moniz and Intendente are less recommendable in terms of safety), many people lived near the metro station Avenida (blue line), and many also lived in Santos (no metro line but very nice student area).

3. Academic life at host university

Nova SBE has a really nice campus with a canteen, supermarket (Pingo Doce), library, study areas, and a direct pathway to the beach. You can book rooms in the library for group works (similar to WU) and the canteen is quite affordable (EUR 4,- per meal with your student ID, including a main, a soup, and dessert). In terms of the academic culture, I guess it depends on what you're studying. I would say the teaching style is a bit more personal than at WU, but in general the academic culture is similar to WU and there are also a lot of internationals (especially from Germany) at Nova.

5. Every day life in the host country

Public transport is free if you're a student under 24, you just pay a small fee for the card in the beginning. The process can be quite long and tedious, as you need to get a Portuguese tax number (NIF) first, so I would recommend getting started with the process as early as possible. Overall, I would say Lisbon is quite safe, though not as safe as Vienna. There are quite a few people on the street and there are some areas that are a bit more shady at night (e.g. Martim Moniz, Intendente). Also, I would say pickpocketing is more of an issue than it is in Vienna, so stay aware of your surroundings. Uber/Bolt is usually really cheap, and there are loads of events, nice cafes and bars all around Lisbon. VivaGym is a quite affordable gym, there's also a location at Nova and the membership includes sports classes. Otherwise the river route from Cais do Sodre to Belem was quite popular, alongside padel tennis and surfing.

6. Testimonial

I loved my exchange in Portugal. Nova is a great uni, with a really nice campus, and Lisbon is a very vibrant and active city with many beautiful corners to discover. Would highly recommend going to as many miradouros (viewpoints) as possible, going on day trips (e.g. to Cascais, Ericeira, Sintra) and travelling in general (e.g. to Porto, the Azores). Everyday life is slower and more chill than in Vienna, and there are many cool events one can go to. Would definitely recommend Nova SBE as an exchange university!