One local connection can change a whole semesterMeet the programme
ERASMUS LIFE
LISBOAJoin the programme
Local and international students laughing together at a Lisbon viewpoint

☺ THE ELL BUDDY PROGRAMME

Two cultures.
One real connection.

Coming to Lisbon or already calling it home? Meet someone on the other side of the exchange and experience the city together.

Join on Buddy Connect How it works
MEET✦SHARE✦EXPLORE✦LEARN✦BELONG

ONE PROGRAMME, TWO WAYS TO JOIN

Find your side.
Then meet the other.

The best exchanges go both ways. Choose the path that sounds like you and bring your curiosity.

COMING TO LISBON

For international students

Start your Lisbon chapter with a local connection who can help the city feel less unfamiliar and much more personal.

  • A friendly local connection while Lisbon is still new
  • Everyday city tips, cultural context and honest recommendations
  • A chance to meet someone beyond the international-student bubble
  • More confidence to explore, ask questions and feel at home
Join as an international student
ALREADY IN LISBON

For local buddies

See your own city through fresh eyes, build an international friendship and make someone's arrival feel warmer.

  • Meet people and cultures from around the world in your own city
  • Share the places, habits and small details that make Lisbon yours
  • Practise languages through real conversation and shared plans
  • Help someone turn an unfamiliar city into a place they belong
Join as a local buddy
Friends sharing a sunset moment in Lisbon
YOUR CITY FEELS DIFFERENT WHEN YOU SHARE IT

MORE THAN A CITY GUIDE

Meet Lisbon
through a person.

A buddy is not a tour guide or a help desk. It is a person to exchange perspectives with—the kind of connection that turns everyday moments into part of your Erasmus story.

01

Real conversationAsk the small questions, share the big differences and learn how someone else sees the world.

02

Local momentsFrom neighbourhood cafés to spontaneous plans, discover the Lisbon that lives between landmarks.

03

Your own rhythmA coffee, a walk, an ELL event or a regular catch-up—the friendship is yours to shape together.

FROM SIGN-UP TO SAYING OLÁ

Three simple
steps.

Buddy Connect keeps joining simple so you can focus on the part that matters: meeting someone new.

01

Tell us about you

Open Buddy Connect, choose how you are joining and share your interests, languages and availability.

02

Meet your match

When a suitable buddy is available, you can connect and start with an easy hello.

03

Make Lisbon yours

Grab a coffee, swap recommendations, explore a neighbourhood or join an ELL plan together.

GOOD BUDDY ENERGY

Curious. Kind.
Respectful.

The programme works best when both people communicate openly, respect each other's time and boundaries, and meet at a pace that feels comfortable.

BE YOURSELFLISTEN WELLMEET IN PUBLICRESPECT BOUNDARIES

YOUR NEXT FRIEND COULD BE ONE HELLO AWAY

One city.
Better together.

Choose your side, tell us about yourself and start your Buddy Programme journey.

Join the Buddy Programme