Portugal joined IAESTE as an Associate Member in 1954 and as a Full Member in 1957.
Until 2017 Portugal received 2394 students and sent 3305.
The first National Secretary and President of “Comissão Portuguesa da IAESTE” was Professor Manuel Corrêa de Barros, from the Faculty of Engineering of Universidade do Porto and IAESTE was then based in Lisbon at Instituto de Alta Cultura until 1964. From 1965 until present it is based at Instituto Superior Técnico, in Lisbon.
Prof. Manuel Corrêa de Barros was President of the Annual Conference (AC) in Lisbon in 1970 and Prof. Bernardo Jerosch Herold chaired the AC in 1974 in Berlin (West) and in 1999 in Tokyo.
Prof. Bernardo Jerosch Herold was General Secretary from 1986-1990 and a Member of the former Advisory Committee (Reserve Member in 1967 and 1968 and Full Member from 1969 to 1971).
Prof. Bernardo Jerosch Herold, National Secretary from December 1965 to 2003, has served IAESTE until 2011, being the Ombudsman since 2005 and Maria do Carmo d’Orey, Assistant Secretary has served IAESTE for 37 years (1969-2006).
From 2004 to the present date Sílvia Santos is the National Secretary.
Portugal hosted the Annual Conference in Lisbon in 1970, 1986 and 2007.
IAESTE Portugal received Annual Grants from the Ministry of Education from 1954 to 1990. The cancellation of this grant in 1990 led to founding in 1992 of a non-for-profit association, APIET Associação Portuguesa para a Permuta Internacional de Estudantes Estagiários Técnicos, with Universities, Institutes, Faculties and a Student Union as founding corporate members. APIET has supported since its foundation IAESTE Portugal financially.
The Association became a registered body according to Luxembourg law at its Annual Conference 2005 in Cartagena das Indias, Colombia. Since then, the official name is IAESTE A.s.b.l.
In 2007 the Secretary of State for Science, Technology and Higher Education, Prof. Manuel Heitor, awarded, through the Foundation of Science and Technology (FCT), 50 grants to IAESTE Portugal to be distributed among the Research Units of the Universities where Local Committees operate. Thanks to these grants the number of offers increased drastically. For the first time in more than 50 years IAESTE Portugal could exchange at the AC 2007 114 offers.
2007 was a milestone for IAESTE Portugal and a great pride for everyone involved in IAESTE.
In 2009 two new Local Committees joined IAESTE Portugal: Universidade de Lisboa and the Instituto Politecnico de Leiria.
The contract with the FCT was renewed in 2009 for three more years (2010 to 2012) and with 75 grants awarded. The contract was renewed in 2012 for one more year.
In 2013 IAESTE Portugal organised the SID (Seminar for IAESTE Development) in Funchal, Madeira, from 2 to 5 May, which took place in Vidamar Resorts Madeira Hotel
From 2014 to 2016 the numbers of IAESTE Portugal dropped and three Local Committees were lost.
In 2017 the contract with the FCT was renewed for 3 more years and with a total of 75 grants.
