The Infante D. Henrique Nautical College was created in 1924, in accordance with Decree-Law no. 10084, of 20 August 1924, and named Escola Náutica (Nautical School).
Operating under the Ministry of the Navy, it was originally located in the facilities of the Portuguese Navy, on Rua do Arsenal in Lisbon, where the Auxiliary Naval School was based at that time. This institution, which had been created in 1903 for the education of non- -military seafarers, was thus transformed into the Nautical School. The main mission of the Nautical School was set out clearly in the decree-law that determined its creation, in 1924:
‘[...] the Nautical School is intended to train the technical staff of the Merchant Navy, preparing them for command and navigation, for the use of machinery and for radio-telegraphic service.’
The Nautical School operated in Rua do Arsenal until 1972. On 26th October of that year, a new campus, with the name Infante D. Henrique Nautical School (Escola Náutica Infante D. Henrique - ENIDH), opened in Paço de Arcos.
In 1974, the Infante D. Henrique Nautical School ceased to be administrated by the Portuguese Navy, with its jurisdiction falling to the Secretariat of State of the Merchant Navy (as was the case with other non-military organisations connected to the sea). The Nautical School has kept pace with the progress of the Maritime Transport and Merchant Navy sectors, broadening its higher education portfolio, in 2004, into Logistics and Port Management and thus no longer operating exclusively for the training of Merchant Navy officers. In 2008, the ENIDH became an ‘Escola Superior’, i.e. University level (Nautical College).
In 2022, as part of ENIDH’s continued to modernise, a Maritime Simulation Centre was installed, allowing future Merchant Navy officers (deck officers and engineering officers) to train for all kinds of situations in environments that replicate the real operational conditions of most existing merchant ships (with different typologies, sizes and technical characteristics).
In 2016, the ENIDH Career Prize was introduced, the winners of which – all Merchant Navy officers so far – are listed on the ‘alumni wall’, in the main hall of the College. The Infante D. Henrique Nautical College currently has more than 900 students enrolled in all its courses and has been responsible for training approximately 10,000 Merchant Navy officers since its opening.
The ENIDH’s enduring legacy and its dedication to excellence continue to contribute towards Portugal’s maritime heritage and position the country as a hub for maritime education and specialisation.
