Leave rules · 2026
Annual leave and sick leave rules in Portugal (2026)
Employees in Portugal get at least 22 days of paid annual leave a year on a 5-day week (4.4 weeks). Sick leave: paid.
Rules as of September 2026 · page built Monday, September 28, 2026Statutory minimums
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22 days a year (176 hours)
Statutory minimum 22 days on a 5-day week at 0 years of service.
This is the legal floor for Portugal; the contract can give more.
| Service | Minimum (5-day week) | In weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Starting entitlement | 22 days | 4.4 weeks |
22 working days a year (Codigo do Trabalho art. 238).
Worked exampleA full-time employee on a 5-day week gets at least 22 days a year.
What the rules mean in practice
In Portugal, a full-time employee on a 5-day week is entitled to at least 22 days of paid annual leave a year, which is 4.4 weeks.
In Portugal, a full-time employee on a 5-day week is entitled to at least 22 days of paid annual leave a year, which is 4.4 weeks. The legal wording: 22 working days a year (Codigo do Trabalho art. 238).
Compared with the other 37 jurisdictions LeaveCalc covers, that starting minimum is higher than 29, the same as 2 and lower than 6. Across all of them the range runs from 5 days (the Philippines) to 30 days (the United Arab Emirates). 22 days is about 8.5% of a 260-day working year.
No service-based step is recorded here, so the 22-day minimum applies at every length of service; the official source has the full rule.
Public holidays are in addition to the annual leave minimum. For 2026, the public holiday calendar for Portugal lists 13 holidays, 9 of them on working days. An employee who has all 9 weekday holidays off on top of the 22-day minimum is away from work on at least 31 weekdays in 2026.
Sick leave: Sickness benefit through social security; not an accrued balance. LeaveCalc rates this entry High confidence, based on the official sources listed below as of September 2026.
Public holidays
Public holidays are in addition to the annual leave minimum. See the 2026 and 2027 public holiday dates for Portugal, with .ics downloads.
Sources
As of September 2026. Statutory minimums only: contracts, collective agreements and local rules can give more.
Questions about leave in Portugal
The statutory minimum is 22 days a year for a full-time employee on a 5-day week (4.4 weeks).
How many days of annual leave do employees get in Portugal?
The statutory minimum is 22 days a year for a full-time employee on a 5-day week (4.4 weeks). 22 working days a year (Codigo do Trabalho art. 238).
Does annual leave increase with length of service in Portugal?
No service-based step is recorded here for Portugal: the statutory minimum stays at 22 days a year. Check the official source for the full rule.
Is sick leave paid in Portugal?
Yes. Sickness benefit through social security; not an accrued balance.
Are public holidays part of annual leave in Portugal?
Public holidays are in addition to the annual leave minimum. In 2026 the calendar for Portugal has 13 public holidays, 9 of them on working days.