Working Time Rules: Portugal
Portugal: working hours, holiday calendars and annual leave rules for practical workforce planning.
This is a general overview, not legal advice. Limits, reference periods, exceptions, and record-keeping duties vary by sector and contract and change over time. Confirm the current rules with the official source and a qualified adviser.
Working week used in calculations40 hours per week8 hours a day over 5 days
Minimum annual leaveAt least 22 working daysPortugal’s general minimum is twenty-two paid working days of annual leave. The admission year has different accrual and waiting rules. Leave-day counting can change when weekly rest falls on weekdays, so twenty-two days should not be translated mechanically into calendar days or a fixed number of eight-hour shifts.Source
Statutory working time
The government guide gives normal working-time limits of eight hours a day and forty a week. Agreements can affect the actual schedule. The annual table assumes national holidays are not worked and excludes personal leave. Check municipal holidays and any agreed Carnival closure before promising a deadline across Portuguese offices.
What to check before you rely on this
- The current statutory limits, reference periods, and any opt-outs.
- Sector or collective-agreement rules that may override the defaults.
- How overtime is authorised, recorded, and compensated.
- What working-time records you must keep and for how long.