Portugal — Work Calendar, Salary and VAT Reference

Portugal operates a forty-hour standard workweek under the Labour Code (Código do Trabalho), with most office workers running a nine-to-six day with a one-hour lunch break, although the traditional split day with a longer midday break still exists in smaller cities and traditional sectors. The five-day Monday-to-Friday rhythm is universal in office work.

Statutory paid leave is twenty-two working days per year for full-time employees, and many collective agreements add seniority or performance days bringing total leave to twenty-five or more. The pattern of summer leave concentration in August is similar to neighbouring Spain, with offices operating at substantially reduced capacity for two to three weeks in early-to-mid August.

Portuguese workplace culture is generally warm and relationship-oriented. Decisions often involve more conversation and less paperwork than in Northern European peers, and trust is built through regular informal contact as much as through formal communication channels. The Lisbon and Porto technology sectors have moved closer to international startup norms over the past decade, but traditional Portuguese business culture remains influential in established sectors.

Portugal observes thirteen public holidays per year, including New Year's Day, Carnival Tuesday in some sectors (not statutory but widely observed), Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Liberty Day on 25 April, Labour Day, Corpus Christi, Portugal Day on 10 June, Assumption on 15 August, Republic Implantation Day on 5 October, All Saints' Day, Restoration of Independence on 1 December, Immaculate Conception on 8 December, Christmas Day. Madeira and the Azores have additional regional holidays.

Each Portuguese municipality observes a local holiday on the day of its patron saint (such as Saint Anthony in Lisbon on 13 June and Saint John in Porto on 24 June). These local saints' days are widely treated as time off in the relevant city even though they are not national holidays, and Lisbon and Porto in June have noticeably reduced commercial activity around their respective saint's days.

When a public holiday falls on a weekend, no substitute day is granted in the private sector, although individual employers may grant compensatory time. The Carnival period (the days before Ash Wednesday) is informally treated as time off in many traditional sectors even though it is not legally protected, and a customer in Portugal may be unavailable for a Carnival Tuesday meeting depending on the sector.

Portuguese payroll uses a progressive income tax (IRS) system with brackets ranging from approximately fourteen to forty-eight percent. Employee social security contributions (Segurança Social) are eleven percent of gross salary across all income levels. The combined effective rate on a middle-income salary is typically between twenty-five and thirty-five percent depending on family status, deductions and the level of professional expense allowance.

Portuguese salaries are quoted on an annual basis and traditionally paid in fourteen instalments: twelve regular monthly payments plus a holiday bonus (subsídio de férias) and a Christmas bonus (subsídio de Natal). When comparing a Portuguese offer to a German or French offer, multiplying by fourteen rather than twelve is essential for an accurate full-year picture.

Employer-side social contributions are 23.75 percent of gross, plus the work accident insurance levy. Total employer cost in Portugal is therefore approximately 1.27 to 1.30 times the gross salary, which is competitive with Spain and lower than Germany or France. The Non-Habitual Resident (NHR) tax regime that historically attracted foreign workers and retirees was significantly reformed in 2024-2025, with the previous broad benefits replaced by a narrower scheme focused on specific scientific and technical activities.

Portugal applies a standard VAT (IVA) rate of twenty-three percent on the mainland, with reduced rates of thirteen percent (restaurant services excluding alcoholic beverages, certain food, accommodation) and six percent (basic food, books, public transport, certain medical equipment). Madeira applies a standard rate of twenty-two percent and reduced rates of twelve and five percent, and the Azores apply sixteen, nine and four percent respectively.

Portuguese invoice content requirements include certified invoicing software for most commercial activities. The certification requirement (Portaria 363/2010 and subsequent updates) means that invoices must be generated by software certified by the Tax Authority (Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira), and the software produces invoices with a unique series and sequential number that is reported in the SAF-T (PT) audit file.

The Portuguese VAT registration threshold is fifteen thousand euros in annual turnover for most activities, which is among the lower thresholds in the EU. Above the threshold, registration is mandatory with quarterly or monthly returns depending on turnover. The simplified regime (regime simplificado) for sole proprietors with turnover below 200,000 euros uses presumed expense ratios rather than actual deductions, which simplifies bookkeeping for many freelancers.

When budgeting a Portuguese hire, work from the annual gross paid in fourteen instalments. A monthly gross figure can be misleading because the holiday and Christmas bonuses are a substantial part of total compensation and are frequently overlooked by foreign budget templates.

If your business sells to Portuguese B2B customers, ensure your invoicing flow can produce invoices through certified software or a Portuguese intermediary. The certification requirement is one of the strictest in the EU and is enforced through the SAF-T audit reporting process.

Plan around the Lisbon and Porto patron saints' days (13 June and 24 June respectively) when scheduling commercial activities in those cities. Both days produce significant local downtime even though they do not appear on the national holiday calendar.