22 or 25 Days of Holiday in Portugal? What the Law Really Says (2026)

Direct answer: 22 or 25?

By law, it's 22 working days.

The Portuguese Labour Code, in Article 238(1), says exactly this:

"The annual holiday period has a minimum duration of 22 working days."

Everything beyond that (25, 26, 27 days) has to come from somewhere else:

• Collective Bargaining Agreement (CCT) for your sector
• Individual contract with an express clause
• Internal regulation or established favourable practice

If none of these three sources gives you more, the correct answer is 22.

The 25-day confusion: history, not law

Many people swear they get 25 days "by law". They're not lying — they remember a rule that no longer exists.

Here's the timeline:

If you worked in Portugal before 2012, you may remember getting 25 days for perfect attendance. That rule no longer applies. No employer is required to give 3 extra days for good attendance.

[Common interpretation:] some older CCTs copied that bonus into their own text and still keep it. In those cases, the rule applies — but as a CCT clause, not as general law.

Where the 25 days actually come from

1. Collective Bargaining Agreement (CCT)

A CCT is a contract between unions and employer associations. In many sectors, it provides longer holiday periods than the 22-day Labour Code minimum.

Typical examples (always confirm in the current text):

• Banking
• Insurance
• Some retail and industrial CCTs
• Highly unionised sectors

How to check: visit DGERT and search for the CCT that applies to your sector. Read the "Férias" clause.

2. Individual contract

Your offer letter or contract may expressly state a higher number. If it says "the employee is entitled to 25 working days of holiday per year", you have 25. The text on paper rules.

3. Internal regulation and consolidated practice

Some companies grant extra days by internal policy (24, 25, 26). If this is established practice and there's a written document or formal communication, it becomes a vested right. The employer can't take it away overnight.

Special cases

First year: the 20-day rule

In the year you join, Article 239 applies:

• The right to take holidays only opens after 6 complete months of contract
• Formula: 2 working days × full month, capped at 20 days in the first year

This is the first reason you might have fewer days — not the employer cheating, but the first-year rule by design. Full detail in the guide on holidays in your first year.

Part-time: same days, different value

Working 4 hours instead of 8 does not reduce your number of holiday days. You still get 22 working days. What changes is the value per day (proportional to your salary). Article 237(1) guarantees the full period.

Fixed-term contracts

In a short fixed-term contract (under 12 months), the first-year rule applies. At the end, the final settlement pays proportional unused days + proportional holiday allowance.

Public sector

The public sector is not governed by the Labour Code but by the General Law on Public Sector Employment (Law 35/2014).

[Common interpretation:] the base regime is more favourable — it starts at 25 working days and adds days for seniority. Scheduling, splitting and termination rules have specifics. If you work in Portuguese public administration, check the exact LGTFP table with your HR. This guide focuses on the private sector.

What's worth doing today

1. Find your contract. Read the holiday clause. If it says "22 working days", that's the legal minimum. If it says more, note it.
2. Identify your CCT. Most sectors have one. DGERT lets you search by activity. If there's one, read the holiday clause.
3. Compare with the company's holiday map. If the company gave you 22 and the CCT says 25, you're short 3 days a year. Ask in writing.
4. If you're leaving the company, count unused days. By the 22 or by the 25, depending on your case. The final settlement has to pay everything.

5 common mistakes

1. Believing 25 days is automatic by law. It hasn't been since 2012.
2. Confusing CCT with the Labour Code. What the CCT gives you is your right, but it's not "general law".
3. Thinking part-time = fewer holidays. Same working days, salary-proportional pay.
4. Not claiming unused days at the final settlement. You're entitled (Article 245), even if you didn't schedule them.
5. Accepting "company policy" instead of checking the contract and CCT. Internal policy can't undercut what the law or CCT requires.

Next steps

• Check your CCT: DGERT — CCT search
• Calculate your days this year: Holiday calculator
• Leaving soon? How unused holidays are paid in Portugal
• Confused by the company schedule? How many days can the employer schedule