Just fired in Portugal: what to do in the first 48 hours

Just been fired and your head is spinning? Breathe. The first 48 hours do not decide everything, but there are 4 steps that protect your rights: do not sign in a rush, demand two documents, keep evidence and mark the deadlines.

This guide is the checklist for those 48 hours, in the right order.

Hour 0: do not sign anything in the heat of the moment

The golden rule of the first hours is this: your signature is your protection. Before signing anything, tell these three papers apart:

• Dismissal letter. It is a communication from the company and does not need your agreement. You can sign only that you received it (write "acknowledged" and the date).
• Mutual termination agreement. This is not a dismissal, it is a contract for you to leave "by agreement". Read it very carefully: it can affect your unemployment benefit. See the guide on mutual agreement and your rights.
• Settlement receipt. It declares you received certain amounts. Sign it with the reservation "reserving all other credits arising from the contract". The guide on final pay at the end of the contract explains why.

And one special case: if the dismissal is collective or by job position extinction and the company pays you compensation, receiving the full amount makes the law presume you accepted the dismissal (Art. 366, no. 4). If you are thinking of challenging it, first read what to do when you already received the compensation.

Before you leave: demand these two documents

Art. 341 of the Labour Code requires the company to hand you, when the contract ends:

1. Unemployment situation declaration (form Mod. RP 5044). Without it you cannot apply for unemployment benefit. It is the most urgent document.
2. Work certificate. It states your start and end dates and your duties. You will need it for your next job.

They are free and they are a right, not a favour. If the company "will send it later" and never does, ask in writing (email works) and, if they keep refusing, file a complaint with ACT.

Keep evidence of everything

If you later want to challenge the dismissal or claim unpaid amounts, the evidence from the first 48 hours is gold:

• The dismissal letter or email, above all its date, because the deadlines count from it.
• Payslips from the last months (download them now, before you lose access to the internal portal).
• Employment contract and amendments.
• Relevant messages and emails. If the dismissal was verbal or "overnight", note who was present and when.

A dismissal by word of mouth, with no written procedure? That is an unlawful dismissal. Check your case against the checklist in can my employer fire me like this?.

Work out what they owe you

Even in a just cause dismissal, the company must pay your labour credits: accrued untaken holidays, proportional holiday and Christmas allowances for the year you leave, and the unused training hours from recent years.

If the dismissal is collective or by job position extinction, severance compensation is added: 14 days of base pay and seniority payments per full year of service, for the contract time since 01/05/2023 (Art. 366). Earlier time counts at 12 days per year.

Put these deadlines in your calendar today

Dismissal deadlines are short and count from the notice or from the end of the contract. Set them on your phone before the dust settles.

[It depends on the case:] the suspension (the 5 working days) is only worth it in specific situations, such as wages at risk or urgent reinstatement. The deadline nobody can miss is the 60 days to challenge.

Sort out unemployment benefit, without waiting for the final pay

The benefit claim is independent from your accounts with the company. Do not wait for the final settlement or for "the paperwork": the 90 day deadline does not pause.

The two steps: register at IEFP as a job seeker and file the claim on Segurança Social Direta with the Mod. RP 5044 declaration. The full step by step, with deadlines, is in the guide on how to apply for unemployment benefit. To see how much you would receive, use the unemployment benefit checker.

Useful links

• Severance calculator the exact compensation amount, with the Law 13/2023 split.
• Can my employer fire me? Is it legal? a 6 question checklist to see if your dismissal is lawful.
• I received the compensation: can I still challenge? the return rule and what the reform wants to change.
• Final pay at the end of the contract the settlement receipt does not erase what you were not paid.
• How to apply for unemployment benefit IEFP plus Social Security, step by step.

Disclaimer

This guide explains general rules of the Portuguese Labour Code in force on 2026-06-10. Every case has its own details. For court action, consider a consultation with a labour law lawyer or legal aid.