Working Hours in Portugal: Daily and Weekly Limits (2026)

The simple rule: 8 and 40

Art. 203 of the Labour Code fixes two numbers worth memorising:

• 8 hours per day of normal working time.
• 40 hours per week, spread over up to 6 days.

These are the default limits. They apply to anyone on a normal schedule, in any private sector, on any kind of contract (open-ended, fixed-term, part-time, pro rata).

There are three main exceptions:

1. Individual flexibility (Art. 204).
2. Collective flexibility through a collective agreement (Art. 205).
3. Compressed workweek (Art. 209).

We go through each below.

Individual flexibility, Art. 204

The employer proposes it and you sign. Without your written consent, individual flexibility does not apply.

• Limits: up to 10 hours per day and up to 50 hours per week.
• Annual average: must stay at 40h per week.
• Form: written agreement between employer and worker.
• Where it appears: usually in the employment contract or in a signed addendum.

Two traps to watch:

• Once signed, you are locked in for the agreed period. If your contract includes a flexibility clause, you are presumed to have accepted it. Always read the "working time" section before signing.
• It is not free overtime. Even under flexibility, hours that push your annual average above 40 count as overtime and must be paid with the legal surcharge (Art. 268). An employer using "endless flexibility" to avoid surcharges is acting unlawfully.

Collective flexibility, Art. 205

Here you do not decide. It applies to everyone covered by the sector's collective agreement.

• Limits: whatever the collective agreement says, but rarely above 10h per day and 50h per week.
• Reference period: the agreement defines it (4 months, 6 months, 12 months).
• Where to find yours: search the DGERT portal for your business activity.

If the collective agreement has a flexibility clause, it applies directly. The employer does not need to ask you and you do not need to sign anything new. If you disagree, you can still file with ACT about any excess beyond what the agreement itself allows.

Compressed workweek, Art. 209

The working week packed into fewer days with longer shifts.

• Limit per day: 12 hours.
• Limit per week: 4 days with extended hours.
• Form: by written agreement or by collective agreement.
• Upside: more consecutive days of rest (3 days instead of 2).

Typical models:

Important note: if the compressed schedule pushes you above 40h per week as an annual average, the extra hours are overtime and must be paid as such. Compressed is not a loophole for unpaid overtime.

Rest between shifts: 11 hours (Art. 214)

This is probably the most ignored rule. Between the end of one workday and the start of the next you are entitled to 11 consecutive hours of rest.

Practical examples:

• You finish today at 20:00, you cannot start again before 7:00 tomorrow.
• You finish today at 23:00, you cannot start before 10:00 tomorrow.
• You finish today at 2:00 in the morning, you cannot start before 13:00 that same day.

Limited exceptions (Art. 214 no. 2):

• Continuous-work sectors (security, hospitals) under special regimes.
• Rotating shifts during a team handover.
• Force majeure (accident, disaster).

If your employer schedules a shift that breaks the 11 hours, you can refuse in writing citing Art. 214. This is not insubordination. It is enforcing a binding statutory right.

Break during the day, Art. 213

You cannot work more than 5 hours straight without a break. The break is 1 to 2 hours and does not count as working time (it is not paid, as a rule).

Details:

• In a continuous shift (no lunch break), the limit goes up to 6 hours straight, but only by written agreement or collective agreement (Art. 213 no. 2 b).
• The break can be split (for example 30 min + 30 min) if the collective agreement allows it.
• Short pauses (5 to 10 minutes for coffee or the bathroom) do not replace the legal break.

Weekly rest, Arts. 232 + 233

For every 7 days you are entitled to 1 full day of mandatory rest. As a rule that day is Sunday, but it can be another day where justified (shift work, restaurants, retail open on Sundays).

• Mandatory rest (Art. 232): 1 full day per week. Untouchable.
• Complementary rest (Art. 233): can be a half day (Saturday afternoon) or an extra full day. Optional in the law, but common in contracts.

The classic "Saturday and Sunday" weekend is, in law, mandatory weekly rest (Sunday) plus complementary rest (Saturday).

Working on the mandatory rest day is only allowed in narrow cases (Art. 232 no. 2). When it happens, you are entitled to compensatory rest of equal duration plus a 50% surcharge on the hourly rate.

The absolute ceiling: 60 hours per week

Even with overtime included, the absolute maximum is 60 hours per week (Art. 211 no. 2). Anything above that is unlawful. It is not "double-paid overtime", it is work the law prohibits.

There are exceptions for sectors like aviation crew, maritime work and others, governed by special legislation.

The summary table

5 common mistakes that cost you money

1. "Under flexibility there is no overtime." False. If the annual average goes above 40h, the extra hours are overtime with surcharge (Art. 268).
2. "I can work 6 and a half days if the company needs it." No. Art. 232 requires 1 full day of rest per 7 days, regardless of commercial demand.
3. "Lunch break is paid time." Generally, no. Art. 197 excludes the break from effective working time, unless a collective agreement says otherwise.
4. "The compressed week is the employer's call." No. Without a written agreement or collective agreement, you cannot be forced into a compressed schedule.
5. "I worked 14h in one day, but they were overtime so it is fine." No. The 12h daily ceiling (Art. 211 no. 1) covers normal hours plus overtime. Working 14h in a single day is unlawful.

How it connects

If you are reading this now, you are probably in one of these situations:

• The employer wants you to do more hours and you are checking the rules. Look at the table above, identify your regime (normal, flexibility, compressed) and check the limits.
• You already crossed the limits and want to know what you are owed. The extra hours are overtime with surcharge. Use the overtime calculator to get the exact amount.
• The employer does not pay your overtime. Collect your timesheets, file with ACT, and if it persists for 60 days you can resign with just cause.
• You are negotiating a new contract or change of schedule. Check carefully whether you are signing a flexibility clause. Once signed, it remains in force for the agreed period.