Public Holidays in Portugal 2026: Full Working Calendar

National Holidays in Portugal 2026

These are the 13 mandatory holidays throughout Portugal, with the day of the week they fall on in 2026:

Optional holidays: Carnival and the municipal day

In addition to the 13 national holidays, each municipality chooses its own local holiday, usually its patron saint's day. And Carnival Tuesday (17 February in 2026) is an optional holiday: many companies give it, but it is not mandatory.

Holidays that fall on a Sunday are not automatically moved to the Monday. Whether they are compensated depends on the collective agreement or each company's policy.

What happens if you work on a holiday

Working on a mandatory holiday generally requires a compensatory day of rest or the corresponding payment under the collective agreement. The Labour Code provides for compensation for work on public holidays.

If the holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday and the employee does not work, in practice many collective agreements pay nothing extra for that day.

How holidays affect payroll and operations

Holidays do not reduce salary: the employee is paid the same even if the day is a holiday. What changes is the planning of closures, deliveries and bank deadlines.

For a Spanish company with a subsidiary in Portugal, it is advisable to align the calendars of both countries, because they do not match: 12 October and 6 December are holidays in Spain and working days in Portugal.

Planning the year without surprises

Having the holiday calendar clear from the start prevents payroll errors and friction with the team. Holidays falling on a Friday or Monday in 2026, such as 1 May or 5 October, create long weekends and should be anticipated.

If your activity requires opening on a holiday, agree in writing how it will be compensated so you do not improvise on each public holiday.