In Portugal, the Labor Code establishes a minimum of 22 working days of vacation per year, but this number is not a maximum limit. Private sector workers may be entitled to more days through collective agreements, company agreements, individual employment contracts, or internal regulations that grant additional days, depending on criteria such as seniority, attendance, or performance.
One of the main misconceptions about this topic is the idea that not missing work automatically gives three additional vacation days. This rule was eliminated in 2012 by Law No. 23/2012, which revoked the article that allowed vacation increases based on attendance. Currently, attendance only generates additional days when there is a specific norm that determines it, such as a collective agreement or internal regulation.
In the Public Service, there is a specific rule that allows increasing the vacation period based on seniority. The General Public Service Labor Law provides for one additional working day for every 10 years of effectively rendered service, which means a public worker can go from 22 days to 23, 24, and 25 days throughout their career. Additionally, there are collective agreements that provide additional days based on performance evaluation, allowing some public administration workers to even exceed 25 annual days.
To know exactly how many vacation days they are entitled to, workers should consult not only the Labor Code but also their individual contract, any applicable collective regulation instruments, and internal regulations of the company or sector.
