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Holiday & Christmas Pay Calculator 2026: Portugal

In Portugal you receive two extra payments a year, the holiday subsidy (subsídio de férias) and the Christmas subsidy (subsídio de Natal), each equal to one month of salary when you work the full year. If you joined or left mid-year, each subsídio is proportional to your time of service. Enter your gross monthly salary and how many months you worked in the year to see each subsídio for 2026.

Use the gross monthly salary that makes up the subsídio. Enter 12 months for a full year, or fewer if you joined or left mid-year.

Gross total of the two subsídios
€2,000.00
Full year · holiday subsidy + Christmas subsidy
ItemAmount
Holiday subsidy€1,000.00
Christmas subsidy€1,000.00
Gross total€2,000.00
Social Security (11%)−€220.00
Amount before IRS€1,780.00

Shows the gross value of each subsídio and the total, with Social Security at 11% on the employee. It uses whole months of service (the strict rule is by days), does not compute the IRS withheld and does not account for collective-agreement rules.

Educational estimate, not advice. Each subsídio equals one month of retribution for a full year (Código do Trabalho art. 263.º and 264.º), proportional otherwise, and the 11% Social Security rate is official for 2026. Always confirm on your payslip.

Two subsídios, each equal to one month

The law gives you two subsídios a year: the Christmas subsidy (Código do Trabalho art. 263.º), paid by 15 December, and the holiday subsidy (art. 264.º), normally paid before your holidays. Each equals one month of retribution when you work the full civil year, so across the year you receive the equivalent of 14 months of salary.

Mid-year, the subsídios are proportional

If you joined, left or had your contract suspended during the year, each subsídio is proportional to the time of service in that civil year. This calculator uses the twelfths (duodécimos) method: subsídio = monthly salary × (months of service ÷ 12). With 6 months of service, each subsídio is worth half a month of salary.

Gross, Social Security and IRS

The subsídios are remuneration: they enter the Social Security base (11% on the employee) and are subject to IRS. The calculator shows the gross value of each subsídio, the total and the effect of Social Security as a guide. The IRS withheld depends on your withholding rate, so the figure we show is "before IRS".

Twelfths and what is out of scope

Many employers pay the subsídios in twelfths (duodécimos): one twelfth of each subsídio added to your salary every month, instead of a single lump sum. The annual total is the same. To be an honest estimate, this calculation uses whole months of service; the strict rule is by days and, in the year you are hired, holidays follow a specific accrual. A collective agreement (IRCT) may set more favourable rules. Always confirm on your payslip.

Worked example

Take a salary of €1,000 a month and a full year of service. The holiday subsidy is €1,000 and the Christmas subsidy is €1,000, a gross total of €2,000. Social Security (11% = €220) is charged on that total, leaving €1,780 before IRS. If you had worked only 6 months in the year, each subsídio would be proportional: €1,000 × 6 ÷ 12 = €500, i.e. €1,000 gross in total (€880 before IRS).

Frequently asked questions

How is the Christmas subsidy calculated?
The Christmas subsidy equals one month of retribution when you work the full civil year (Código do Trabalho art. 263.º) and is paid by 15 December. If you joined or left mid-year, it is proportional to your time of service: monthly salary × (months of service ÷ 12). With €1,000/month and 6 months of service, the Christmas subsidy is €500.
Is the holiday subsidy the same as the Christmas one?
In value, yes: each equals one month of retribution for a full year of service. The holiday subsidy (art. 264.º) is normally paid before your holidays; the Christmas one (art. 263.º) by 15 December. So in a full year you receive the equivalent of 14 months of salary: 12 months plus the two subsídios.
How much subsidy do I get if I only worked part of the year?
Each subsídio is proportional to your time of service in the civil year. Under the twelfths rule, subsídio = monthly salary × (months of service ÷ 12). With a €1,200 salary and 6 months of service, each subsídio is worth €600 (€1,200 across the two). In the year you are hired, holidays follow a specific accrual. Check with your employer.
Are the subsídios subject to Social Security and IRS?
Yes. The holiday and Christmas subsídios are remuneration: they enter the Social Security base (11% on the employee) and are subject to IRS. The IRS withholding depends on your rate, and the final tax is settled in the annual return. That is why this calculator shows the gross and the figure before IRS.
What are the twelfths (duodécimos) of the subsidy?
Instead of paying each subsídio as a single lump sum, the employer can pay it in twelfths: one twelfth of the subsídio added to your salary every month. The annual total is exactly the same; only when you receive it changes. There can be options to pay 0%, 50% or 100% in twelfths, but the annual amount you are entitled to does not change.
Are the figures exact?
The rule for each subsídio (one month of retribution for a full year, proportional otherwise) and the 11% Social Security rate are official for 2026. The result is an educational estimate: it uses whole months of service (the strict rule is by days), does not compute the IRS withheld and does not account for collective-agreement rules or the specific holiday accrual in the year you are hired. Always confirm on your payslip.

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Author: Thorben Rasmus Idel · Reviewed by: Nahar Geva · Last reviewed: 2026-06-02