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Notice Period Calculator

Resigning, or being dismissed, in Portugal? The Labour Code sets a notice period for almost every way an employment contract ends: 30 or 60 days when the worker resigns from a permanent contract, 30 or 15 on a fixed term, and 15 to 75 days when the employer dismisses on objective grounds. This calculator tells you how many days apply to your case and what any notice left unserved is worth in euros.

Pick the situation and enter the seniority (for a fixed-term contract, its duration) and the monthly base pay including seniority payments (diuturnidades). In “days of notice you will give”, 0 shows the cost of leaving (or dismissing) right away.

Notice required by law
60 days
Permanent contract: 30 days up to 2 years of seniority, 60 days above that (article 400(1))
If 60 days of notice are missing
€2,000.00
Compensation the worker owes the employer: the base pay and seniority payments for the missing period (article 401).
Seniority considered3 years and 0 months
Notice required60 days
Days of notice given0 days
Days missing60 days
Daily base pay (monthly ÷ 30)€33.33
Value of the missing period€2,000.00

Rule applied: worker resignation from a permanent contract: 30 days with up to two years of seniority, 60 days with more than two years (article 400(1) of the Portuguese Labour Code).

A collective agreement or the contract may extend the resignation notice up to 6 months for management, director or representation roles (article 400(2)). Check your agreement.

Estimate for worker resignation and for dismissal on objective grounds. Out of scope, and explained in the article: the expiry of a fixed-term contract (15 days from the employer, 8 from the worker), the trial period, resignation with just cause (no notice owed) and the domestic-violence exemption.

Educational estimate, not legal or financial advice. These are the Labour Code minimums; your collective agreement or contract may set different rules. In a dispute, seek legal support.

Resigning: how many days of notice you must give

On a permanent contract, a worker who wants to leave must notify the employer 30 days in advance with up to two years of seniority, or 60 days with more than two years (article 400(1) of the Portuguese Labour Code). On a fixed-term contract, notice is 30 days if the contract lasts at least six months, or 15 days if less (400(3)); for an open-ended term the elapsed time counts (400(4)). The notice must be given in writing.

What happens if you skip the notice

Whoever leaves without honouring the notice, in whole or in part, owes the employer compensation equal to the base pay and seniority payments (diuturnidades) for the missing period (article 401). The maths uses the daily value: the monthly base pay divided by 30, times the missing days. On a €1,000 base, skipping all 60 days costs €2,000; skipping 30 costs €1,000. In practice the amount is often settled in the final pay reckoning.

Dismissal: the notice the employer must give

In a collective dismissal, a job-extinction dismissal or a dismissal for unsuitability, the employer must announce the dismissal with a minimum notice that grows with seniority: 15 days (under 1 year), 30 days (1 to under 5 years), 60 days (5 to under 10) or 75 days (10 or more years), under article 363(1). If the notice is not fully given, the contract only ends after the missing period elapses, and that period is paid (363(4)).

Management roles: notice can go up to 6 months

A collective agreement (IRCT) or the employment contract itself may extend the resignation notice up to six months for workers in management or director roles, or with representation or responsibility duties (article 400(2)). Before fixing a leaving date, check the contract and the sector’s collective agreement.

Fixed-term expiry and the trial period: their own deadlines

The normal expiry of a fixed-term contract (caducidade) has its own fixed deadlines: the employer gives 15 days’ notice of non-renewal, the worker 8 (article 344); on an open-ended term, the employer gives 7, 30 or 60 days depending on whether the contract lasted up to 6 months, 6 months to 2 years, or longer (article 345). The trial period follows another rule again: either party may end the contract without notice in the first 60 days, and the employer then needs 7 days once the trial has run over 60 days, or 30 days once it has run over 120 (article 114). Those cases sit outside this calculator.

When no notice is owed at all

A worker who terminates the contract with just cause (for instance, unpaid wages) owes no notice and may be entitled to compensation: it is a separate regime (article 394). The law also exempts workers who are victims of domestic violence from the notice (article 400(6)). And a disciplinary dismissal for just cause has no notice period: it follows its own disciplinary procedure.

Worked example

Imagine a permanent contract with 3 years of seniority and a €1,000 monthly base pay. Because seniority is over two years, the resignation notice is 60 days. If the worker can only serve 30, 30 days are missing: the compensation owed to the employer is 1,000 ÷ 30 × 30 = €1,000. Serving the full 60 days means owing nothing. In the opposite direction, a collective dismissal at the same seniority requires 30 days of employer notice; if it is not given, the employer pays those 30 days.

Frequently asked questions

How many days of notice must I give to resign in Portugal?
On a permanent contract: 30 days with up to two years of seniority, 60 days with more than two years (article 400(1) of the Labour Code). On a fixed-term contract: 30 days if the contract lasts at least six months, 15 days if less. A collective agreement or the contract may extend the notice up to 6 months for management roles.
What happens if I leave without serving the notice?
You owe the employer compensation equal to the base pay and seniority payments for the missing period (article 401): the monthly base divided by 30, times the missing days. On a €1,000 base with 30 days missing, that is €1,000. The employer may also claim additional damages it proves resulted from the lack of notice.
Is the notice counted in calendar or working days?
In calendar days, counted from the communication to the employer. The resignation must be in writing; to avoid disputes over the date, hand the letter over against a receipt or send it by registered mail with acknowledgement of receipt.
How much notice do I receive if I am dismissed?
In collective, job-extinction and unsuitability dismissals: 15 days with under 1 year of seniority, 30 days from 1 to under 5 years, 60 days from 5 to under 10, and 75 days with 10 or more years (article 363(1)). A disciplinary dismissal for just cause has no notice: it follows its own disciplinary procedure.
What if the employer does not honour the dismissal notice?
The contract only ends after the missing notice period elapses, and the employer pays the pay for that period (article 363(4)). In practice the worker receives the value of the notice days not given, on top of the dismissal severance itself.
Can I swap the notice period for untaken holiday?
Not automatically. Notice and holiday are separate rights: accrued untaken holiday is paid out in the final reckoning, but actually taking it during the notice period requires the employer’s agreement. In practice, compensation for missing notice is usually settled in the final pay reckoning, alongside the credits the worker is owed.
Does the end of a fixed-term contract have notice too?
Yes, but with its own expiry deadlines: the employer must communicate non-renewal 15 days in advance and the worker 8 days (article 344). On an open-ended term, the employer gives 7, 30 or 60 days depending on the contract’s duration (article 345). These deadlines are fixed day counts, independent of the salary.
Are there cases where no notice is required?
Yes. Termination with just cause by the worker (for example, wage arrears) requires no notice (article 394). Workers who are victims of domestic violence are exempt from the notice (article 400(6)). And during the first 60 days of the trial period either party may end the contract without notice.

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Author: Thorben Rasmus Idel · Reviewed by: Nahar Geva · Last reviewed: 2026-07-11