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Parental Leave Allowance Calculator 2026: Portugal

When a child is born, Social Security pays the initial parental-leave benefit (subsídio parental) to replace your salary during the parental leave (licença parental). The amount is a percentage of your reference remuneration (your daily pay) and depends on the modality you choose: 120 days at 100% or 150 days at 80% (not shared), or 150 days at 100% and 180 days at 83% if the leave is shared between both parents. Enter your monthly salary to estimate and compare what you receive in each option in 2026.

Use the average gross monthly salary of the first 6 of the last 8 months (excluding the holiday and Christmas bonuses); the daily reference remuneration is that figure divided by 30. The modality sets the length of the leave and the percentage: 120 days at 100% or 150 days at 80% (not shared), or 150 days at 100% and 180 days at 83% if the leave is shared between both parents.

Total benefit for the leave
€5,199.60
120 days, €43.33 per day
Daily reference remuneration
€43.33
It is the salary divided by 30 (without bonuses). The percentage applies to this figure.
ModalityPer dayPer monthTotal for the leave
120 days at 100%€43.33€1,300€5,200
150 days at 80%€34.67€1,040€5,201
150 days at 100% (shared)€43.33€1,300€6,500
180 days at 83% (shared)€35.97€1,079€6,475

The parental-leave benefit is not subject to Social Security, but it is subject to IRS; Social Security pays it without withholding at source. This calculation does not compute IRS.

Estimate of the initial parental-leave benefit for employees (Continente). It covers the four modalities of the initial leave; it does not include the father's mandatory leave (28 + 7 days at 100%), the complementary parental leave (at 25%) or the clinical-risk and adoption regimes. The 6-month qualifying period of contributions is an eligibility condition, not checked here. Assumes a stable salary over the reference period.

Educational estimate, not advice. The modalities (120 days at 100%, 150 days at 80%, 150 days at 100% and 180 days at 83% if shared), the €537.13 IAS and the €14.32 minimum daily amount are official for 2026. Always confirm on Segurança Social Direta.

The reference remuneration: salary ÷ 30

The benefit is based on the daily reference remuneration. Social Security uses the total salary of the first 6 of the last 8 months before the leave, excluding the holiday and Christmas bonuses, divided by 180. From a stable monthly salary, that is simply the salary divided by 30. On a €1,000 salary, the daily reference remuneration is €33.33.

The four modalities of the initial leave

The initial parental leave can be 120 or 150 days, and the benefit percentage depends on that choice. On your own: 120 days paid at 100% of the reference remuneration, or 150 days at 80%. The two totals are equal (the same money spread over more time): 120 × 100% = 150 × 80%. The calculator shows the four modalities side by side to compare.

Sharing adds 30 days

If the leave is shared (each parent takes, exclusively, at least 30 consecutive days, or two periods of 15 days), 30 days are added: the 120-day modality becomes 150 days paid at 100% and the 150-day one becomes 180 days at 83%. Sharing is therefore the only way to receive 100% for 5 months or to stretch the leave to 6 months.

The minimum daily amount

The daily parental benefit can never be below €14.32, which is 80% of the daily IAS (Social Support Index) of €537.13 in 2026. This floor protects low earners, especially in the 80% and 83% modalities. There is no upper limit: unlike the unemployment benefit, the parental benefit has no cap.

Worked example

Take a €1,000 monthly salary. The daily reference remuneration is €1,000 ÷ 30 = €33.33. On the 120-day modality at 100%, you receive €33.33 per day for 120 days, about €4,000 in total. If you choose 150 days at 80%, you receive €26.67 per day (80% of €33.33) for 150 days, the same total, but spread over one extra month. If the leave is shared, 150 days at 100% give about €5,000 and 180 days at 83% about €4,980.

Frequently asked questions

How much do you receive in parental leave benefit in Portugal in 2026?
The parental benefit is a percentage of the daily reference remuneration (the salary divided by 30, without bonuses). On non-shared leave, you receive 100% for 120 days or 80% for 150 days. On shared leave, you receive 100% for 150 days or 83% for 180 days. The daily benefit is never below €14.32 in 2026.
Is it better to choose 120 days at 100% or 150 days at 80%?
The total is exactly the same in both options: 120 days at 100% and 150 days at 80% pay the same money. The difference is the pace: 120 days gives a higher monthly amount for 4 months; 150 days gives a lower amount, but for 5 months. The choice depends on how long you want to be on leave, not on the total you receive.
What changes if the leave is shared?
If each parent takes, exclusively, at least 30 consecutive days (or two periods of 15 days), the leave gains 30 more days: the 120-day modality becomes 150 days at 100% and the 150-day one becomes 180 days at 83%. Sharing is the only way to receive 100% for 5 months or to reach 6 months of leave.
How is the reference remuneration for parental leave calculated?
It is the total salary of the first 6 of the last 8 months before the leave, excluding the holiday and Christmas bonuses, divided by 180. For a stable monthly salary it equals the salary divided by 30. The 80%, 83% and 100% rates apply to this daily figure.
Is the parental benefit subject to IRS and Social Security?
The parental benefit is not subject to Social Security. It is subject to IRS, but Social Security pays it without withholding at source; you must declare it the following year. This calculator estimates the gross benefit and does not compute IRS.
Are the figures exact?
The modalities (120 days at 100%, 150 at 80%, and shared 150 at 100% and 180 at 83%), the €537.13 IAS and the €14.32 minimum daily amount are official for 2026. It is an educational estimate: it uses the average salary you enter, assumes a stable salary over the reference period and does not include the father’s mandatory leave (28 + 7 days at 100%), the complementary parental leave (25%) or the clinical-risk and adoption regimes. Always confirm on Segurança Social Direta.

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