Skip to content
Calculadora Capital

Sick Leave Allowance Calculator 2026: Portugal

When you are on sick leave (baixa médica), Social Security pays the sick-leave benefit (subsídio de doença) to replace part of your salary. The amount is a percentage of your reference remuneration (your daily pay) that rises with the length of the leave: 55% up to 30 days, 60% from 31 to 90, 70% from 91 to 365 and 75% beyond that. The first 3 days are unpaid, except for hospitalisation or surgery. Enter your monthly salary and the days of leave to estimate what you receive in 2026.

Use the average gross monthly salary of the first 6 of the last 8 months (excluding bonuses); the daily reference remuneration is that figure divided by 30. Enter the total days of the leave: the first 3 are unpaid, except for hospitalisation or surgery. The percentage rises with duration; the increase applies to a reference remuneration of €500 or less, a household with 3 or more children up to 16 (or 24) years, or a child with the disability bonus.

Total benefit for the leave
€264.00
12 paid days, averaging €22.00 per day
Daily reference remuneration
€40.00
The first 3 days are unpaid (waiting period).
BandPaid daysDaily amountSubtotal
55% of the reference remuneration12€22.00€264.00
Total12—€264.00

The daily benefit can never exceed the net reference remuneration; with the top rate at 75% this rarely binds, so this calculation does not compute it.

Estimate of the sick-leave benefit for employees (Continente). The rate is 55% up to 30 days, 60% from 31 to 90, 70% from 91 to 365 and 75% beyond 365 days. The self-employed have an 11-day waiting period and the voluntary social insurance 30 days; they are not covered here. Assumes a stable salary over the reference period.

Educational estimate, not advice. The percentages (55/60/70/75%), the 3-day waiting period, the €537.13 IAS and the €5.37 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, excluding the holiday and Christmas bonuses, divided by 180. From a stable monthly salary, that is simply the salary divided by 30. On a €1,200 salary, the daily reference remuneration is €40.

The percentage rises with duration

The daily benefit is a percentage of that reference remuneration, applied day by day: 55% on days up to 30, 60% from 31 to 90, 70% from 91 to 365 and 75% from day 366. On a long leave, each phase is paid at its own rate. The calculator adds up every paid day and shows the total for the leave.

The 3-day waiting period

For an ordinary illness, the first 3 days of the leave are unpaid (the benefit starts on the 4th day). There is no waiting period, meaning you are paid from day 1, for hospitalisation, day surgery, tuberculosis or infectious diseases. The waiting days still count towards the duration that sets the percentage.

The minimum, maximum and the increase

The daily benefit can never be below €5.37 (30% of the daily IAS of €537.13 in 2026) nor above the net reference remuneration. There is also an increase of 5 percentage points on the 55% and 60% rates (they become 60% and 65%) for those with a reference remuneration of €500 or less, a household with 3 or more children up to 16 (or 24) years, or a child with the disability bonus. Tick the option to include it.

Worked example

Take a €1,200 monthly salary and a 15-day ordinary-illness leave. The daily reference remuneration is €1,200 ÷ 30 = €40. The first 3 days are unpaid, leaving 12 paid days. As the whole leave is within the first 30 days, the 55% rate applies: the daily benefit is 55% of €40 = €22. In total, 12 days × €22 = €264 for the leave.

Frequently asked questions

How much do you receive on sick leave in Portugal in 2026?
The sick-leave benefit is a percentage of the daily reference remuneration (the salary divided by 30, without bonuses) that rises with the length of the leave: 55% up to 30 days, 60% from 31 to 90, 70% from 91 to 365 and 75% beyond 365 days. The daily benefit cannot be below €5.37 nor above the net reference remuneration.
Does Social Security pay the first days of sick leave?
For an ordinary illness, the first 3 days are not paid by Social Security (the benefit starts on the 4th day). There is no waiting period for hospitalisation, day surgery, tuberculosis or infectious diseases: in those cases you are paid from day 1.
How is the reference remuneration for sick 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 55% to 75% rates apply to this daily figure.
What is the 5% increase (majoração) of the sick-leave benefit?
It is an increase of 5 percentage points on the 55% and 60% rates (which become 60% and 65%) for beneficiaries with a reference remuneration of €500 or less, a household with 3 or more descendants up to 16 (or 24 if receiving child benefit), or a descendant with the disability bonus of the child benefit.
Is sick leave subject to IRS and Social Security?
The sick-leave 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. The benefit calculation itself is capped at the net reference remuneration, which this calculator does not compute in detail.
Are the figures exact?
The percentages (55/60/70/75%), the 3-day waiting period, the €537.13 IAS and the €5.37 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 compute IRS or cover the self-employed (11-day wait) or the voluntary social insurance. Always confirm on Segurança Social Direta.

Related calculators & reading

Sources

Author: Thorben Rasmus Idel · Reviewed by: Nahar Geva · Last reviewed: 2026-06-05