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Unemployment Benefit Calculator 2026: Portugal

If you lose your job through no fault of your own, you may be entitled to the unemployment benefit (subsídio de desemprego) from Social Security. The amount is 65% of your reference remuneration (your average pay over the last year, with the bonuses), within a minimum and a maximum tied to the IAS, and it lasts longer or shorter depending on your age and years of contributions. Enter your gross monthly salary, your age and the months of contributions to estimate how much and for how long you can receive in 2026.

Use the average gross monthly salary; it is converted to the reference remuneration (× 14 ÷ 12, with the bonuses). The months of contributions and your age set the duration; career years add days. The increase applies to a couple both unemployed with children or a single-parent household.

Estimated monthly benefit
€758.33
€25.28 per day (× 30)
For how long
630 days (~21 months)
Estimated total over the period: €15,924.93
Reference remuneration (monthly)€1,166.67
65% of the reference remuneration€758.33
Applicable minimum€617.70
Maximum (2.5 × IAS)€1,342.83
Base period (days)540
Career add-on (days)90
Monthly benefit€758.33

Estimate of the contributory unemployment benefit (not the means-tested social unemployment benefit), for employees on the mainland. It uses Quadro I of the benefit duration (unemployment from April 2012). It does not compute the qualifying period (360 days of work in the last 24 months), explained in the article.

Educational estimate, not advice. The 65% rate, the €537.13 IAS, the €920 minimum wage and Quadro I of the benefit duration are official for 2026. It does not compute the IRS in the 75% cap or special cases. Always confirm on Segurança Social Direta.

How much: 65% of the reference remuneration

The reference remuneration is the average pay over the first 12 of the last 14 months before unemployment, including the holiday and Christmas bonuses. The calculator derives it from the monthly salary: salary × 14 ÷ 12. The monthly benefit is 65% of that. For example, on a €1,000 salary the reference remuneration is €1,166.67 and the benefit is around €758 a month.

The limits: minimum and maximum tied to the IAS

The monthly benefit cannot be more than 2.5 × IAS (€1,342.83 in 2026) nor less than 1 × IAS (€537.13). If the salary used in the calculation reaches the minimum wage (€920 in 2026), the floor rises to 1.15 × IAS (€617.70). There is also a cap of 75% of the net reference remuneration: for low salaries, where IRS is zero, the calculator applies it exactly; for higher salaries IRS lowers the net amount and the real figure can be a little lower, so the calculator flags it.

For how long: age and contributions

The benefit duration depends on your age and your months of salary registration. It runs from 150 days (under 30, with few contributions) up to 540 days (from 40-50, with 24 months or more of contributions). On top of that base period, an add-on of 30, 45 or 60 days (depending on age) applies for each 5 years of salary registration in the last 20 years. The calculator adds the two and converts to months.

The 10% increase (majoração)

The benefit is increased by 10% in two situations: when your spouse or partner is also unemployed and you both have dependent children, or when you are the sole carer of the children (single-parent household). Tick the option to see the effect. The increase must be requested from Social Security with the relevant form (RP 5059).

Worked example

Take a €1,000 monthly salary, 40 years old, 24 months of contributions since the last unemployment and 10 years of career in the last 20 years. The reference remuneration is €1,000 × 14 ÷ 12 = €1,166.67. The monthly benefit is 65% of that = €758.33 (above the €617.70 floor and below the €1,342.83 ceiling). The base period, at 40 with 24 months of contributions, is 540 days; the 10 years of career add 2 × 45 = 90 days, for a total of 630 days (about 21 months). Altogether, that is roughly €15,925 over the period.

Frequently asked questions

How is the unemployment benefit calculated in Portugal in 2026?
The monthly benefit is 65% of the reference remuneration, which is the average pay over the first 12 of the last 14 months before unemployment (with the holiday and Christmas bonuses). From the monthly salary, the reference remuneration is salary × 14 ÷ 12. The result cannot exceed 2.5 × IAS (€1,342.83) nor be below 1 × IAS (€537.13), with the floor rising to 1.15 × IAS (€617.70) when the salary reaches the minimum wage.
How long does the unemployment benefit last?
It depends on your age and your months of salary registration. The base period runs from 150 days (under 30, with fewer than 15 months of contributions) to 540 days (from 40, with 24 months or more). On top of that, an add-on of 30, 45 or 60 days, depending on age, applies for each 5 years of salary registration in the last 20 years.
Who is entitled to the unemployment benefit?
You must have become unemployed involuntarily (for example, dismissal or a fixed-term contract not renewed by the employer) and meet the qualifying period: at least 360 days of work with contributions in the 24 months before unemployment. You must register at the job centre and claim within the next 90 days. This calculator estimates the amount and duration; it does not check the qualifying period.
Is the unemployment benefit subject to IRS and Social Security?
The unemployment benefit is not subject to Social Security. For IRS it is exempt, but it must be declared and may affect the rate applied to the household’s other income that year. Note that the benefit calculation itself uses the net reference remuneration (after Social Security and IRS) in the 75% cap.
What is the 10% increase (majoração)?
It is a 10% increase in the daily benefit, in two situations: when both members of the couple are unemployed and have dependent children, or when you are the sole carer of the children (single-parent household). It must be requested from Social Security with form RP 5059.
Are the figures exact?
The 65% rate, the €537.13 IAS, the €920 minimum wage and Quadro I of the benefit duration are official for 2026. It is an educational estimate: it uses the average salary you enter, does not compute the IRS withholding that feeds the 75% cap (for higher salaries the real figure can be a little lower) and does not cover the social unemployment benefit or the self-employed. Always confirm on Segurança Social Direta.

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