01
Contract and records
Keep your contract, payslips, schedules, communications and evidence. Employment should not be treated as an informal favour.
TRABALHO
Working in Portugal means having rights and duties.
A foreign person working in Portugal has the same employment rights and duties as a Portuguese worker. Contract, hours, leave, pay and workplace safety do not disappear because someone is a migrant.
What you need to know
Start with the essentials
02
Working time
gov.pt states maximum normal working-time limits of 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, subject to applicable legal and collective regimes.
03
Annual leave
gov.pt states a general minimum of 22 working days of paid annual leave, with specific rules in the year of admission and other situations.
04
Problems with an employer
ACT provides free information and accepts complaints about contracts, working time, safety, discrimination, undeclared work and migrant labour. The complainant's identity is protected.
Important: Do not accept the idea that “because you do not yet have a card” you have no employment rights. Migration status and employment rights are different issues; confirm a concrete case with ACT or legal support.
Confirm before acting
Working in Portugal — gov.pt ↗Ask ACT for information ↗
File an ACT complaint ↗
Requirements and channels can change. Check the official source at the time you act.