Sick Leave in Portugal: Medical Certificate, Self-Declaration, Pay
When you can self-declare on SNS 24, when you need a doctor's certificate, how much Social Security pays and the rules for caring for a sick child.
Sick leave in Portugal is certified by a doctor’s medical certificate (CIT) sent straight to Social Security, which then pays sick pay of 55% of your reference pay for the first 30 days, from the fourth day off for employees and the eleventh for the self-employed. For short illnesses you can self-declare up to 3 days on SNS 24, twice a year, but those days are unpaid.
The figures below come from the Social Security practical guide on sick pay published on 23 October 2026 and from SNS 24, as of November 2026.
What is the CIT, and how do I get one?
The CIT (Certificado de Incapacidade Temporária, temporary incapacity certificate) is the official sick note. A doctor at your health center, a hospital or the SNS emergency service issues it after seeing you, and the health service sends it electronically to Social Security (Segurança Social). You do not deliver it yourself, and the payment is processed automatically from the electronic certificate.
Only when electronic sending is impossible is a paper CIT accepted. In that case you must hand it in within 5 working days; if it arrives late, you keep the right to the benefit but are paid only from the date Social Security receives it.
To see a doctor you usually need an SNS user number. Our guide to the SNS user number and family doctor explains how to get one.
Can I self-declare sick leave for up to 3 days?
Yes. The self-declaration of illness (autodeclaração de doença, ADD) lets any worker aged 16 or over justify up to 3 consecutive days of absence on their word of honor, without seeing a doctor. You can use it twice per calendar year, so up to 6 days in total.
- Log in to the SNS 24 portal or app and open Documentos e certificados, then Autodeclaração de doença.
- Enter the first day of illness and submit. You must do this within 5 days of the first day off.
- Give your employer the access code you receive by SMS or email, so they can check the declaration on the SNS 24 validation page.
- If you recover early, tell Social Security through its online portal that you are back at work.
If you cannot use the portal or app, the SNS 24 line (808 24 24 24) can issue it. Since 29 July 2025 the declaration is sent to Social Security automatically. Full details are on the SNS 24 self-declaration page.
The self-declaration does not give a right to sick pay. Its days can, however, count toward the unpaid waiting days if a doctor’s CIT follows straight after or overlaps with it.
How much sick pay will I get?
Sick pay (subsídio de doença) is a percentage of your reference pay, rising with the length of the illness:
| Length of illness | Daily sick pay |
|---|---|
| Up to 30 days | 55% of reference pay |
| 31 to 90 days | 60% |
| 91 to 365 days | 70% |
| More than 365 days | 75% |
The 55% and 60% rates go up by 5 points if your reference pay is €500 a month or less, if the household has three or more children up to 16 (or up to 24 if they receive child benefit), or if a child receives the disability supplement. The daily amount cannot be lower than €9.20 in 2026, nor higher than your net reference pay.
Reference pay is worked out from the salaries registered with Social Security in the 6 oldest of the last 8 months before the month you fall ill, excluding holiday and Christmas subsidies, divided by 180. Example from the guide: €6,600 over those 6 months gives €36.67 a day, so 55% is about €20.17 a day.
When does sick pay start, and how long does it last?
| Who | Paid from | Maximum length |
|---|---|---|
| Employees | Day 4 (3 waiting days) | 1,095 days |
| Self-employed | Day 11 (10 waiting days) | 365 days |
| Voluntary social insurance, research grant holders | Day 31 (30 waiting days) | Check the guide |
| Hospital stay, outpatient surgery or tuberculosis | Day 1 | As above |
Social Security does not pay the waiting days. Your contract or collective agreement may say if your employer covers them.
Do I qualify?
Two conditions apply on the day you stop working:
- Qualifying period (prazo de garantia): 6 months of work with contributions, consecutive or not, to Portuguese Social Security or another national or foreign system that covers sickness.
- Professional activity index (índice de profissionalidade): at least 12 days of work in the first four of the last six months.
Because the guide also counts contributions to a foreign system that covers sickness, recent arrivals should ask Social Security how to prove contributions made abroad. Your NISS must be active for any of this; see our guide to getting a NISS.
What about freelancers on recibos verdes?
Self-employed workers who pay Social Security contributions are covered by sick pay, with the same percentages but a 10-day waiting period and a maximum of 365 days. Contributions must be up to date. The self-declaration of illness also works for freelancers to justify absence to a client, but it never triggers payment. Our guide to working on recibos verdes covers contribution rates.
Can I take leave to care for a sick child?
Yes. Parents can miss work to care for a sick or injured child and receive the child-care assistance benefit (subsídio para assistência a filho) from Social Security. It pays 100% of net reference pay, never less than 65% of gross reference pay.
The limit is 30 days a year per parent for a child up to 12, or for a child of any age with a disability or chronic illness, and 15 days a year for a child over 12. One extra day is added for each child after the first. Hospital stays have separate rules.
Bottom line
For a two-day cold, the SNS 24 self-declaration is the quick route, but it is unpaid and limited to two uses a year. For anything longer, see a doctor early so the CIT starts on the first day off: the waiting days are counted from the certificate, not from when you first felt ill.
FAQ
Is the first day of sick leave paid in Portugal?
Not by Social Security, unless you are in hospital, have outpatient surgery or have tuberculosis. Employees are paid from day 4 and the self-employed from day 11.
How many times can I self-declare sick on SNS 24?
Twice per calendar year, for up to 3 consecutive days each time. Each declaration must be requested within 5 days of the first day of absence.
Do I have to send the sick note to my employer?
The CIT goes to Social Security electronically. Tell your employer you are on sick leave and follow your company’s rules for informing it; for a self-declaration, give the access code.
Does a self-declaration count toward the waiting days?
It can. Social Security’s guide says the days of a self-declaration count toward the waiting period if a doctor’s CIT follows straight after it or overlaps with it.
