Portugal Minimum Wage in 2026: €920 a Month, Paid 14 Times
The national minimum wage is more than a pay floor: visa income tests, tax rules and benefits are pegged to it. What it is in 2026, how it is set and what is expected for 2027.
Portugal’s national minimum wage (salário mínimo nacional, legally the retribuição mínima mensal garantida) is €920 a month in 2026 for a full-time worker on the mainland. It was set by Decree-Law 139/2025 of 29 December, with effect from 1 January 2026, and is paid 14 times a year, so the annual minimum is €12,880.
DGERT, the labor ministry’s directorate for employment and labor relations, lists the amount and the decree on its minimum wage page. Figures below are as of November 2026.
How much is the minimum wage in 2026?
The monthly amount rose by €50, or 5.7%, from €870 in 2025. The recent increases, according to DGERT:
| Year | Monthly minimum wage | Increase | Decree-Law |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | €820 | 7.9% | 107/2023 |
| 2025 | €870 | 6.1% | 112/2024 |
| 2026 | €920 | 5.7% | 139/2025 |
The amount is gross. Workers pay 11% to Social Security out of it, which leaves €818.80 a month. A full-time worker whose only income is the minimum wage pays no income tax on it, because the IRS minimum subsistence value for 2026 is €12,880, the same as 14 monthly payments of €920.
Your contributions are recorded under your Social Security number, and you can see what your employer declares for you in the Segurança Social Direta online service. If you do not have the number yet, our guide to the NISS Social Security number explains how to request it.
Why is it paid 14 times a year?
Portuguese employees receive a holiday allowance (subsídio de férias) and a Christmas allowance (subsídio de Natal), each normally equal to one month’s pay, on top of 12 monthly salaries. For a minimum-wage worker that means 14 × €920 = €12,880 a year.
Spread over 12 months, the same total is about €1,073 a month. That figure is useful when you compare Portuguese pay with countries that pay 12 salaries a year, but contracts and official tables always quote the monthly amount.
What is the hourly minimum wage?
Portugal does not fix a separate hourly minimum. The Labour Code converts monthly pay to an hourly rate with the formula (monthly pay × 12) ÷ (52 × weekly hours).
- For a 40-hour week, the 2026 minimum works out at about €5.31 an hour.
- Part-time workers are entitled to at least the minimum wage in proportion to their hours.
- Overtime, night work and work on public holidays are paid at higher rates set by the Labour Code or the collective agreement for the sector.
Many sectors have collective agreements with wage floors above the national minimum. Check yours with the employer, the union or the labor inspectorate, ACT (Autoridade para as Condições do Trabalho).
Is it different in Madeira and the Azores?
Yes. The autonomous regions set their own minimum wage above the mainland figure. For 2026, regional figures reported for the Azores are €966 a month, and Madeira’s Regional Legislative Decree 1/2026/M set €980, both from 1 January. Check the regional government’s official journal if you work on the islands, because the regional decrees can change at a different time from the mainland one.
How is the minimum wage set each year?
The government sets the amount by decree-law, after discussing it with employers’ confederations and unions in the Standing Committee for Social Dialogue (Comissão Permanente de Concertação Social). The last three decrees were published between mid-November and late December and applied from 1 January.
A medium-term agreement signed in Concertação Social in October 2024 set a path of €50 increases a year. The government’s report for the 2027 State Budget assumes €970 from January 2027, while unions have asked for more. As of November 2026 no decree for 2027 had been published, so €970 is a projection, not law.
Why does the minimum wage matter for visas and benefits?
Several immigration and tax rules are pegged to the minimum wage, so its yearly rise changes what applicants must prove.
| Rule (as of November 2026) | Link to the minimum wage | 2026 amount |
|---|---|---|
| D7 visa, main applicant | 100% of the minimum wage per month | €920 |
| D7 visa, second adult | 50% | €460 |
| D7 visa, each child | 30% | €276 |
| Digital nomad visa | Average monthly income of at least 4 × minimum wage | €3,680 |
| IRS minimum subsistence | Higher of €12,880 or 1.5 × 14 × IAS | €12,880 |
Our guide to the D7 visa explains how consulates apply the income test. Many social benefits, such as unemployment benefit limits, are tied to a different figure, the social support index (IAS), which is €537.13 in 2026.
Bottom line
Anyone applying for a D7 or digital nomad visa early in 2027 should budget for the higher figure: if the €970 projection holds, the D7 threshold for a single applicant rises by €50 a month and the nomad threshold to €3,880. Employers of minimum-wage staff also pay their own Social Security contribution on top of the €920, so the cost of a minimum-wage job is well above the payslip figure.
FAQ
Do foreign workers get the same minimum wage?
Yes. The minimum wage applies to every employee working in Portugal, whatever their nationality or residence status.
Does the minimum wage apply to freelancers?
No. It protects employees under an employment contract. Freelancers on recibos verdes set their own fees.
Can the holiday and Christmas allowances be paid monthly?
Yes, if the worker and employer agree, part of the allowances can be paid in twelfths with the monthly salary (duodécimos). The annual total stays the same.
Where can I report pay below the minimum wage?
Complaints go to ACT, the labor inspectorate, which can inspect the employer. Keep payslips and bank statements as proof.
