Public Holidays in Portugal: Dates, Lisbon’s 13 June and Bridge Days

Portugal has 13 mandatory national public holidays (feriados), set in article 234 of the Labour Code (Código do Trabalho). Lisbon adds its municipal holiday on 13 June, Santo António. Carnival Tuesday is not a mandatory holiday, but many collective agreements and the public sector usually give it off.

The dates below are calculated from the Labour Code for 2026 and 2027, as of November 2026. Easter-linked holidays move each year.

What are the public holidays in Portugal in 2027?

Besides Easter Sunday, four national holidays fall on a weekend in 2027, and so does Lisbon’s 13 June. Portugal does not automatically move a holiday to the next Monday, so those days are simply lost for most workers. The remaining 2026 holidays are 1 December (Tuesday), 8 December (Tuesday) and 25 December (Friday).

Corpus Christi, Republic Day, All Saints’ Day and 1 December were suspended from 2013 and restored by Lei 8/2016.

Is 13 June a holiday in Lisbon only?

Yes. Each municipality chooses its own municipal holiday, and Lisbon’s is 13 June, Santo António, the day after the city’s biggest street-party night (see our guide to the Santos Populares in Lisbon). Nearby municipalities have different dates. In the private sector, the Labour Code treats the municipal holiday like Carnival: it is a holiday for you only if your collective agreement or employment contract says so. Lisbon City Council and parish services close that day. In 2027 it falls on a Sunday.

What closes on public holidays?

Public offices close on national holidays, and opening hours change across the city. As a rule of thumb:

• Public services: Finanças, Segurança Social, AIMA counters, Lojas do Cidadão and courts are closed. Online portals stay available, but deadlines that end on a holiday usually move to the next working day under administrative rules; check the specific deadline.
• Banks: branches close. Cards, MB Way and ATMs (Multibanco) work, but transfers may only be processed on the next business day.
• Shops: most supermarkets and shopping centers open on most holidays, often with shorter hours; small shops are more likely to close, and many places close or shorten hours on 25 December and 1 January.
• Museums and monuments: national museums and monuments open on many holidays but close on some days of the year. Staff strikes on public holidays have closed some sites since 2025, so check museusemonumentos.pt or the site’s page before you go.
• Pharmacies and health: a duty pharmacy stays open in each area; hospital emergency departments and SNS 24 (808 24 24 24) work as usual.
• Transport: Metro, Carris, CP and ferries usually run weekend or holiday timetables, so expect longer waits. Check each operator’s site the day before.

How do bridge days (pontes) work?

A ponte (bridge) is a working day squeezed between a holiday and the weekend, such as a Friday after a Thursday holiday. There is no automatic right to take it off. Workers can take it as a day of annual leave if the employer agrees, and civil servants sometimes get it through a government decision granting time off (tolerância de ponto), announced shortly before.

The Labour Code (article 242) also lets an employer close the business on a bridge day between a Tuesday or Thursday holiday and the weekly rest day, counting it as annual leave. The employer must tell the workers concerned by 15 December of the previous year. Likely bridge days:

If your employer plans closures for 2027, the notice should reach you by 15 December 2026.

Do I get paid extra for working on a holiday?

Workers who must work on a public holiday are entitled to compensation under the Labour Code, as extra pay or time off, and many collective agreements set better terms. The details depend on your contract and sector, such as retail, hospitality and health, where holiday work is common. Ask your employer for the applicable collective agreement, or contact ACT (Autoridade para as Condições do Trabalho, the labor inspectorate) if you think you were underpaid.

Bottom line

2027 is a thin year for long weekends: four national holidays besides Easter land on a weekend, and the best chances to bridge are late May, mid-June and early October. If you deal with Finanças, AIMA or a bank, plan paperwork around 1 and 8 December and the Christmas week, when offices close and processing slows.

FAQ

Is Christmas Eve a holiday in Portugal?

No. 24 December is not a public holiday under the Labour Code, though the government has in some years given civil servants the day off and many employers close early.

Is Carnival a holiday?

Carnival Tuesday is optional. It is a day off only if your collective agreement or contract says so, or, for civil servants, if the government grants time off that year.

Are holidays the same in the Azores and Madeira?

The national holidays apply everywhere, and the autonomous regions add their own regional holidays.