Updated on: 09-05-2024

Work in Portugal

Employees Employees

The workers engaged in paid professional activities under an employment contract, in accordance with the provisions of the Labour Code, are covered by the Social Security general scheme for employees.

Communication of the admission of new employees or trainees/beginning of activity

When the employee/trainee starts working for the first time in a company, the Employer or its Representative, with powers for such action, is required to report this fact to the Social Security institution of the employee's/ trainee's workplace area.

What are the employee’s rights?

From the moment a person is registered in the Social Security System as an employee (with an employment contract) he/she is entitled to Social Security benefits.

Employee’s rights
Situation	Examples of Social Security benefits
Family benefits	Prenatal family benefit Family benefit for children anf young people Funeral allowance
Unemployment	Unemployment benefit Initial or subsequent unemployment social benefit Partial unemployment benefit
Death	Survivor’s pension Long-term care supplement Death grant Reimbursement of funeral expenses
Sickness	Sickness benefit Compensation benefits for holiday, Christmas or similar allowances
Invalidity	Invalidity pension Long-term care supplement Pension supplement for dependent spouse
Occupational diseases	Guaranteed protection in occupational disease situations
Parenting	Allowance for clinical risk during pregnancy Pregnancy termination allowance Parental allowance (initial parental allowance, initial parental allowance granted exclusively to the father, initial parental allowance granted exclusively to the mother and initial parental allowance granted to one parent if the other is unable to take the initial parental leave) Extended parental allowance Adoption allowance Childcare allowance Childcare allowance for children with disabilities or chronic illness Grandchild care allowance Allowance for the care of sick children under de age of twelve or disabled children Special allowance for grandparental leave
Old age	Old-age pension Long-term care supplement Pension supplement for dependent spouse

Pratical guide: Registration, admission and cessation of activity of an employee/ a trainee

Self-employed persons Self-employed persons

Self-Employed Persons are natural persons who carry out a professional activity without being subject to an employment contract or a legally equivalent contract, or who are required to provide the result of their activity to another person without being covered by the Social Security General Scheme for Employed Persons.

The Tax Administration communicates ex officio the beginning of activity of the Self-Employed Person to the competent Social Security institution, providing all the identification elements, including the Portuguese Taxpayer Number (NIF).

Based on this information, the competent Social Security Institution identifies the Self-Employed Person in the Social Security system or updates the respective data, if the worker is already identified in the system.

What are the Self-Employed Person’s rights?

Self-Employed Persons are entitled to social protection in the contingencies of Sickness, Parenting, Unemployment, Occupational Diseases, Invalidity, Old-age and Death.

Pratical guide: New scheme for self-employed persons

Domestic service Domestic service

A domestic worker is a person who regularly provides services to others, under their supervision and authority, aimed at satisfying the household needs (cooking, doing the laundry, house cleaning, taking care of children or elderly persons, taking care of the garden or the animals, doing sewing services, etc.). In return, the domestic worker receives a salary on a regular basis.

What are the Domestic service worker’s rights?

From the moment a person is registered in the Social Security system as a domestic worker, he/she shall be entitled to the following Social Security benefits.

Domestic service worker’s rights
Situation	Examples of Social Security benefits
Family benefits	Prenatal family benefit Family benefit for children anf young people Funeral allowance
Unemployment	Unemployment benefit Initial or subsequent unemployment social benefit Partial unemployment benefit
Death	Survivor’s pension Long-term care supplement Death grant Reimbursement of funeral expenses
Sickness	Sickness benefit Compensation benefits for holiday, Christmas or similar allowances
Invalidity	Invalidity pension Long-term care supplement Pension supplement for dependent spouse
Occupational Diseases	Guaranteed protection in occupational disease situations
Parenting	Allowance for clinical risk during pregnancy Pregnancy termination allowance Parental allowance (initial parental allowance, initial parental allowance granted exclusively to the father, initial parental allowance granted exclusively to the mother and initial parental allowance granted to one parent if the other is unable to take the initial parental leave) Extended parental allowance Adoption allowance Childcare allowance Childcare allowance for children with disabilities or chronic illness Grandchild care allowance Allowance for the care of sick children under de age of twelve or disabled children Special allowance for grandparental leave
Old age	Old-age pension Long-term care supplement Pension supplement for dependent spouse

Pratical guide: Registration, change and cessation of Domestic service activity