🇵🇹 Job offer letter in Portugal: what to include
Updated July 2026 · General information, not legal advice
Portugal combines EU-style employee protection with two features that surprise foreign employers: statutory 13th and 14th salaries (the holiday and Christmas subsidies) and probation periods that vary sharply by role seniority. Both belong in the offer letter.
Quick facts
- Probation
- 90 days standard · 180 days for complex/trust roles · 240 days for senior management
- Annual leave
- 22 working days
- 13th & 14th salary
- Holiday and Christmas subsidies are statutory
- Salary convention
- Monthly gross ×14 is the standard way to express annual pay
- Contract form
- Written contract standard; mandatory for fixed-term
What to include in a Portuguese offer letter
A typical offer for a Portugal-based hire covers:
- Position, workplace and working hours
- Base monthly salary and the ×14 structure (or whether subsidies are pro-rated monthly — 'duodécimos')
- Meal allowance (subsídio de alimentação) — a near-universal Portuguese benefit
- Contract type and duration
- Probation period appropriate to the role level
- Annual leave (22 working days minimum)
Probation depends on the role
Portuguese probation is tiered: 90 days for ordinary roles, 180 days for positions of technical complexity or special trust, and 240 days for directors and senior management. The offer should state the tier explicitly — an incorrect probation clause simply falls back to the legal limit.
13th and 14th salaries
Employees are entitled to a holiday subsidy and a Christmas subsidy, each roughly equal to one month's pay. That is why Portuguese annual salaries are usually described as 'monthly salary × 14'. Some companies pay the subsidies spread across the year (duodécimos) — say which model applies.
Leave and allowances
The minimum is 22 working days of paid vacation. The meal allowance, while not strictly mandatory in the private sector, is expected by candidates and enjoys favourable tax treatment up to a daily cap — most offers include it as a separate line.
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Create a free offer →Frequently asked questions
What does 'salary × 14' mean in Portugal?
Annual pay equals 14 monthly payments: 12 regular months plus the statutory holiday and Christmas subsidies. Always clarify whether a quoted annual figure is ×12 or ×14.
How long can probation be in Portugal?
90 days for most roles, 180 days for technically complex or high-trust positions, and 240 days for senior management. The tier must match the actual role.
Is the meal allowance mandatory in Portugal?
Not by general law in the private sector, but it is a standard, tax-efficient benefit that candidates expect — omit it and your offer will look below market.
Related guides
This guide is general information for employers, not legal advice. Employment rules change and collective agreements may set different terms — confirm the specifics with local counsel before sending an offer.