Parental leave and maternity benefits in Portugal

If you’re working in Portugal, here is some information on parental leave in Portugal.

Family allowances in Portugal

Dependants have the following benefits

• Antenatal family allowance: granted to pregnant women from the 13th week of gestation, on a monthly basis up to birth;
• Parents’ benefit for children and young people (abono de família (child allowance)) – awarded to descendants until they are 16 years of age or up to 24 years of age when they are enrolled in education establishments;
• Benefit for attending a special education establishment;
• Monthly life-long benefit as well as extraordinary supplementary benefit;
• Constant care allowance;
• Funeral expenses grant.

In the case of maternity, paternity, or adoption, the mother and father may claim initial as well as complementary parental leave for the birth of the child.

The family can receive the following benefits

• Subsídio de maternidade (Maternity allowance) is available for maternity leave (120 days); possible entitlement to paid leave before giving birth (in addition to the 120 days), when there is a clinical risk to the employee or unborn child, with the possibility to extend leave for a further 30 days after the birth (up to 150 days).
• Paternity benefit
• Benefit for the care of ill or disabled children
• Adoption grant
• Benefit for the care of severely disabled or chronically ill children
• Benefit for particular risks during pregnancy
• Parental leave benefit
• Benefit for special leave for grandparents

General conditions

• Being unfit or unavailable for work due to pregnancy, maternity, paternity, adoption, care of children, care of children of the beneficiary or spouse and adopted, underage or disabled children who are ill, care of severely disabled or chronically ill children and the birth of grandchildren;
• Qualifying period: six calendar months, either consecutive or separate, with registered earnings, on the date of the factor determining the protection (first day of being unable to work).