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Unemployment Benefits in Portugal
People who lose their job involuntarily and have at least 360 days of registered pay in the last 24 months can get unemployment benefit (subsídio de desemprego) from Segurança Social, claimed through the IEFP job centre.
✓ From official pages ✓ Each part says when we checked
At a glance
Instituto da Segurança Social, I.P.
Linha Segurança Social, working days 9h00 to 18h00
The job market in Portugal
The International Labour Organization's estimates put Portugal 114th lowest of 183 countries for unemployment in 2025; the world's rate was 4.9%.
Portugal's unemployment rate over the years · every country, ranked
What to do first
- Register with the public employment service, IEFP (Instituto do Emprego e Formação Profissional). Official page
- Apply for Unemployment benefit (Subsídio de Desemprego): register as unemployed with IEFP and file the claim within 90 days of the job ending, online in iefponline or at a job centre. Official page
- Keep up with the job-search rule while you claim (below), and keep a record of where you applied.
- Search the government's job listings on iefponline. Official page
- Questions: call 210 545 400 | 300 502 502 (Linha Segurança Social, working days 9h00 to 18h00).
Unemployment benefit (Subsídio de Desemprego)
Who can get it. Residents of Portugal unemployed involuntarily, registered at the job centre, with at least 12 months (360 days) of registered pay in the last 24 months.
How much. 65% of the reference pay (remuneração de referência) per day; at least 537,13€ (1 x IAS) a month, at most 1 342,83€ (2,5 x IAS) and no more than 75% of the net reference pay (2026 figures).
For how long. Depends on age and months of registered pay: from 150 days (under 30, up to 15 months) to 540 days (50 or over, 24 months or more), plus extra days per 5 years of contributions.
How to claim. Register as unemployed with IEFP and file the claim within 90 days of the job ending, online in iefponline or at a job centre.
From an official page, read October 25, 2026.
Looking for work while you claim
Accept suitable full-time work, accept and follow the Personal Employment Plan (PPE), actively look for work according to the PPE and show the job centre that you do.
From an official page, read October 25, 2026.
Keep my work search record for Portugal
Free. It lists where you applied and what else you did to look for work, each line ready to copy into the form you report on. It is your own record: we send nothing to any government.
Help finding work
- The public employment service: IEFP (Instituto do Emprego e Formação Profissional)
- The government's job listings: iefponline
Jobareer emails new jobs in Portugal as they come in: jobs in Portugal.
New jobs in Portugal
Every job in Portugal, and job alerts emailed as new ones come in.
Who to call
Linha Segurança Social, working days 9h00 to 18h00: 210 545 400 | 300 502 502.
From an official page, read October 25, 2026.
Questions
Is there unemployment benefit in Portugal?
Yes: Unemployment benefit (Subsídio de Desemprego), paid by Instituto da Segurança Social, I.P..
How much is unemployment benefit in Portugal?
65% of the reference pay (remuneração de referência) per day; at least 537,13€ (1 x IAS) a month, at most 1 342,83€ (2,5 x IAS) and no more than 75% of the net reference pay (2026 figures).
How long does unemployment benefit last in Portugal?
Depends on age and months of registered pay: from 150 days (under 30, up to 15 months) to 540 days (50 or over, 24 months or more), plus extra days per 5 years of contributions.
How do I claim unemployment benefit in Portugal?
Register as unemployed with IEFP and file the claim within 90 days of the job ending, online in iefponline or at a job centre.
Do I have to look for work while I claim in Portugal?
Accept suitable full-time work, accept and follow the Personal Employment Plan (PPE), actively look for work according to the PPE and show the job centre that you do.
Who do I call about unemployment in Portugal?
Linha Segurança Social, working days 9h00 to 18h00: 210 545 400 | 300 502 502.
Where can I get help finding a job in Portugal?
The public employment service is IEFP (Instituto do Emprego e Formação Profissional). The government lists jobs on iefponline.
Nearby countries
Albania
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Croatia
Gibraltar
Greece
Italy
Kosovo
Malta
Montenegro
North Macedonia
San Marino
Serbia
Slovenia
Spain
Vatican City
Where this comes from
Every part of this page was read on an official website, and each links the page it came from and the day we checked it. Rules and amounts change, so check that page before you rely on a figure. Jobareer is not part of any government and cannot see or change a claim.
See also: unemployment rate by country · Portugal's unemployment rate · unemployment in the US, state by state.