Portugal Unemployment Benefit Calculator
Enter your average salary, age, and contribution history, and see an estimate of how much you could receive per month, and for how many days.
How we calculated this
Monthly amount = 65% of your average reference salary, with a minimum of 1 IAS (or 1.15 IAS if your salary is at or above the minimum wage) and a maximum of 2.5 IAS, 2026 figures. Duration comes from the official table by age and contribution months, with extra days for every 5 full years contributed in the last 20 years.
How the amount is calculated
The benefit corresponds to 65% of your reference remuneration -- the average of your salaries registered with Social Security over the first 12 of the last 14 months before becoming unemployed, including holiday and Christmas subsidies. That figure is always subject to a minimum and a maximum, indexed to the IAS (Indexante dos Apoios Sociais): in 2026, the minimum is 1 IAS (€537.13), or 1.15 IAS (€617.70) if you earned at least the minimum wage, and the maximum is 2.5 IAS (€1,342.83).
A correction to a common mistake
You'll find a lot of information online (including articles "updated for 2026") claiming the benefit drops 10% after 180 days. That rule did exist, but it was repealed in 2018 by Lei n.º 114/2017 -- since then, the amount stays constant for the entire period granted, only changing if the IAS is updated in the meantime.
How duration works
Duration depends on two factors: your age at the date of unemployment, and how long you've been contributing since the last time you were unemployed. The older you are and the longer your contribution history, the longer the period -- ranging from 150 days (under 30, short contribution history) up to 540 days or more (50 or over, long career). For every 5 full years contributed and registered in the last 20 years, a bonus of extra days is added, which also increases with age.
The qualifying period
To be entitled to the benefit, you need 360 days of registered earnings in the 24 months before becoming unemployed -- roughly 12 months of continuous or intermittent work. Without that period met, there's no entitlement to the standard benefit (you may still be entitled to other support, like the social unemployment subsidy, not modelled here).
What this calculator doesn't do
It doesn't model the additional cap of 75% of net reference remuneration (rarely the binding limit, but it exists), nor special situations like partial unemployment, self-employed workers, or the social unemployment subsidy for those who don't meet the standard qualifying period.
Frequently asked questions
Who is entitled to unemployment benefit?
Anyone made involuntarily unemployed (dismissal, a fixed-term contract not renewed, among other situations) who has at least 360 days of registered earnings in the previous 24 months -- the so-called qualifying period. Someone who resigns voluntarily generally isn't entitled, except in specific exceptions.
Does the amount drop after a few months?
Not since 2018 -- the old rule that reduced the amount by 10% after 180 days was repealed by Lei n.º 114/2017 (the 2018 state budget). The amount stays constant for the whole period it's granted, only changing if the IAS is updated. There's still a lot of outdated information online quoting that reduction -- it doesn't apply.
How do I apply for unemployment benefit?
The application is made through Segurança Social Direta, ideally within 90 days of becoming unemployed (a delay can reduce the benefit's duration). You need to be registered as unemployed with the IEFP and submit the required documentation, including the reason your contract ended.
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Try it freeEstimate based on 2026 public rules, not financial, legal or tax advice, and not a substitute for Social Security's official calculation.