Public Holidays 2026 in Portugal
In 2026, 9 of Portugal's 13 national holidays fall on weekdays — real days off work, without spending a single day of annual leave.
4 holidays land on weekends (Domingo de Páscoa (Sun, 5 April), Dia da Liberdade (Sat, 25 April), Assunção de Nossa Senhora (Sat, 15 August) and Dia de Todos-os-Santos (Sun, 1 November)) and, since holidays in Portugal are not moved to Monday, they bring no extra rest.
The 2026 calendar offers 4 bridge opportunities: one well-chosen day of leave gets you up to 4 consecutive days off. The best month to plan a getaway is December.
| Date | Weekday | Holiday | Bridge |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January | Thursday | Ano Novo | 🌉 Bridge potential |
| 14 February | Saturday | Valentine's Day | Commemorative date |
| 17 February | Tuesday | Carnival | Commemorative date |
| 8 March | Sunday | International Women's Day | Commemorative date |
| 19 March | Thursday | Father's Day (Portugal) | Commemorative date |
| 3 April | Friday | Sexta-feira Santa | |
| 5 April | Sunday | Domingo de Páscoa | Falls on a weekend |
| 25 April | Saturday | Dia da Liberdade | Falls on a weekend |
| 1 May | Friday | Dia do Trabalhador | |
| 3 May | Sunday | Mother's Day (Portugal) | Commemorative date |
| 1 June | Monday | Children's Day | Commemorative date |
| 4 June | Thursday | Corpo de Deus | 🌉 Bridge potential |
| 10 June | Wednesday | Dia de Portugal, de Camões e das Comunidades Portuguesas | |
| 15 August | Saturday | Assunção de Nossa Senhora | Falls on a weekend |
| 5 October | Monday | Implantação da República | |
| 31 October | Saturday | Halloween | Commemorative date |
| 1 November | Sunday | Dia de Todos-os-Santos | Falls on a weekend |
| 1 December | Tuesday | Restauração da Independência | 🌉 Bridge potential |
| 8 December | Tuesday | Imaculada Conceição | 🌉 Bridge potential |
| 24 December | Thursday | Christmas Eve | Commemorative date |
| 25 December | Friday | Natal | |
| 31 December | Thursday | New Year's Eve | Commemorative date |
🌉 The 2026 calendar offers 4 bridge opportunities: one well-chosen day of leave gets you up to 4 consecutive days off.
See the 2026 bridge days → Calendar 2026 →Holiday Bridge Commemorative date
January ›
- 1 Ano Novo 🌉
21 working days
February ›
20 working days
March ›
22 working days
April ›
21 working days
May ›
20 working days
June ›
20 working days
July ›
23 working days
August ›
21 working days
September ›
22 working days
October ›
21 working days
November ›
21 working days
December ›
- 1 Restauração da Independência 🌉
- 8 Imaculada Conceição 🌉
- 25 Natal
20 working days
How bridge days work
A bridge day is the working day "squeezed" between a public holiday and the weekend: when the holiday falls on a Tuesday you take the Monday off; when it falls on a Thursday, you take the Friday. One day of leave becomes four (or more) consecutive days of rest.
In Portugal, annual leave is counted in working days — weekends and public holidays don't come out of your allowance. A well-chosen bridge is the most efficient way to stretch your holidays while barely touching your yearly balance.
Frequently asked questions
How many national holidays does Portugal have in 2026?
Portugal has 13 national public holidays in 2026. Of these, 9 fall on weekdays (Monday to Friday) and 4 on weekends.
What are the best bridge days in 2026?
In 2026 there are 4 possible bridges: Ano Novo (1 January), Corpo de Deus (4 June), Restauração da Independência (1 December) and Imaculada Conceição (8 December). For each one, a single day of leave gets you up to 4 consecutive days off.
Are weekend holidays moved to Monday in Portugal?
No. In Portugal public holidays are observed on the actual day and are not transferred to the next working day, unlike in some other countries. A holiday on a Saturday or Sunday grants no extra day off.
Source: official national public holidays of Portugal.