Parents in Portugal could soon get five months of initial parental leave at full pay, up from four today. On Thursday, 8 October 2026, the two largest parties in Parliament, PSD and PS, handed in a joint proposal to change the rules, as Observador reported. It is only a proposal: nothing has changed yet. Here is what could change, what applies today and what to do if you are expecting a baby.
What PSD and PS are proposing
The text went to the parliamentary working group examining a citizens’ bill (Projeto de Lei 176/XVII) that asks for 180 days of leave at 100%. Parliament approved that bill in a first vote on 23 January 2026, according to its official page. According to Observador, the PSD–PS version would allow:
- 150 days (5 months) at 100% of your reference pay without sharing (today: 120 days).
- 180 days (6 months) at 83% if one parent takes all of it.
- 180 days at 100% if the leave is shared: one parent must take at least 30 days in a row, or two periods of 15 days in a row.
- 210 days (7 months) at 90% if the father takes at least 60 days in a row, or two periods of 30 days in a row, on top of the leave reserved for him.
Jornal de Negócios, as reported by Executive Digest, adds that the father’s 28 compulsory days would stay, but half would be taken straight after the birth, and his optional days would rise from 7 to 14. Private-sector workers with children under 12 could also ask for a jornada contínua: a 30-minute lunch break counted as work, making the day up to one hour shorter. It would need a collective agreement or the employer’s agreement.
Status: proposed, vote postponed
The working group postponed its vote on 8 October because the other parties had just received the text (Observador); Jornal de Negócios reported it moved to Tuesday. PSD and PS together have a majority; CDS did not sign. The bill then needs a final vote in Parliament, the President’s signature and publication in the Diário da República. No start date has been announced. Until then, today’s rules apply.
The rules today (official)
Under the Segurança Social practical guide to the initial parental benefit (PDF, in Portuguese):
- You choose 120 days at 100% or 150 days at 80% of your reference pay.
- If parents share (30 days in a row, or two periods of 15), 150 days are paid at 100%; 180 days at 83%, or 90% if 60 days are shared.
- The mother must take 42 days after the birth. The father must take 28 days within the first 42 days, at least 7 of them straight after the birth, and can take 7 more optional days.
What it means for immigrant workers
The benefit depends on your contributions, not your nationality. The guide asks for 6 months of contributions (in a row or not); periods in another country’s system can count if they do not overlap, so ask Segurança Social about your country. Without 6 months, you may get the means-tested Subsídio Social Parental. Self-employed workers who contribute are covered too.
What you can do now
- Check your contribution record in Segurança Social Direta (Trabalho > Remunerações e contribuições > Carreira contributiva). Missing months? Ask your employer. Need a password? See our Segurança Social Direta guide.
- Apply on time: online (Família > Maternidade e paternidade), at an office or by post, within 6 months of your first day off work; later claims lose the extra time.
- Baby due soon? Plan with today’s rules; it is not known whether new rules would cover leave already under way.
- After the birth: get your baby a NISS. See also your rights as a worker.
Key dates
- 8 October 2026: PSD and PS hand in their joint proposal; the committee vote is postponed.
- Tuesday, 13 October (expected): committee vote, according to Jornal de Negócios.
- Later: final vote in Parliament, the President’s signature, publication and a start date. We will update this article.
Sources
- Observador – PS and PSD (without CDS) hand in joint parental leave proposal (8 October 2026, updated 9 October)
- Executive Digest, citing Jornal de Negócios – Parental leave to be extended: PSD and PS agree new rules on pay and working hours (9 October 2026)
- Segurança Social – Practical guide: Subsídio Parental Inicial (PDF, current rules)
- Parliament – Projeto de Lei 176/XVII (citizens’ initiative on initial parental leave), bill page
Featured image: Branded graphic: Link in Portugal (original work; no third-party photos)
This article is general information, not legal advice. The new rules are a proposal and may change before any vote. For your own case, contact Segurança Social or a labour lawyer. Link in Portugal is not affiliated with Parliament, the Government or Segurança Social. Last updated: 10 October 2026.
