Portugal has a knack for turning public holidays into proper occasions, with everything from quiet family lunches to all‑night street parties. If you live here, juggle school terms, or commute across borders, having Portugal’s public holidays for 2026 in one place makes life a lot easier.
How many public holidays are there in Portugal?
In Portugal, there are 13 mandatory national public holidays laid down in the labour law. On top of that, many people also get Carnival Tuesday off as an optional or negotiated holiday, depending on their employer or sector.
Portugal's municipal and regional holidays sit on top of these 13 dates, so the total number of days off you enjoy in 2026 will depend on where you live and work.
National public holidays in Portugal in 2026
Here is the full list of national public holidays in Portugal in 2026 (mainland and islands), with dates and days of the week so you can get your calendar sorted:
| Date | Day | Holiday |
| 1 January | Thursday | New Year’s Day |
| 3 April | Friday | Good Friday / Passion of Christ |
| 5 April | Sunday | Easter Sunday |
| 25 April | Saturday | Freedom Day (Liberty Day) |
| 1 May | Friday | Labour Day |
| 4 June | Thursday | Corpus Christi |
| 10 June | Wednesday | Portugal Day (Dia de Portugal, de Camões e das Comunidades) |
| 15 August | Saturday | Assumption of Our Lady |
| 5 October | Monday | Republic Day (Establishment of the Republic) |
| 1 November | Sunday | All Saints’ Day (Hallowmas) |
| 1 December | Monday | Restoration of Independence Day |
| 8 December | Tuesday | Immaculate Conception (patron saint of Portugal) |
| 25 December | Friday | Christmas Day |
A few of the more “strategic” ones, if you live and work in Portugal:
- Good Friday and Easter Sunday: kick off the spring with a long weekend and, in many places, fairly serious family lunches.
- Freedom Day (25th April): a major historical date marking the Carnation Revolution in 1974.
- Portugal Day (10 June): official ceremonies, military parades and a lot of flag‑spotting, though, because it falls on a Wednesday in 2026, it is slightly awkward for travel plans.
- The December trio (1, 8, 25 December): very handy for winter breaks, Christmas markets and squeezing in one last escape before year‑end.
Carnival in 2026: optional holiday
Portugal's Carnival celebrations in 2026 fall on Tuesday, 17th February. It is not a mandatory national public holiday, so having the day off depends on your employer or collective agreement.
- In the public sector and some larger companies, people usually get the Tuesday off, sometimes the Monday as well.
- In the private sector, practices vary a lot. Some firms ignore Carnival completely, others treat it as a full day off, and some give only a half day.
If your workplace does give you Carnival Tuesday, booking Monday 16th February as annual leave turns it into a neat 4‑day break.
Long weekends and “pontes” in 2026
In 2026, there are a few clear chances to stretch the national holidays into relaxed breaks, plus some classic pontes if you are ready to book the odd day of leave.
Long weekends in 2026
These are the holidays that naturally create 3‑day (or more) weekends on their own:
- Easter weekend – 3–5 April (Friday–Sunday)
Good Friday is a public holiday, and Easter Sunday is also a national holiday, so most people have at least a 3‑day break. - Labour Day – 1–3 May (Friday–Sunday)
Labour Day lands on a Friday in 2026, so you get a straightforward long weekend. - Republic Day – 3–5 October (Saturday–Monday)
Republic Day itself is on Monday, 5 October, giving another 3‑day weekend. - Christmas – 25–27 December (Friday–Sunday)
Christmas Day is on a Friday, and many workers already have a quieter schedule on Christmas Eve.
Pontes in 2026
A ponte is where you take one working day off either before or after a mid‑week holiday and turn it into a mini‑break. In 2026, there are some very tempting ones:
- Corpus Christi – Thursday 4 June
- Book off: Friday 5 June
- Break: 4 days (Thursday–Sunday)
Early June is already warm in most of the country, so this is a favourite for a first proper summer‑feeling trip.
- Immaculate Conception – Tuesday 8 December
- Book off: Monday 7 December
- Break: 4 days (Saturday–Tuesday)
That one pairs nicely with Christmas markets, a quick winter city break, or a quiet escape inland before the Christmas chaos.
- Carnival – Tuesday 17 February (optional)
- Only if your employer recognises Carnival as a day off
- Book off: Monday 16 February
- Break: 4 days (Saturday–Tuesday)
Very popular with families and anyone who enjoys the Carnival atmosphere in places like Torres Vedras, Loulé or Madeira.
What is the biggest holiday in Portugal?
Officially, 10th June – Dia de Portugal, de Camões e das Comunidades Portuguesas, or Portugal Day, is the big national day, with military ceremonies, speeches and plenty of flag‑waving.
In real life, many Portuguese would say that Christmas and Easter still feel like the most important family holidays. And if you live in Lisbon or Porto, the nights around Santo António Festival and São João Festival are some of the wildest of the year.
Are shops open in Portugal on public holidays?
Shop opening hours on public holidays in Portugal depend a lot on the type of business and where you are:
- Shopping centres and big chains
In Lisbon, Porto and touristy coastal areas, big malls and supermarkets often stay open on most public holidays, sometimes with shorter hours. Christmas Day and New Year’s Day are the main exceptions. - Small local shops and services
Neighbourhood shops, family‑run cafés, hairdressers and offices arelikely to close, especially on religious holidays. - Tourist areas
In central Lisbon, Porto’s Ribeira, the Algarve and Madeira, you’ll usually find restaurants, souvenir shops and many services open regardless of the date. - Supermarkets and groceries
Large chains often open on public holidays with reduced hours, while small minimarkets may close.
For anything important – pharmacy runs, furniture deliveries, bank visits – it is worth checking specific opening hours ahead of time, especially if the holiday falls on a Sunday or Monday.
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