Portugal’s 2027 calendar will include 13 mandatory public holidays, according to Observador. Five of them fall on a weekend — 38.5% of the total — while eight fall on weekdays, leaving a mixed picture for workers planning time off.
Three long weekends arise without taking extra leave. New Year’s Day falls on Friday, Jan. 1. Good Friday falls on March 26, before Easter Sunday on March 28, creating an Easter long weekend. All Saints’ Day falls on Monday, Nov. 1.
The five holidays that land on weekends are Easter Sunday on March 28, April 25 on Sunday, May 1 on Saturday, Aug. 15 on Sunday and Christmas Day on Saturday. Lisbon’s municipal holiday, Santo António on June 13, also falls on a Sunday.
Several bridge days can extend time off. Corpus Christi on Thursday, May 27, allows a four-day break by taking Friday, May 28, off through Sunday, May 30. Portugal Day on Thursday, June 10, works the same way with Friday, June 11, off through Sunday, June 13. On Oct. 5, a Tuesday, taking Monday, Oct. 4, off can extend the break from Saturday, Oct. 2.
Carnival on Tuesday, Feb. 9, is not a mandatory national holiday; it is optional under collective agreements or employment contracts, though the state often grants a tolerance day that can extend public-service rest. Taking Monday, Feb. 8, off would create a four-day weekend. In Porto, São João on Thursday, June 24, offers a bridge with Friday, June 25, off.
Municipal holidays are optional under Portugal’s Labor Code, unlike regional holidays in the Azores and Madeira, which are mandatory. The Azores’ May 25 holiday falls on a Monday and provides a long weekend, while Madeira’s July 1 holiday falls on a Wednesday. The calendar therefore offers three natural long weekends, three direct bridges, and additional bridge opportunities through Carnival and, for Porto residents, São João. Combinations can also turn leave days into mini-breaks of more than a week.
Sources: Observador.