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We always mention national holidays, but we often forget about our local holidays, where sometimes we can enjoy an even longer weekend or a holiday during the off-season. Each of the 308 municipalities in Portugal is entitled to its own municipal holiday.

That's why we wrote this short article with the complete list of the main Portuguese municipalities, with each one's holiday and what day of the week it falls on in 2026.

Before you start making plans, consider the following:

Portuguese law recognises thirteen mandatory national holidays, which apply throughout the country. In addition to these, each municipality may have its own municipal holiday, set by decision of the Municipal Council and published in the Official Gazette (Diário da República).

Who benefits? Employees who work in the municipality or parish where the holiday is celebrated. If your workplace is in Lisboa, you are entitled to the Santo António holiday. If it is in Porto, you are entitled to the São João holiday. It is the employee's place of work that determines entitlement, not their place of residence.

Check the website, or contact or visit your company's local parish council or municipal council to confirm the correct date applicable this year.

The list by district

Distrito de Aveiro

Distrito de Beja

Distrito de Braga

Distrito de Bragança

Distrito de Castelo Branco

Distrito de Coimbra

Distrito de Évora

Distrito de Faro

Distrito da Guarda

Distrito de Leiria

Distrito de Lisboa

Distrito de Portalegre

Distrito do Porto

Distrito de Santarém

Distrito de Setúbal

Distrito de Viana do Castelo

Distrito de Vila Real

Distrito de Viseu

Autonomous Regions

Cases where the municipal holiday coincides with a national holiday

Some municipalities have their municipal holiday on the same date as a national holiday. Examples in 2026:

• Palmela: 5 October (Republic Day)
• Tondela: 3 April (Good Friday)
• Funchal: 15 August (Assumption of Mary)

In these cases, they do not stack. It is one holiday, not two.

When the municipal holiday falls on a weekend

In 2026, some municipal holidays coincide with weekends (Saturday or Sunday). For employees working Monday to Friday, these holidays are lost — there is no compensation.

Municipalities with a municipal holiday falling on a weekend in 2026:

• Lisboa (Santo António, Saturday 13 June)
• Viseu (Santo António, Saturday 13 June)
• Cascais, Fundão, Penela, Estremoz, Reguengos de Monsaraz, Torres Vedras (13 June, Saturday)
• Bragança (22 August, Saturday)
• Coimbra (4 July, Saturday)
• Anadia (3 May, Sunday)
• Nazaré (various)

For those who work in different municipalities

This situation raises genuine questions.

If the company is in one municipality but the employee works in another (for example, a company based in Matosinhos but with a worksite in Lisboa), the municipal holiday applies to the place of work, not the company's registered address. The employee at the Lisboa worksite is entitled to Santo António, even if the company is based in Matosinhos.

If the employee works in multiple locations (a sales rep visiting clients in several municipalities), the holiday applies to the municipality where they typically report at the start of the day, usually the company's headquarters or branch office.

If the company operates in different municipalities (several industrial units, for example), each unit follows the holiday of its own municipality. It may seem complicated, but in practice each location follows its own calendar.

Frequently asked

My municipality is not on the list. What do I do?

Contact your local municipal council (câmara municipal). There are 308 municipalities in Portugal and this article covers the main ones. All official municipal holidays are published in the Official Gazette (Diário da República).

Can I work on the municipal holiday even though it is a holiday?

Yes. In that case, the rules on working on a holiday apply: a 50% premium on the normal hourly rate, or compensatory rest as agreed with the employer.

What if the company decides to close on a holiday that does not apply to our municipality?

It may do so, but in that case it is a voluntary bridge day, not a mandatory holiday. It can be paid as a normal working day (if the company offers this) or deducted from the holiday balance.

Does the municipal holiday attract the extra 50% like the others?

Yes, exactly the same. There is no distinction between national and municipal holidays for remuneration purposes.

In summary

Municipal holidays are a rich and ancient Portuguese tradition. 308 municipalities, 308 different celebrations, each with its own history. For the employee, it is a right. For the employer, it is an obligation and something to manage in annual planning.

If you manage a company across multiple municipalities, an automatic attendance tracking system recognises regional calendars and automatically calculates holiday pay. Doing it manually is a headache.

We update this article annually. Fixed dates for municipal holidays may vary in accordance with decisions by Municipal Councils.