Portugal increases minimum employment conditions for administrative employees

At a glance

• Portugal has adopted the eighth amendment to Ordinance No. 182/2018, which sets minimum employment conditions for administrative employees not covered by a collective bargaining agreement.
• The amendment increases minimum monthly wage rates by an average of 6.2% across all professional categories and raises the meal allowance to EUR6.15 per full working day.
• Seniority payments have also been increased in line with the revised wage scale.
• The changes reflect the increase in Portugal's national minimum wage to EUR920 in 2026, alongside wage growth agreed in collective bargaining agreements and recent inflation data.
• The revised wage rates and monetary benefits apply retroactively from 1 March 2026, requiring employers to make corresponding backdated salary adjustments.

The Portuguese government has published an ordinance introducing the eighth amendment to Ordinance No. 182/2018 of 22 June, which establishes minimum employment conditions for administrative employees who are not covered by an applicable collective bargaining agreement.

The amendment increases the minimum monthly wage scale by an average of 6.2% across all professional categories and raises the meal allowance to EUR6.15 per full working day. Seniority payments have also been adjusted accordingly.

The increase follows the rise in the national minimum wage to EUR920 in 2026, as provided for under the Tripartite Agreement on Wage Valuation and Economic Growth 2025-2028, and takes into account the average wage growth reflected in collective agreements published in 2025, as well as recent consumer price index data.

The revised wage scale and other monetary provisions apply retroactively from 1 March 2026, requiring affected employers to implement and account for the corresponding retroactive salary adjustments.