Employer of Record (EOR) in Portugal

Hire in Portugal in days, with no entity and without taking on the Código do Trabalho and 14-month payroll yourself. We place you with the right vetted EOR partner, at pricing you will not get going direct, and stay on your side for the life of the relationship.

  • Independent advice
  • Vetted partners
  • Operational in days

What an Employer of Record does for you in Portugal

An Employer of Record is a company that legally employs your Portuguese staff on your behalf. You choose the person and direct their work day to day. The EOR is the legal employer on paper, which is what lets you build a team in Portugal without forming your own company.

In practice the EOR partner takes on everything that needs a Portuguese legal entity and local expertise: a compliant employment contract under the Código do Trabalho, monthly payroll with income tax (IRS) and social security withholding, employer social security contributions and all statutory filings, the 13th and 14th month salary, statutory benefits and leave, and compliant onboarding and lawful exits. You get a working team in days. The EOR carries the legal and compliance weight; you carry the commercial relationship. The only question worth spending time on is which partner is genuinely strong in Portugal, and that is the question we answer for you.

01

Legal Employer, On Paper

A compliant Portuguese employment contract under the Código do Trabalho, with all statutory terms correct from day one.

02

Compliant From Day One

Monthly payroll, income tax (IRS) and social security withholding, employer contributions, the 13th and 14th month salary, and all filings to Segurança Social and the tax authority.

03

No Entity Required

Statutory benefits, 22 days’ leave, notice and severance under the Código do Trabalho, and lawful onboarding and exits. You get a working team in days; the EOR carries the legal weight.

How your Portugal hire gets set up

From first call to a compliant Portuguese hire at work, usually in days.

01 — Scope & quote

We map the role, salary, and start date, and come back with a clear all-in monthly cost. No guesswork, no hidden extras.

02 — Compliant contract

Your employment contract is drafted to Portuguese standards by the partner, and we sanity-check the terms and pricing before you sign. Compliant from day one.

03 — Onboard in days

A correct Portuguese contract is issued under the Código do Trabalho, with all statutory terms from day one. Your hire can start in days.

04 — Payroll & compliance run

Income tax and social security calculated and withheld, payslips issued, filings made to Segurança Social and the tax authority. You direct the work; the compliance just runs.

What EOR in Portugal costs

Two parts: the statutory cost of employing someone, and the EOR partner fee. Portugal’s employer cost is moderate but the 14-month salary and statutory benefits add up, which is exactly why getting the numbers right up front matters. We make both transparent before you commit.

Employer social security

Employer social security is 23.75% of gross salary (no ceiling), covering pension, unemployment and family benefits. The employee pays a further 11%.

Minimum wage (2026)

EUR 920 per month, paid across 14 payments per year (2026), the statutory floor. Remember Portugal pays 14 months, not 12; we factor that in up front.

Income tax (employee)

Progressive from 12.5% to 48% across nine brackets, plus a solidarity surtax above EUR 80,000. Withheld via IRS, borne by the employee, not added to your cost.

EOR partner fee

A transparent per-employee monthly fee. We benchmark across our vetted network, typically 15 to 25% below going direct, and renegotiate for you at renewal.

Why run it through Bradford Jacobs

We know which EOR partners are genuinely strong in Portugal, by sector and by complexity. We place you with the right one, at pricing you will not get going direct, and stay on your side for the life of the relationship.

Independent, not a single provider

We are independent: we assess what you actually need, place you with the right vetted partner, secure pricing you will not get going direct, and stay on your side to escalate or renegotiate. You get advice, not a product pitch.

  • Independent advice
  • Vetted partners only
  • On your side at renewal

Pricing you can’t get direct

Portugal’s 23.75% employer social security has no ceiling, unlike most of Europe’s capped systems, so it scales with every euro of salary. That statutory cost does not change by provider. The partner’s own fee on top of it does, and that is what we benchmark: typically 15 to 25% below going direct, renegotiated for you at renewal.

  • 15-25% below direct
  • Network benchmarking
  • Renegotiated for you

Straight to the top when it matters

When something needs resolving, and in global employment it sometimes does, you come to us. We escalate directly, past the helpdesk, to people who can actually move it.

  • Direct escalation
  • No support queues
  • Named account contact

Two decades across Europe

Two decades placing and managing EOR arrangements across Europe, with the knowledge of the Código do Trabalho, Segurança Social, and the 14-month payroll that keeps you compliant.

  • EOR specialists
  • Código do Trabalho
  • Risk removed

Built for conversion to your own entity

Most companies use EOR for 12 to 24 months, then move to their own Portuguese entity (an Lda). We plan that crossover and manage the transition when the economics justify it.

  • EOR to entity path
  • Transition managed
  • Crossover planning

Why Portugal rewards getting the structure right

Two things define hiring in Portugal: the speed an EOR gives you, and the statutory detail (the 14-month salary, just-cause dismissal) that makes the right partner matter. The EOR gives you the first; we handle the second.

Working time, leave & contracts

Portugal combines competitive talent costs with real statutory structure. Employer social security is 23.75%, salary is paid across 14 months (12 plus holiday and Christmas allowances), dismissal needs just cause, and the Código do Trabalho gives strong protections. None of it is a barrier when handled correctly, but it is detailed, which is why the right EOR partner, and our help choosing it, matters.

Operational in days, not weeks

Setting up your own Portuguese entity takes time, and you cannot legally employ anyone until it completes and you are registered with Segurança Social. An EOR removes that wait entirely: a compliant Código do Trabalho contract is issued and your hire starts in days. You prove the market first, then form an entity later only if the headcount justifies it. This is the real value of EOR in Portugal: speed into the market, with the compliance carried by an expert.

What your Portuguese EOR includes

One transparent monthly fee per employee covers all of this. No hidden extras.

Compliant Portuguese contract

A compliant Portuguese employment contract under the Código do Trabalho, issued and maintained for you.

Payroll & social security

Monthly payroll run, with income tax and social security calculated, withheld, and filed correctly each month, across 14 payments.

Statutory benefits

All statutory benefits administered: 22 days’ leave, the 13th and 14th month salary, meal allowance, parental leave, notice and lawful exits.

Compliance & support

Ongoing HR compliance and a single point of contact, for the life of the engagement.

Your questions answered

Straight answers on how Employer of Record works in Portugal.

Is my hire employed by Bradford Jacobs or by me?

Legally, your hire is employed by the Portuguese EOR partner we place you with, which is what keeps you compliant without an entity. Day to day they work for you: you set the work, the goals, the relationship. You get the team; the partner carries the legal employer obligations.

Usually within days once the role and salary are agreed, with a compliant Código do Trabalho contract from day one. Compare that to the time setting up your own Portuguese entity and registering with Segurança Social takes, during which you cannot legally employ anyone.

Employer social security is 23.75% of gross, and salary is paid across 14 months rather than 12. Add the transparent EOR partner fee and you have your all-in cost, which we confirm before you commit.

Yes, when done properly. The EOR is a real Portuguese legal employer meeting all Código do Trabalho, social security, and tax obligations. The risk is using an under-resourced partner, which is exactly why we place you with vetted partners and stay on your side.

The compliant contract, monthly payroll (income tax and social security withholding), employer contributions, the 14-month salary, statutory benefits and leave administration, and ongoing HR compliance. We give you one all-in monthly figure up front, with no hidden extras.

Yes, and most companies do once the headcount and permanence justify it. We manage the transition from EOR to your own Portuguese entity (an Lda), and can support the entity formation itself. Most use EOR for 12 to 24 months first.

Ready to hire in Portugal?

Tell us the role and we will come back with a compliant, all-in monthly cost and the right partner, usually within a day. No entity, no lock-in, no pitch, just the fastest compliant way to get your person working in Portugal.

Tax and labour data verified June 2026 (Segurança Social, AT, OECD). Figures change; we confirm the current position when we scope your hire.