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PORTUGAL · PUBLIC HOLIDAYS · NATIONAL HOLIDAYS · MUNICIPAL SAINTS · ALGARVE & MADEIRA
Public Holidays in Portugal 2026: Complete Guide for UK Travellers
Portugal has 13 national public holidays in 2026 (including Carnival, declared a holiday by the government each year), plus municipal saints’ days in every town and extra regional dates in the Azores and Madeira. This guide covers every date, what’s open and closed, and how the calendar compares with UK bank holidays — verified against gov.pt and triangulated with Nager.Date.
NEXT PUBLIC HOLIDAY IN PORTUGAL
Corpus Christi (Corpo de Deus)
Thursday 4 June 2026
Catholic holiday — major religious processions in Braga, Tomar and Évora. Mid-week Thursday means a Friday ponte (bridge) is common for a 4-day weekend.
Upcoming public holidays in Portugal
The next Portuguese public holidays after 26 May 2026. All 13 dates listed below are national — they apply throughout mainland Portugal and (with the additions noted) the Azores and Madeira. Municipal saints' days are listed separately in the regional section below.
| Date | Holiday | Type | Bridge / note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday 4 June | Corpus Christi (Corpo de Deus) | National religious | Mid-week Thursday — ponte by taking Friday off for 4 days |
| Wednesday 10 June | Portugal Day (Dia de Portugal) | National civil | Mid-week — ponte possible by taking Mon+Tue or Thu+Fri |
| Saturday 13 June | Santo António (Lisbon) | Municipal (Lisbon only) | Lisbon's biggest street festival — sardines and parades on Avenida da Liberdade |
| Wednesday 24 June | São João (Porto) | Municipal (Porto only) | Porto's biggest party — fireworks over the Douro, plastic hammers everywhere |
| Saturday 15 August | Assumption Day (Assunção) | National religious | Falls on a Saturday — lost (Portugal does not shift to Monday) |
| Monday 5 October | Republic Day (Implantação da República) | National civil | 3-day weekend — commemorates 1910 proclamation |
| Sunday 1 November | All Saints' Day (Dia de Todos-os-Santos) | National religious | Falls on a Sunday — lost |
| Tuesday 1 December | Restoration of Independence (Restauração) | National civil | Lone Tuesday — ponte by taking Monday off for 4 days |
| Tuesday 8 December | Immaculate Conception (Imaculada Conceição) | National religious | Lone Tuesday — second December ponte |
| Friday 25 December | Christmas Day (Natal) | National religious | Natural 3-day weekend |
| Saturday 26 December | Primeira Oitava (Boxing Day) | Regional (Madeira only) | Madeira only — mainland Portugal works normally |
Multi-year calendar — 2026, 2027, 2028
Portugal's 13 national public holidays across 2026, 2027 and 2028. Carnival, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Corpus Christi are movable (Catholic calendar) — the rest are fixed civil or religious dates. Portugal sits in the middle of the EU public-holiday range with roughly 13 days, plus one municipal day per town.
| Holiday | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day (Ano Novo) | Thursday 1 January | Friday 1 January | Saturday 1 January |
| Carnival (Carnaval) | Tuesday 17 February | Tuesday 9 February | Tuesday 29 February |
| Good Friday (Sexta-feira Santa) | Friday 3 April | Friday 26 March | Friday 14 April |
| Easter Sunday (Domingo de Páscoa) | Sunday 5 April | Sunday 28 March | Sunday 16 April |
| Freedom Day (Dia da Liberdade) | Saturday 25 April | Sunday 25 April | Tuesday 25 April |
| Labour Day (Dia do Trabalhador) | Friday 1 May | Saturday 1 May | Monday 1 May |
| Corpus Christi (Corpo de Deus) | Thursday 4 June | Thursday 27 May | Thursday 15 June |
| Portugal Day (Dia de Portugal) | Wednesday 10 June | Thursday 10 June | Saturday 10 June |
| Assumption Day (Assunção) | Saturday 15 August | Sunday 15 August | Tuesday 15 August |
| Republic Day (Implantação da República) | Monday 5 October | Tuesday 5 October | Thursday 5 October |
| All Saints' Day (Dia de Todos-os-Santos) | Sunday 1 November | Monday 1 November | Wednesday 1 November |
| Restoration of Independence (Restauração) | Tuesday 1 December | Wednesday 1 December | Friday 1 December |
| Immaculate Conception (Imaculada Conceição) | Tuesday 8 December | Wednesday 8 December | Friday 8 December |
| Christmas Day (Natal) | Friday 25 December | Saturday 25 December | Monday 25 December |
⚠️ Portuguese holidays falling on weekends in 2026
Four national holidays fall on a weekend in 2026: Easter Sunday (Sun 5 April), Freedom Day (Sat 25 April — the 52nd anniversary of the Carnation Revolution), Assumption (Sat 15 August) and All Saints' (Sun 1 November). Like France, Spain and Italy and unlike the UK, Portugal does NOT shift weekend holidays to a Monday. The day is simply lost. The good news for 2026: the December stretch is exceptional — Tuesday 1 December (Restoration) and Tuesday 8 December (Immaculate Conception) sit one week apart, giving two natural pontes with only one day of leave each. Add Christmas Day on a Friday and you have one of the strongest December calendars in years.
What's open and closed for UK travellers in Portugal
On Portuguese public holidays, banks and government offices close firmly, but tourist-facing Portugal stays remarkably open — restaurants, tascas, beaches, museums and major trains keep running. The Algarve is particularly UK-friendly: most coastal businesses trade through every national holiday except Christmas Day. The things most likely to catch UK travellers out are supermarkets (closed on the main nationals) and municipal saints' days that only affect one city. Here's the practical breakdown:
| 🏦 Banks (Caixa Geral de Depósitos, Millennium BCP, Santander Totta, BPI, Novo Banco) | Closed on all 13 national public holidays. ATMs (Multibanco) operate normally — Portugal's Multibanco network is one of Europe's best, and UK cards (Visa, Mastercard, Revolut, Monzo, Starling, Wise) draw euros from any machine without issue. Wise and Revolut waive ATM fees up to a monthly limit. Branch hours are Mon–Fri 08:30–15:00, so weekday banking is the norm. Online banking and SEPA transfers work as usual on holidays. |
| 🛒 Supermarkets (Continente, Pingo Doce, Lidl, Auchan, Minipreço) | Mostly closed on the main national holidays (1 Jan, Good Friday, 25 Apr, 1 May, 25 Dec). Smaller branches (Continente Bom Dia, Pingo Doce &Go) in Lisbon, Porto, the Algarve and Madeira often open until midday on most other holidays. Local padarias (bakeries) and pastelarias typically open holiday mornings — fresh pastel de nata is reliably available. The Algarve tourist strip (Albufeira, Lagos, Vilamoura) keeps mini-markets running through summer holidays. |
| 🍽️ Restaurants, tascas, cafés (everywhere) | Almost universally open in tourist regions, including on national holidays. Portuguese dining culture treats holidays as social occasions — Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve are huge restaurant nights, and Sunday lunch (almoço de domingo) on a holiday is a tradition. The Algarve, Lisbon, Porto and Madeira have year-round UK-friendly restaurant scenes — many menus in English, Sterling occasionally accepted in tourist hotspots. Booking essential at major holiday weekends. The only widespread closure is 25 December evening. |
| 🚄 CP Comboios trains (Alfa Pendular, InterCidades, Urbanos) | Operating on a Sunday-style holiday schedule with reduced frequency on most routes. The Lisbon–Porto Alfa Pendular runs ~12 services on holidays vs ~18 on weekdays. The Lisbon–Algarve InterCidades to Faro runs about 4 services on holidays. Booking direct via cp.pt or Trainline. There is no direct UK–Portugal rail route; the practical alternative to flying is Eurostar + TGV + Alvia (~24h via Madrid). Urban networks in Lisbon (metro, ferries to Cacilhas) and Porto (metro) run reduced timetables. |
| 🏛️ Museums (Jerónimos, Belém Tower, Calouste Gulbenkian, Serralves, Pena Palace) | Most major Portuguese museums open on national holidays with Sunday hours. The Jerónimos Monastery and Belém Tower in Lisbon close 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May and 25 December. Pena Palace in Sintra stays open 7 days a week, including most holidays — book online weeks ahead in summer. The Gulbenkian in Lisbon closes Mondays year-round (regardless of holiday). Madeira's botanical garden, the Funchal cable car and the Algarve's Cabo de São Vicente lighthouse all stay open. |
| ✈️ Airports (Lisbon LIS, Porto OPO, Faro FAO, Funchal FNC, Ponta Delgada PDL) | All operate 24/7. The UK–Portugal corridor is one of Europe's busiest leisure routes, with the Faro retiree corridor particularly heavy: easyJet, Ryanair, Jet2, TUI, British Airways and TAP Portugal all serve direct flights from London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh and Belfast. Fares spike +50% during UK school holidays (Easter, summer 20 July–31 August, Christmas) and during the Algarve Race Week (June). Cheapest months: mid-January, mid-March and November. Direct Manchester–Funchal, Birmingham–Faro and Edinburgh–Lisbon are all year-round. |
UK bank holidays that line up with Portugal dates
For UK travellers planning a trip, certain combinations of UK bank holidays and Portuguese public holidays produce particularly good long-weekend opportunities. Internal cross-reference: see also our complete list of UK bank holidays for 2026.
| Period | UK side | Portugal side | Trip tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3–6 April 2026 | Good Friday & Easter Monday (UK) | Sexta-feira Santa (Fri 3 Apr) + Domingo de Páscoa (Sun 5 Apr) | 4 days · bilateral Easter alignment — Lisbon, Porto or the Algarve before the high-season crowds |
| 1–4 May 2026 | Early May Bank Holiday (Mon 4 May) | Dia do Trabalhador (Fri 1 May) | 4 days · Algarve season opens, Madeira flower festival starts — flights still affordable |
| 23–25 May 2026 | Spring Bank Holiday (Mon 25 May) | UK weekend (no PT holiday) | 3 days · pre-summer Lisbon or Porto city break — no Portuguese travel crush |
| 4–7 June 2026 | UK weekend | Corpo de Deus (Thu 4 Jun) | 4 days with Friday off · religious processions in Braga, Tomar and Évora — beaches still uncrowded |
| 10–14 June 2026 | UK weekend | Dia de Portugal (Wed 10 Jun) + Santo António (Sat 13 Jun) | 5 days · Lisbon Santo António street festival on the night of 12 June — sardines, decorated balconies, all-night dancing |
| 3–5 October 2026 | UK weekend | Implantação da República (Mon 5 Oct) | 3 days · book Monday off in advance — Lisbon, Sintra and the Douro Valley in autumn |
| 28 Nov – 1 Dec 2026 | UK weekend | Restauração (Tue 1 Dec) | 4 days with Monday off · Porto, Braga or the Douro for winter wine country — quieter than December coast |
| 24 Dec 2026 – 3 Jan 2027 | UK Christmas + New Year | Natal (Fri 25 Dec) + Ano Novo (Fri 1 Jan) | 10–12 days · Madeira fireworks on 31 December (UNESCO record), Lisbon's mild Christmas weather — both back-to-back Friday holidays |
Regional and municipal differences — Algarve, Madeira, Azores and city saints' days
Beyond the 13 national days, every Portuguese municipality has its own patron-saint day — observed as a local public holiday only within that town's boundaries. The Azores and Madeira add extra regional dates, and Madeira uniquely keeps Boxing Day (26 December) as Primeira Oitava. Here are the most travel-relevant ones for UK visitors:
| Date | Holiday | Region / city | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan | Dia do Município do Funchal | Funchal (Madeira) | City holiday in Funchal — coincides with New Year's Day, so no extra closure visible |
| 1 Jun | Dia dos Açores | Azores archipelago | Whit Monday equivalent — public holiday across all 9 Azorean islands, mainland works normally |
| 13 Jun | Santo António | Lisbon | Lisbon's biggest annual festival — sardine grills, parades on Avenida da Liberdade, marriages of Santo António. Only Lisbon closes. |
| 24 Jun | São João | Porto, Braga | Porto's biggest party — plastic hammers, leeks, fireworks over the Douro, beachfront bonfires at Foz do Douro |
| 29 Jun | São Pedro | Évora | Patron saint of Évora — local holiday only, the rest of the Alentejo works normally |
| 1 Jul | Dia da Madeira | Madeira archipelago | Regional holiday in Madeira and Porto Santo — peak flower-festival season |
| 4 Jul | Rainha Santa Isabel | Coimbra | Coimbra's patron — local holiday with religious procession, especially big every even year |
| 7 Sep | Dia do Município de Faro | Faro (Algarve) | Local holiday in Faro only — Albufeira, Lagos and Vilamoura work as normal |
| 26 Dec | Primeira Oitava (Boxing Day) | Madeira archipelago | Madeira only — mainland Portugal treats 26 Dec as a regular working day, unlike the UK |
Cultural notes — how Portuguese holidays differ from UK bank holidays
Five quirks of the Portuguese calendar that catch UK travellers and expats out:
- Carnival (Carnaval) is a holiday — but technically isn't. Shrove Tuesday — Terça-feira de Carnaval, 17 February 2026 — is universally observed as a public holiday in Portugal, with schools and most offices closed, parades in Loulé, Torres Vedras, Ovar and Sesimbra. But it's not actually in the labour code. Each year the government formally decrees it a tolerância de ponto (administrative tolerance) for public servants, and most private employers follow. The effect is identical to a public holiday, but the legal basis is wobbly — and a future government could in theory simply not declare it. For UK travellers, treat it as a national holiday.
- Municipal saints' days catch out almost every visitor. Every Portuguese town has its own patron saint, observed as a public holiday only within that municipality's boundaries. The two biggest are Santo António in Lisbon (13 June) and São João in Porto (24 June) — banks, schools and most shops close in those cities, but the rest of Portugal works normally. UK travellers planning a city break around those dates either land in the biggest street party of the year (Lisbon's Avenida da Liberdade, sardines and ginjinha) or find Porto deserted for a different reason. Always check the municipal calendar of the city you're visiting.
- The Algarve is the UK's most assimilated holiday market in Europe. Approximately 50,000 British residents live in Portugal, with the heaviest concentration along the Algarve (Lagos, Tavira, Albufeira, Vilamoura), then Lisbon and Madeira. Most coastal restaurants and bars publish menus in English, several display the Union Jack permanently, and a handful of pubs in Albufeira and Carvoeiro accept Sterling alongside euros. On Portuguese public holidays the Algarve barely changes — UK-aligned trading patterns mean restaurants and bars stay open through Corpus Christi, Republic Day and Portugal Day. The exceptions are Christmas Day and 1 January.
- No Monday substitution for weekend holidays. Unlike the UK system where a bank holiday falling on a weekend is moved to the following Monday, Portugal simply loses it. In 2026 this affects four national holidays (Easter Sunday on 5 April, Freedom Day on Saturday 25 April, Assumption on Saturday 15 August, All Saints' on Sunday 1 November). The Portuguese government has occasionally floated bringing in Monday substitution, but the proposals have always been rejected — partly because of the strong municipal-saints culture that already gives every town an extra day.
- Restoration of Independence (1 December) was abolished, then restored. Commemorating the end of 60 years of Iberian Union with Spain on 1 December 1640, this holiday was abolished in 2012 as part of austerity measures during the Eurozone crisis (along with Corpus Christi, All Saints' and Republic Day). All four were restored in 2016 by the incoming left-wing government. The episode is still politically sensitive — 1 December in particular carries strong nationalist symbolism, and is now firmly back in the calendar. UK travellers will see flags everywhere in Lisbon and Braga, and a small military ceremony at Praça dos Restauradores.
UK travellers and residents in Portugal
Portugal hosts approximately 50,000 British residents, concentrated in the Algarve (Lagos, Tavira, Albufeira, Vilamoura, Carvoeiro), Lisbon and Madeira. The UK is also home to one of the world's largest Portuguese diasporas — around 750,000 Portuguese citizens live in the UK, with the biggest community in the London borough of Lambeth (Stockwell, Vauxhall), plus significant clusters in Reading, Jersey and the Channel Islands — making it Portugal's third-largest emigration country after the USA and France. UK travel to Portugal sits at roughly 3 million visits per year, placing it in the UK's top-six outbound destinations. Post-Brexit, UK residents must hold the Certificado de Residência (Withdrawal Agreement card for pre-2021 residents) or apply through the Autorização de Residência route. The Non-Habitual Resident (NHR) tax regime and Golden Visa were both heavily used by UK expats before the 2024 reforms scaled them back. The British Embassy in Lisbon and the consulate in Portimão close on both UK bank holidays and Portuguese national holidays — around 21 closures per year. The 90/180-day Schengen limit applies to UK passport holders for visits.
Frequently asked questions — Public holidays in Portugal
How many public holidays does Portugal have in 2026?
Portugal has 13 national public holidays in 2026 — 12 codified in the labour code (Código do Trabalho, art. 234) plus Carnival (Carnaval, 17 February), which is declared annually by the government as a tolerância de ponto and universally observed. On top of that, every Portuguese municipality observes one local saint's day (Lisbon 13 June, Porto 24 June, Coimbra 4 July, Faro 7 September etc.), and the Azores and Madeira add their own regional days (1 June, 1 July, plus 26 December in Madeira). Four national holidays fall on a weekend in 2026 (Easter Sunday, Freedom Day, Assumption, All Saints') and are lost — Portugal does not shift to Monday.
Is Carnival a public holiday in Portugal?
In practice yes — Carnival Tuesday (Terça-feira de Carnaval, 17 February 2026) is universally observed across Portugal, with schools closed, parades in Loulé, Torres Vedras, Ovar, Sesimbra and Madeira, and most offices shut. But it is not in the labour code. Each year the Portuguese government formally decrees Carnival a tolerância de ponto (administrative tolerance) for public servants, and most private employers follow. The effect is identical to a public holiday, but the legal basis is technically discretionary. For travel-planning purposes, treat Carnival as a national holiday — banks, schools and most offices close.
Are shops open on Portuguese public holidays?
Most large supermarkets (Continente, Pingo Doce, Lidl, Auchan, Minipreço) close on the major national holidays — 1 January, Good Friday, 25 April, 1 May and 25 December are the strictest. Smaller convenience stores (Continente Bom Dia, Pingo Doce &Go, Meu Super) in Lisbon, Porto, the Algarve and Madeira often open until midday on most other holidays. Local bakeries (padarias) and pastry shops (pastelarias) open most holiday mornings — fresh pastel de nata is reliably available even on Christmas morning. Restaurants, tascas, cafés and major tourist attractions stay open through most holidays, particularly along the Algarve.
When is Easter Monday in Portugal 2026?
Easter Monday is not a national public holiday in Portugal — only Good Friday (Sexta-feira Santa, 3 April 2026) and Easter Sunday (Domingo de Páscoa, 5 April 2026) are. This is a key difference with Spain (where Easter Monday is regional in six communities) and the UK (where it's a nationwide bank holiday). Monday 6 April 2026 is a regular working day across Portugal — banks, schools and offices reopen as normal. UK travellers spending Easter in the Algarve, Lisbon or Porto should plan their return flight accordingly: the Monday is not a closure day in Portugal.
Do banks close on Portuguese public holidays?
Yes — all Portuguese banks (Caixa Geral de Depósitos, Millennium BCP, Santander Totta, BPI, Novo Banco, Banco BIC) close on all 13 national public holidays plus the relevant municipal saint's day in their city. ATMs on the Multibanco network operate normally — Portugal's national ATM system is one of Europe's most reliable, and UK card holders (Visa, Mastercard, Revolut, Monzo, Starling, Wise) can withdraw euros from any machine. Online banking, MB Way and SEPA transfers all run as usual on holidays. Portuguese bank branch hours are Mon–Fri 08:30–15:00, so weekday banking is the norm in any case.
Are CP trains running on Portuguese public holidays?
Yes, but on a reduced Sunday-style schedule. The Lisbon–Porto Alfa Pendular runs ~12 services on holidays vs ~18 on weekdays. The Lisbon–Algarve InterCidades to Faro runs about 4 services on holidays. Urban networks in Lisbon (metro, ferry to Cacilhas) and Porto (metro) run reduced timetables — typically every 10–12 minutes on holidays vs every 6–8 on weekdays. Always check cp.pt or Trainline 48 hours in advance — the holiday timetable is published mid-week. The biggest cuts are on 1 May and 25 December.
Is Boxing Day (26 December) a public holiday in Portugal?
Only in Madeira. The Madeira archipelago observes 26 December as Primeira Oitava (literally 'First Octave' — the start of the eight-day Christmas octave in the Catholic calendar). Banks, schools and most offices close in Funchal and across the islands. On mainland Portugal and in the Azores, 26 December is a regular working day — banks, supermarkets and offices reopen as normal. This is the reverse of the UK, where Boxing Day is a nationwide bank holiday. UK travellers spending Christmas in Madeira have an extra closure day; those spending it in Lisbon, the Algarve or Porto do not.
Do I need a visa to travel from the UK to Portugal on a public holiday?
Post-Brexit, UK passport holders can enter Portugal for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa — Portugal remains in the Schengen Area. Passport must be issued less than 10 years before the entry date and valid for at least 3 months after the planned departure. From mid-2026, ETIAS (the EU's electronic travel authorisation, around €7 for 3 years) is expected to be required for short stays — check gov.uk and the EU's official ETIAS site before booking. Public holidays do not affect entry rules or border processing — Lisbon LIS, Faro FAO, Porto OPO and Funchal FNC all run full passport control on every holiday. UK travellers using the Faro retiree corridor should note that the Schengen 90/180-day limit applies even to repeat short visits.
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Related guides
- All UK bank holidays 2026 — Bank Holidays UK homepage
- Complete List of UK Bank Holidays 2026 — all 8 days explained
- Public Holidays in Spain 2026 — the UK's #1 outbound destination
Updated for 2026 · Sources: gov.pt (Diário da República — Código do Trabalho), Nager.Date, UK FCDO travel advice · Last verified: 27 May 2026 · Bank Holidays UK Editorial Team · ← All UK bank holidays