Request the social unemployment benefit

The following persons residing in Portugal are entitled to social unemployment benefit:

• Employees who had an employment contract and paid social security contributions (or have a contract that is suspended due to late payment of wages)
• Domestic workers, provided that:

  • they are employed on a full-time monthly basis and have entered into a written agreement with their employer to deduct the benefit from their actual wages
  • the agreement has been submitted to the relevant Social Security office and the conditions for the actual earnings to be considered the basis for contributions have been met
• Farmworkers registered with Social Security since 1 January 2011
• Undifferentiated farmworkers registered with Social Security up to and including 31 December 2010
• Employees appointed to management positions, provided that on the date of their appointment they have been employed by their company for at least 1 year and are covered by the general Social Security regime for employees
• Contracted employees who are also managers – whether shareholders or not – in a non-profit entity (such as a non-profit cultural body), provided that they do not receive remuneration of any kind for performing these functions
• Primary and secondary school teachers
• Former military employees or volunteers