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When you live in Portugal, you’ll want to know when Portuguese public holidays (feriado publico) are. Not only are they great for immersing yourself in local culture, but you can also use the time off to visit family and friends.
For travelers and expats, holidays also require some financial planning. Whether you’re budgeting for festival attendance, purchasing gifts, or planning getaways, managing your money across borders can be challenging. Using services like Wise can offer competitive exchange rates and transparent fees for currency conversion.
Here’s what you need to know:
Wise account
Are you an expat or thinking of moving to Portugal? Managing your money across borders shouldn’t be complicated. With a Wise account, you can hold over 40 currencies and pay with a Wise debit card in more than 150 countries. Whether you’re using spending abroad, receiving or sending money home, Wise can help make international money management simpler.
Overview of Portuguese public holidays
As a Catholic country, most public holidays in Portugal are religious. Many include festivals and parades honoring a saint or a bible story, while others include Christian celebrations, such as Christmas.
Most stores close for the whole day on public holidays, even in big cities. Furthermore, public transport and other services reduce their schedules.
Many of the public holidays are national, although some are only celebrated in certain regions. If you’re planning to attend these celebrations, it’s worth preparing financially, especially if you’re traveling from abroad. Using the Wise account to convert your currency at the mid-market exchange rate can help you avoid the inflated tourist rates often found at airport kiosks and local exchange offices during busy holiday periods.
Unfortunately, each holiday is celebrated on the day itself. So, if it takes place on a Sunday, then the next Monday is not a day off.
When are the Portuguese public holidays in 2025?
Portugal celebrates these holidays nationwide:
| Date | Weekday | Holiday |
| 1 January 2025 | Tue | New Year’s Day |
| 18 April 2025 | Fri | Good Friday |
| 20 April 2025 | Sun | Easter Sunday |
| 25 April 2025 | Fri | Liberty Day |
| 1 May 2025 | Thu | Labor Day |
| 10 June 2025 | Tue | Portugal Day |
| 19 June 2025 | Thu | Corpus Christi |
| 15 August 2025 | Fri | Assumption of Mary |
| 5 October 2025 | Sun | Republic Day |
| 1 November 2025 | Sat | All Saints’ Day |
| 1 December 2025 | Mon | Restoration of Independence |
| 8 December 2025 | Mon | Feast of the Immaculate Conception |
| 25 December 2025 | Thu | Christmas Day |
Local holidays in 2025
These holidays are only observed in certain Portuguese regions:
| Date | Weekday | Holiday | Where celebrated |
| 2 April 2025 | Wed | Madeira’s Autonomy Day | Madeira |
| 20 May 2025 | Tue | Azores Day | Azores |
| 1 July 2025 | Tue | Madeira Day | Madeira |
| 26 December 2025 | Fri | Boxing Day | Madeira |
Local (municipal) holidays in 2025
Often, Portuguese municipalities have a local holiday (Feriado Municipal or Dia do Concelho) that they celebrate. These frequently relate to patron saints or important historical dates.
The list below includes many of these local holidays, but not all (Portugal has 308 municipalities). It’s recommended you check with your municipality to find out any concrete dates.
| Date | Weekday | Holiday | Where celebrated |
| 19 March 2025 | Wed | Saint Joseph’s Day | Santarém |
| 6 May 2025 (annually on the third Tuesday after Easter) | Tue | Start of the pilgrimage of Our Lady of Mércoles | Castelo Branco |
| 12 May 2025 | Mon | Saint Joana’s Day | Aveiro |
| 26 May 2025 (annually on the Monday after the fifth Sunday after Easter) | Mon | Day of the Patron Saint | Ponta Delgada |
| 15 May 2025 | Thu | Day the town was established | Caldas da Rainha |
| 22 May 2025 | Thu | Leiria Day | Leiria |
| 13 June 2025 | Fri | Saint Anthony’s Day | Lisbon and Vila Real |
| 24 June 2025 | Tue | Saint John’s Day | Braga, Guimarães, and Porto |
| 29 June 2025 | Sun | Saint Peter’s Day | Évora |
| 4 July 2025 | Fri | Saint Elizabeth’s Day | Coimbra |
| 20 August 2025 | Wed | Festival of Our Lady in Sorrow | Viana do Castelo |
| 21 August 2025 | Thu | Funchal City Day | Funchal |
| 7 September 2025 | Sun | Faro Day | Faro |
| 11 November 2025 | Tue | Saint Martin’s Day | Penafiel |
Other important dates in 2025
Alongside national and local holidays, you may want to make note of these other prominent dates in Portugal:
| Date | Weekday | Occasion |
| 4 March 2025 | Tue | Carnival Tuesday |
| 19 March 2025 | Wed | Father’s Day |
| 4 May 2025 | Sun | Mother’s Day |
| 31 December 2025 | Wed | New Year’s Eve |
When are the Portuguese public holidays in 2026?
| Date | Weekday | Holiday |
| 1 January 2026 | Thu | New Year’s Day |
| 3 April 2026 | Fri | Good Friday |
| 5 April 2026 | Sun | Easter Sunday |
| 25 April 2026 | Sat | Liberty Day |
| 1 May 2026 | Fri | Labor Day |
| 4 June 2026 | Thu | Corpus Christi |
| 10 June 2026 | Wed | Portugal Day |
| 15 August 2026 | Sat | Assumption of Mary |
| 5 October 2026 | Mon | Republic Day |
| 1 November 2026 | Sun | All Saints’ Day |
| 1 December 2026 | Tue | Restoration of Independence |
| 8 December 2026 | Tue | Feast of the Immaculate Conception |
| 25 December 2026 | Fri | Christmas Day |
Local holidays in 2026
These holidays are only celebrated in certain Portuguese regions:
| Date | Weekday | Holiday | Where celebrated |
| 2 April 2026 | Thu | Madeira’s Autonomy Day | Madeira |
| 20 May 2026 | Wed | Azores Day | Azores |
| 1 July 2026 | Wed | Madeira Day | Madeira |
| 26 December 2026 | Sat | Boxing Day | Madeira |
Local (municipal) holidays in 2026
| Date | Weekday | Holiday | Where celebrated |
| 19 March 2026 | Thu | Saint Joseph’s Day | Santarém |
| 21 April 2026 (annually on the third Tuesday after Easter) | Tue | Start of the pilgrimage of Our Lady of Mércoles | Castelo Branco |
| 11 May 2026 (annually on the Monday after the fifth Sunday after Easter) | Mon | Day of the Patron Saint | Ponta Delgada |
| 12 May 2026 | Tue | Saint Joana’s Day | Aveiro |
| 15 May 2026 | Fri | Day the town was established | Caldas da Rainha |
| 22 May 2026 | Fri | Leiria Day | Leiria |
| 13 June 2026 | Sat | Saint Anthony’s Day | Lisbon and Vila Real |
| 24 June 2026 | Wed | Saint John’s Day | Braga, Guimarães, and Porto |
| 29 June 2026 | Mon | Saint Peter’s Day | Évora |
| 4 July 2026 | Sat | Saint Elizabeth’s Day | Coimbra |
| 20 August 2026 | Thu | Festival of Our Lady in Sorrow | Viana do Castelo |
| 21 August 2026 | Fri | Funchal City Day | Funchal |
| 7 September 2026 | Mon | Faro Day | Faro |
| 11 November 2026 | Wed | Saint Martin’s Day | Penafiel |
Other important dates in 2026
Alongside national and local holidays, you may want to make note of these other prominent dates in Portugal:
| Date | Weekday | Occasion |
| 17 February 2026 | Tue | Carnival Tuesday |
| 19 March 2026 | Thu | Father’s Day |
| 3 May 2026 | Sun | Mother’s Day |
| 31 December 2026 | Thu | New Year’s Eve |
When were the Portuguese public holidays in 2024?
| Date | Weekday | Holiday |
| 1 January 2024 | Mon | New Year’s Day |
| 29 March 2024 | Fri | Good Friday |
| 31 March 2024 | Sun | Easter Sunday |
| 25 April 2024 | Thu | Liberty Day |
| 1 May 2024 | Wed | Labor Day |
| 30 May 2024 | Thu | Corpus Christi |
| 10 June 2024 | Mon | Portugal Day |
| 15 August 2024 | Thu | Assumption of Mary |
| 5 October 2024 | Sat | Republic Day |
| 1 November 2024 | Fri | All Saints’ Day |
| 1 December 2024 | Sun | Restoration of Independence |
| 8 December 2024 | Sun | Feast of the Immaculate Conception |
| 25 December 2024 | Wed | Christmas Day |
Local holidays in 2024
| Date | Weekday | Holiday | Where celebrated |
| 2 April 2024 | Tue | Madeira’s Autonomy Day | Madeira |
| 20 May 2024 | Mon | Azores Day | Azores |
| 1 July 2024 | Mon | Madeira Day | Madeira |
| 26 December 2024 | Thu | Boxing Day | Madeira |
Local (municipal) holidays in 2024
| Date | Weekday | Holiday | Where celebrated |
| 19 March 2024 | Tue | Saint Joseph’s Day | Santarém |
| 16 April 2024 (annually on the third Tuesday after Easter) | Tue | Start of the pilgrimage of Our Lady of Mércoles | Castelo Branco |
| 6 May 2024 (annually on the Monday after the fifth Sunday after Easter) | Mon | Day of the Patron Saint | Ponta Delgada |
| 12 May 2024 | Sun | Saint Joana’s Day | Aveiro |
| 15 May 2024 | Wed | Day the town was established | Caldas da Rainha |
| 22 May 2024 | Wed | Leiria Day | Leiria |
| 13 June 2024 | Thu | Saint Anthony’s Day | Lisbon and Vila Real |
| 24 June 2024 | Mon | Saint John’s Day | Braga, Guimarães, and Porto |
| 29 June 2024 | Sat | Saint Peter’s Day | Évora |
| 4 July 2024 | Thu | Saint Elizabeth’s Day | Coimbra |
| 20 August 2024 | Tue | Festival of Our Lady in Sorrow | Viana do Castelo |
| 21 August 2024 | Wed | Funchal City Day | Funchal |
| 7 September 2024 | Sat | Faro Day | Faro |
| 11 November 2024 | Mon | Saint Martin’s Day | Penafiel |
Other important dates in 2024
| Date | Weekday | Occasion |
| 13 February 2024 | Tue | Carnival Tuesday |
| 19 March 2024 | Tue | Father’s Day |
| 5 May 2024 | Sun | Mother’s Day |
| 31 December 2024 | Tue | New Year’s Eve |
When are the school holidays in Portugal?
Both Portuguese and international schools in Portugal have their own vacation schedule. Some of these days off overlap with national celebrations. However, this is not always the case.
If you want to know more about school term times, visit our article on school holidays in Portugal.
Practical tips for Portuguese holiday travel
Transportation During Holidays
Public transportation in Portugal often operates on reduced schedules during holidays. In major cities like Lisbon and Porto, some metro and bus services may run less frequently, while intercity trains might require advance booking. If you’re planning to travel between cities during a holiday period, consider booking tickets several weeks in advance.
Accommodation Considerations
Holiday periods, especially around Christmas, Easter, and summer festivals, are peak tourist seasons in Portugal. Hotels and vacation rentals in popular destinations can fill up quickly and command premium prices. Consider booking accommodations 3-6 months ahead for the best rates and availability.
Managing Your Money
Proper financial planning ensures a Portuguese trip without stress. Avoid the expensive currency exchange counters at airports and tourist areas that offer unfavourable exchange rates. With Wise, you’ll get euros at the mid-market exchange rate without hidden markups. While it’s wise to have some cash on hand since local vendors often prefer it, you’ll find that card payments are increasingly accepted throughout Portugal.
Conclusion
Portuguese holidays offer a rich opportunity to experience the country’s culture, traditions, and hospitality. By planning ahead—knowing both national and local holiday dates, understanding transportation limitations, and preparing financially—you can fully immerse yourself in these special celebrations.
For international visitors and expats, smart money management is a key part of holiday planning. Setting up a Wise account before traveling to Portugal gives you access to competitive currency exchange rates, and a debit card to spend like a local. This financial preparation allows you to focus on what really matters—enjoying Portugal’s vibrant holiday traditions and creating lasting memories.
