Segurança Social
Published 8 November 2026, 20:40
Both the agency and the whole social insurance system: it collects contributions and pays benefits. An employee has 11% deducted from their salary, and the employer pays another 23.75% on top. A self-employed person providing services pays 21.4% of an assessed income base, and a sole trader (empresário em nome individual) 25.2%. No contributions are due for the first 12 months after starting an activity for the first time, counting from the month after it begins. Almost everything is done in the Segurança Social Direta personal area.
Where you come across it. Contributions, maternity and parental benefits, sick leave, unemployment benefit, child benefits.
Paying contributions and being entitled to a benefit are not the same thing: almost every benefit requires a minimum contribution record. That is why you can opt out of the exempt first year and start paying earlier. A self-employed person must file the quarterly income declaration during the exempt year too.
Official website: seg-social.pt