The beginning of a new year almost always brings the same question to thousands of workers: after all, how many vacation days can I book? In 2026, the answer depends more than ever on each person’s specific professional situation.
Although the general rule continues to point to 22 working days of annual leave, the law provides for exceptions that may change this number, especially for those who were recently hired, have short-term contracts or have been unable to work for long periods. To help clarify these accounts, there is an official simulator that allows you to calculate holiday entitlement in a personalized way.
According to Notícias ao Minuto, the Authority for Working Conditions (ACT) provides an online tool that allows workers to find out how many vacation days they can take in the year of admission and in the following year. The objective is to clarify the so-called special cases regarding the duration of the vacation period, provided for in the Labor Code.
A simulator for specific situations
The ACT tool was developed to respond to scenarios that deviate from the common rule. These include fixed-term contracts lasting less than six months, as well as situations of prolonged impediment.
In these cases, the law considers the suspension of the employment contract when the temporary impediment, for a reason not attributable to the worker, lasts for more than a month, as happens in situations of illness, accident or obligations arising from military service.
The simulator also allows you to understand how these periods influence the number of vacation days to which the worker is entitled, both in the year in which the impediment occurs and at the moment in which the contract returns to normal. This is practical help, designed to give an overview of the legal framework.
Limitations that must be taken into account
Despite its usefulness, ACT itself warns of several limitations. The legislation considered is that which was in force on May 1, 2023 and the simulator does not include special regimes or collective bargaining instruments.
Legislative adaptations applicable to the Autonomous Regions of the Azores and Madeira are also excluded, which may make the results incomplete for some workers.
Furthermore, the values presented depend exclusively on data entered by the user and should not serve as a basis for decisions without qualified professional support. In situations of prolonged impediment due to illness or parenthood, it is also necessary to take into account Social Security rules, which may influence the right to vacation and the corresponding benefit.
Who schedules the holidays and during what period
In addition to the number of days available, it is important to understand how vacations are scheduled. As a general rule, the vacation period must result from an agreement between employer and employee. When this understanding does not exist, it is up to the employer to define the dates, listening to the workers’ committee or, failing that, the representative union structures.
There are also time limits. In small, medium and large companies, holidays can only be scheduled between May 1st and October 31st, unless a collective labor regulation instrument or the opinion of worker representatives allows another period. Holidays cannot yet begin on a weekly rest day.
According to Notícias ao Minuto, ACT emphasizes that the simulator does not cover the right to vacation and vacation pay in the event of termination of the employment contract. For these situations, there is a specific compensation simulator for termination of contract, with the results always depending on the information provided by the user and without being binding.
Before closing dates or planning trips, confirming available vacation days can avoid surprises. In 2026, a simple legal detail can make all the difference in the rest you really enjoy.
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