Traineeships in Portugal

Rules on traineeships in Portugal

Any employer can promote work traineeships at any time.

Traineeships may not last for more than 12 months, except in the case of compulsory traineeships for being able to practise a profession, in which case they may not exceed 18 months.

All traineeships must:

  • be covered by insurance, taken out by the promoter
  • ensure payment of a meal allowance of the same value as that paid to the promoter’s employees, or provide meals to trainees, if that is company policy
  • ensure payment of a traineeship allowance that is never less than the social support index (SSI), which amounted to EUR 438.81 in 2020.

All traineeships must be covered by a traineeship contract, which must include the following:

  • identification, signatures and address of the trainee and of the promoter
  • level of qualification of the trainee
  • duration of the traineeship and date of commencement
  • area in which the traineeship is undertaken
  • duties or tasks entrusted to the trainee
  • place and duration, daily or weekly, of traineeship activities
  • value of the traineeship allowance and meal allowance
  • date of signature of the contract
  • a copy of the insurance policy.

For further information on the rules governing traineeships in Portugal, see Decree Law No 66/2011 of 1 June 2011.

ATIVAR.PT traineeships

The ATIVAR.PT traineeships measure, of the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP) provides fixed remuneration traineeships, depending on the trainee’s level of professional qualifications.

The value of the traineeships paid through ATIVAR.PT is divided between the promoter and the IEFP, and a bonus is envisaged for promoters that take on trainees at the end of their traineeships.

Enrolment for traineeship applicants and promoters takes place at the times defined by the IEFP.

To apply for ATIVAR.PT traineeships, applicants must register with a job centre. To do this you will need:

  • an identification document from your country of origin or a passport, if you are a citizen of a European Union country or of Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein or Switzerland
  • a document allowing you to live and work legally in Portugal, if you are a citizen of another country.

Obtain further information on conditions of access, application periods and methods of application from the IEFP website.

Assistance services

For more information or if you need help, please contact IEFP:

International traineeships

In Portugal there are two projects through which you can find an international traineeship: the Erasmus + programme and the European Solidarity Corps.

Erasmus + programme

The Erasmus + programme is intended for higher education students and recent graduates and students in vocational education and training, apprentices and recent graduates.

Erasmus + traineeships last for a maximum of 12 months and may be accumulated with a period of study abroad.

For further information on applications, please consult the Erasmus + site.

Assistance services

For more information or if you need help, please contact Agência Nacional para a Gestão do Programa Erasmus + Educação e Formação:

European Solidarity Corps

European Solidarity Corps traineeships are intended for people between 18 and 30 years of age and last between 2 to 6 months, with the possibility of being renewed once.

European Solidarity Corps traineeships are run by organisations that engage in solidarity-related activities.

In addition to traineeships, the European Solidarity Corps also allows participation in international volunteering projects.

For further information on enrolling in and finding traineeships, see the European Solidarity Corps FAQs page.

Assistance services

For more information or if you need help, please contact Corpo Europeu de Solidariedade (CES):