Assistance during pregnancy

Pregnant women – Portuguese citizens or non-nationals with a residence permit – are entitled to free check-ups during pregnancy. Both mothers and fathers can take time off work to attend these appointments.

Pregnant women who are non-nationals and only have a 3-month residence permit have access to the same national health service care as Portuguese nationals, but must pay for it.

For any further questions about pregnancy, sexuality and family planning, you can contact ‘Ajuda de Mãe’ [Mother’s Help] via the SOS pregnancy line.

The Directorate-General for Health also provides guidance on pregnancy and childbirth in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The information in this section is organised as follows:

• Antenatal allowance
• Allowance for medical risks during pregnancy
• Social benefit for medical risks during pregnancy
• Specific risks allowance
• Social benefit for specific risks
• Pregnancy termination allowance
• Social benefit for pregnancy termination

Note: in either case the social benefit can only be claimed when the pregnant woman is not entitled to the regular allowance as she does not meet the necessary conditions.

The antenatal family allowance is a cash benefit granted to pregnant women resident in Portugal from the 13th week of pregnancy. It is designed to incentivise motherhood by compensating for the additional costs incurred during pregnancy.

There are two types of antenatal allowances, granted by different entities:

• by Social Security – benefit awarded for 6 months from the month following that in which the 13th week of pregnancy falls or until the birth
• by the General Pensions Fund – benefit awarded to pregnant women in low-income families from the 13th week of pregnancy until the sixth month after the birth.

If there is a medical risk in relation to the pregnancy or to the birth (the child being born), preventing the woman from working, an allowance may be granted to the woman during the pregnancy to make up for the lost income from employment.

Pregnant workers must meet the following conditions in order to benefit from this allowance:

• they must have completed the guarantee period (6 calendar months with a record of remuneration);
• they must take any corresponding leave (in the case of employees);
• they must have paid their social security contributions up to 3 months before stopping work (in the case of self-employed workers).

Where these conditions are met, the application can be submitted within 6 months from the first day of being prevented from working.

See more information on how to claim the allowance for medical risks during pregnancy.

If there is a medical risk in relation to the pregnancy or to the birth (the child being born), where the woman is prevented from working and is not entitled to the allowance for medical risks during pregnancy, a social benefit for medical risks during pregnancy may be applied for to make up for the lost income from employment.

Pregnant workers must meet the following conditions to receive this benefit:

• be a resident in Portugal (or treated as a resident);
• pursue a professional activity;
• the woman or her household unit must not have movable assets worth more than EUR 122.222,04 (240 times the value of the IAS* (social support index));
• each person in the household must have a monthly income equal to or less than EUR 407.40 (80% of the IAS*).

Where these conditions are met, the application can be submitted within 6 months from the date on which the pregnant woman stopped working.

The benefit will be paid out during the time necessary to prevent the medical risk.

See more information on how to claim the social benefit for medical risks during pregnancy.

* Value of the IAS (Portuguese social support index) in 2024 = EUR 509.26

If pregnant workers, workers who have recently given birth or workers who are breastfeeding carry out night work in their professional activity or are exposed to specific risks which jeopardise their health and safety and their employer does not assign them to other tasks, they can apply for the specific risks allowance.

This covers pregnant women who:

• are employees
• are self-employed
• pay voluntary social insurance (maritime workers, national guards, crew members, scientific research scholarship holders)
• are in pre-retirement from one of the aforementioned situations
• receive the relative invalidity pension or survivor's pension and who are working and paying into Social Security.

You can apply for this allowance within 6 months from the date of the event giving rise to such protection; it will be paid out for the period necessary for preventing the specific risk.

Find out more about how to claim the specific risks allowance.

When pregnant workers, workers who have recently given birth or workers who are breastfeeding carry out night work in their professional activity or are exposed to specific risks which jeopardise their health and safety and their employer does not assign them to other tasks, if they are not entitled to the specific risks allowance they can instead apply for the social benefit for specific risks.

Pregnant women must meet the following conditions to receive this benefit:

• be a resident in Portugal (or treated as a resident);
• pursue a professional activity;
• the woman or her household unit must not have movable assets worth more than EUR 122.222,04 (240 times the value of the IAS* (social support index));
• each person in the household must have a monthly income equal to or less than EUR 407.40 (80% of the IAS*).

Where these conditions are met, the application can be submitted within 6 months from the date of the event giving rise to such protection; it will be paid out for the period necessary for preventing the specific risk.

Find out more about how to claim the social benefit for specific risks.

* Value of the IAS (Portuguese social support index) in 2024 = EUR 509.26

In cases of a medically certified pregnancy termination (due to a medical risk during pregnancy / termination of pregnancy / specific risks) women who work may be entitled to receive an allowance to make up for lost income from work, covering between 14-30 days depending on the doctor’s advice.

Women must meet the following conditions in order to receive this allowance:

• they must have completed the guarantee period (6 calendar months with a record of remuneration);
• they must take any corresponding leave (in the case of employees);
• they must have paid their social security contributions up to 3 months before stopping work (in the case of self-employed workers).

Where these conditions are met, the application can be submitted within 6 months from the first day of being prevented from working.

Find out more about how to apply for the pregnancy termination allowance.

In cases of a medically certified pregnancy termination where the woman is not entitled to the pregnancy termination allowance, female workers in situations of financial hardship can apply for the social benefit for pregnancy termination. This benefit is granted for a period varying between 14 and 30 days depending on the doctor’s advice.

Women must meet the following conditions to receive this benefit:

• be a resident in Portugal (or treated as a resident);
• pursue a professional activity;
• the woman or her household unit must not have movable assets worth more than EUR 122.222,04 (240 times the value of the IAS* (social support index));
• each person in the household must have a monthly income equal to or less than EUR 407.40 (80% of the IAS*).

Where these conditions are met, the application can be submitted within 6 months from the first day of being prevented from working.

Find out more about how to apply for the social benefit for pregnancy termination.

* Value of the IAS (Portuguese social support index) in 2024 = EUR 509,26