Hiring · IEFP
Hiring incentives in Portugal: what IEFP pays in 2026
IEFP, the Portuguese public employment service, pays employers a cash incentive for each permanent, full-time hire of a person registered with it as unemployed. In 2026 the base amount is EUR 6,445.56 under the +Emprego measure and EUR 9,668.34 under Emprego +Talento, which is for young graduates. Uplifts of 35% each can be added on top.
The step people miss is the order. The job offer has to be registered on the IEFP portal before the contract is signed. Hire first and ask later, and the incentive is usually gone.
Figures checked against the official sources on 18 September 2026. We never promise approvals.
- What it is
- A cash incentive paid to the employer for each eligible permanent hire
- Nature
- Grant per hire. Not a loan, not a tax credit
- Base amounts in 2026
- EUR 6,445.56 (+Emprego) and EUR 9,668.34 (Emprego +Talento)
- Uplifts
- 35% each, and up to four can be combined
- Applications in 2026
- from 15 July to 15 December 2026, or until the budget is used up
- Who runs it
- IEFP, through the iefponline portal, in Portuguese
- Foreign-owned companies
- Same rules as any private employer established in Portugal
The two measures and what they pay
| Measure | Who you hire | Base amount | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|---|
| +Emprego | A person registered with IEFP as unemployed, on a permanent full-time contract | EUR 6,445.56, which is 12 times the social support index (IAS) for 2026 | Uplifts of 35% each for a person with a disability, a young person up to 35, a person unemployed for more than 12 months, the under-represented gender in the occupation, or a job in an interior territory |
| Emprego +Talento | A person aged up to 35, registered with IEFP, with a higher education degree, on a permanent full-time contract | EUR 9,668.34, which is 18 times the IAS for 2026 | The same uplifts of 35%. The base salary has to be at least the entry salary of a graduate in the public administration |
Up to four uplifts can be added together, which takes the incentive to as much as 2.4 times the base amount. Which uplifts apply depends on the person hired and on where the job is.
IEFP also co-funds professional internships of six months (Estágios INICIAR and Estágios +Talento), paying most of the intern's grant. The first application period of 2026 closed on 30 July. Ask us whether a new period has opened before you plan around it.
Who counts as an eligible hire
The person has to be registered with IEFP as unemployed before the hire, and fall into one of the groups the measure covers. Registration is a formality that takes the candidate a short visit or an online form, but it has to exist on the date that matters. A candidate who is working, or who never registered, does not qualify, however good the match.
The nationality of the company's owners is not a condition. What counts is that the worker is registered with IEFP as unemployed and that the contract is permanent and full-time.
The order matters: offer first, contract after
- Register the company on iefponline, the IEFP portal.
- Publish the job offer on the portal before signing the contract. This is the step that is lost most often, because it feels unnecessary when you have already found the person.
- Select the candidate, who must be registered with IEFP and meet the conditions of the measure.
- Sign the permanent, full-time contract.
- Submit the application within the period the measure sets, with the contract and the company's tax and social security certificates.
- Receive the incentive under the payment schedule the measure sets, and keep the conditions for the required period.
The rule is strict: the contract can be signed before the application, but only after the job offer is registered on iefponline. If you have already signed, tell us the dates and we check what can still be done, for this hire or for the next one.
What the company commits to
- Keeping the contract for the minimum period the measure sets. If the worker leaves, the rules say when a replacement keeps the incentive and when part of it has to be returned.
- Keeping the overall headcount: as a rule the hire has to be a net increase, not a replacement of someone dismissed.
- Staying up to date with the Tax Authority and Social Security, and with wages.
- Paying at least the salary the measure requires, which matters most in Emprego +Talento.
Deadlines in 2026
Applications for the two hiring measures are open from 15 July to 15 December 2026, or until the budget is used up. IEFP measures are renewed and adjusted from year to year, and the amounts change with the social support index, so check the current rules before planning a hire around them.
Frequently asked questions
Are these incentives automatic for any hire?
No. They depend on the measure, on the person hired, on the type of contract, on the company's situation and on the rules in force when you apply. A permanent full-time contract with a person registered with IEFP is the starting point.
Can I hire first and apply afterwards?
Usually not. The job offer has to be registered on the IEFP portal before the contract is signed. Check the sequence before you formalise the hire.
Can a foreign-owned company, or a new one, apply?
Yes. The employer has to be established in Portugal, registered with Social Security as an employer, and up to date with its taxes, contributions and wages. Who owns it makes no difference, and a company in its first year can apply. The measure is for private employers: public bodies are outside it.
Can I combine a hiring incentive with a Portugal 2030 grant or a tax credit?
They reward different things, so a company can use them side by side: the hiring incentive for the contract, a grant or RFAI for the investment. The same salary cost cannot be funded twice, which matters in projects where a grant already pays for staff.
I run a restaurant or a shop. Is this for me?
For a small business that is already open, the hiring incentive is often the most realistic form of public support, because it does not depend on an investment project or on a competitive call.
Official sources
The official texts are in Portuguese. The figures on this page were checked against them.
- IEFP: +Emprego measure (iefponline) (checked 18 September 2026)
- IEFP: Emprego +Talento measure (iefponline) (checked 18 September 2026)
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