Employer of Record is a grey area in Portugal. The country has no EOR statute: workers can be supplied to another company only through a licensed temporary-work agency (ETT) or, between affiliates, by occasional assignment (cedência ocasional). EOR providers use neither: they hire the person on an indefinite contract through their own Portuguese entity, a model the law neither allows nor prohibits by name. Portuguese law firm Belzuz wrote in 2024 that the model has no legal provision and a dismissed worker could allege unlawful assignment (belzuz.com, checked 2026-10-07).
Cost has two layers. Employer social security (TSU) is 23.75% of gross on 14 salaries a year: EUR 10,545 on a EUR 44,400 salary, with FCT/FGCT at zero (seg-social.pt, checked 2026-10-07). The EOR fee is extra: list prices run $99 to $699 per month.
We checked all 23 vendors we track by name against the IEFP lists of temporary-work agencies, and none appears. That is the limit of a name search, not a finding of non-compliance. Eight of the 20 providers match a Portuguese register (Racius) company by brand name; Remote and Native Teams also say they own an entity.
An Employer of Record fits a permanent hire you direct yourself, once the provider gives you its ETT licence number or a written legal position. An independent contractor (hiring guide, payouts) or your own Portuguese entity suits the rest.
Employing someone in Portugal: key facts
Portuguese employees get 14 payments a year, and the employer pays a single social security rate (TSU) on all of them. The sources are the Código do Trabalho, the minimum wage decree and Segurança Social.
Minimum wage
The national minimum monthly wage (RMMG) is EUR 920.00 in 2026, paid 14 times, which is EUR 12,880 a year (our arithmetic, 920 x 14) (dgert.gov.pt, checked 2026-10-07).
National RMMG on the 14-payment basis, in force on 31 December each year, in EUR. The mainland rate; the Azores and Madeira regional adjustments are not included. Source: dgert.gov.pt and the decrees for 2021-2023, checked 2026-10-07.
A tripartite agreement sets annual steps of EUR 50 toward EUR 1,020.00 by 2028. The 2027 and 2028 figures are an agreement target, not yet fixed by decree; we found no 2027 decree (cuatrecasas.com, checked 2026-10-07).
Employer contributions
The employer pays TSU (Taxa Social Única) at 23.75% of gross remuneration, and the employee pays 11%, a combined 34.75%. The base includes the Christmas and holiday allowances (art. 46 Código Contributivo). We found no contribution ceiling in the sources we read (seg-social.pt; taxsummaries.pwc.com, checked 2026-10-07).
Standard week: 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week (art. 203). A collective agreement may reduce the limits, or average hours up to 60 a week, but not above 50 on average over two months (art. 204) (sep.org.pt, checked 2026-10-07).
Overtime up to 100 hours a year: +25% for the first hour and +37.5% for later hours on a working day; +50% on a rest day or public holiday. Above 100 hours: +50% and +75% on a working day; +100% on a rest day or holiday (art. 268, as amended by Lei 13/2023) (sep.org.pt, checked 2026-10-07).
Annual overtime limit: 150 hours for medium and large companies, 175 for micro and small; 2 hours on a normal working day (art. 228).
Annual leave and public holidays
Leave: at least 22 working days a year, counted Monday to Friday excluding public holidays (art. 238). In the year of hiring, 2 working days per month of contract, up to 20, usable after 6 full months (art. 239) (sep.org.pt, checked 2026-10-07).
Holidays: 13 mandatory days: 1 Jan, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, 25 Apr, 1 May, Corpus Christi, 10 Jun, 15 Aug, 5 Oct, 1 Nov, 1 Dec, 8 Dec and 25 Dec (art. 234). The municipal holiday and Carnival Tuesday count only if set by collective agreement or the contract (art. 235) (sep.org.pt, checked 2026-10-07).
Indefinite, technically complex, high-responsibility or special-qualification roles, positions of trust, first-job seekers, long-term unemployed
180 days
same, art. 112
Indefinite, management and senior staff
240 days
same
Fixed-term, 6 months or more
30 days
same
Fixed-term, under 6 months
15 days
same
Notice and severance
Employer’s written notice, job extinction or collective dismissal
Seniority
15 days
Under 1 year
30 days
1 to under 5 years
60 days
5 to under 10 years
75 days
10 years or more
Source: arts. 363 and 371 as amended by Lei 13/2023 (sep.org.pt, checked 2026-10-07). Dismissal for just cause (disciplinary) needs no notice. The inadaptation dismissal procedure was not read in full.
Severance for collective dismissal or job extinction: 14 days of base pay and seniority pay per full year of service (art. 366). Monthly base pay counted is capped at 20 x RMMG, and total compensation at 12 monthly pays or 240 x RMMG. The 14-day rate applies only to service after 2023-05-01 (Lei 13/2023, art. 35).
Fixed-term contract ending at term: 24 days per year (art. 344); the employer must give 15 days’ written notice not to renew.
Unlawful dismissal: the worker may take compensation instead of reinstatement, 15 to 45 days per year of service and at least 3 months of pay (art. 391).
13th salary and bonuses
Portugal has two mandatory allowances, so employees receive 14 payments a year. The Christmas allowance (subsídio de Natal) equals one month’s pay and is due by 15 December (art. 263). The holiday allowance (subsídio de férias) is base pay plus pay for the specific way of working, for the minimum leave period, due before leave starts unless agreed otherwise in writing (art. 264). Both are pro rata in the year of hiring and of termination, and both are in the TSU base (sep.org.pt, checked 2026-10-07).
Mandatory benefits
Work-accident and occupational-illness insurance with a licensed insurer for every employee (Lei 98/2009, art. 79) (diariodarepublica.pt, checked 2026-10-07).
Public health care and pensions run through TSU. We found no statutory duty to provide a meal allowance, private health insurance or a pension plan; that is the absence of a rule in our sources, not a statement we confirmed.
Work permits
Non-EU nationals need a work-based visa or residence permit before arrival. Lei 61/2025, in force since 2025-10-23, ended the manifestação de interesse route (je-lda.pt, checked 2026-10-07).
A residence permit for employed work needs an employment contract made in accordance with the law and social security registration (art. 88, Lei 23/2007) (leximigratoria, checked 2026-10-07).
Tech Visa: a company certified by IAPMEI issues a statement of responsibility; contract of at least 12 months and salary of at least 2.5 x IAS, which is EUR 1,342.83 a month in 2026 (our arithmetic on IAS EUR 537.13). Terms come from a search extract of the IAPMEI page, which did not open (checked 2026-10-07).
A new qualified job-search visa lasts 120 days, extendable by 60.
Whether an EOR can be the sponsoring employer for these routes was not confirmed from a primary or law-firm source. Vendor pages claim it; they are not a source for the legal position.
Currency and payroll
Euro. Pay is usually monthly; the Labour Code lets it fall due weekly, fortnightly or monthly (art. 278) (sep.org.pt, checked 2026-10-07). ECB reference rate on 2026-10-06: EUR/USD 1.1269 (ecb.europa.eu, checked 2026-10-07).
Is Employer of Record legal in Portugal?
Grey area. Portugal has no EOR statute. Supplying a worker to another company is allowed in two forms: temporary work through a licensed temporary-work company (ETT), or occasional assignment (cedência ocasional) between affiliated companies. EOR providers use neither. They hire the worker on an indefinite contract through their own Portuguese entity, a model that is neither expressly allowed nor prohibited, and we found no court ruling on an EOR. See also the Employer of Record glossary entry.
The rules that matter to a client:
Temporary work (arts. 172, 175). The worker stays bound to the ETT and works for a user. The user contract is allowed only for temporary needs listed in the Code, such as replacement, an exceptional increase in activity of up to 12 months, a temporary project or a vacancy while recruiting, and cannot outlast the need (sabiasque.pt, checked 2026-10-07).
ETT licence. IEFP licenses ETTs under Decreto-Lei 260/2009. The company must show good standing, tax and social security compliance, infrastructure and staff, carry a temporary-work reference in its name and lodge a guarantee of 150 times the RMMG plus TSU on that value. IEFP keeps a public register of authorised, suspended, revoked and expired licences (iefp.pt, checked 2026-10-07).
Unlicensed ETT (arts. 173-174). The user contract, the temporary-work contract and the indefinite contract for temporary assignment are void, and the work is deemed performed for the user under an indefinite contract. The ETT and the user are jointly liable for the worker’s claims of the last three years and related social charges. Using an unlicensed ETT is a very serious administrative offence for both (sabiasque.pt, checked 2026-10-07). Since the 2023 reform the deemed contract is with the user, not the ETT (andersen.com, checked 2026-10-07).
Occasional assignment (arts. 289-290). Lawful only if the worker has an indefinite contract with the lender, the companies are affiliated or share organisational structures, the worker consents, and it lasts at most one year, renewable up to five years in total. It needs a written agreement. Our reading is that a third-party EOR and its client do not normally meet the affiliation condition; no source applies art. 289 to an EOR (sabiasque.pt, checked 2026-10-07).
Outsourcing ban (art. 338-A). An employer may not buy external services to meet needs that, in the previous 12 months, were met by workers whose contracts ended through collective dismissal or job extinction. Breach is a very serious administrative offence for the buyer, and the Constitutional Court did not find the rule unconstitutional (Acórdão 555/2025, three dissenting votes) (srslegal.pt; cuatrecasas.com, checked 2026-10-07). Whether buying EOR services counts as outsourcing under this article was not addressed in any source we found.
What law firms and vendors say:
Belzuz (2024) writes that the EOR model has no legal provision in Portugal and lists as a drawback the “possible allegation of unlawful occasional assignment by the dismissed worker” (belzuz.com, checked 2026-10-07).
CCA Law says in RH Magazine that an EOR in Portugal “still lacks a specific legal framework” (cca.law, checked 2026-10-07).
Vendors say the opposite. Oyster’s library page says the triangular EOR relationship “is recognized in Portuguese law” (oysterhr.com, checked 2026-10-07), and Native Teams says an EOR in Portugal “is entirely legal” (nativeteams.com, checked 2026-10-07). These are vendor claims, not a legal position.
Risks the client carries:
Direct employment and joint liability. If an arrangement were treated as supply through an unlicensed ETT, the contracts are void, the worker is deemed the client’s employee on an indefinite contract (art. 173) and the client is jointly liable for three years of claims and social charges (art. 174). No ruling we found settles whether an EOR would be treated that way. See co-employment.
Worker’s choice after an unlawful assignment. If an assignment falls outside art. 289, the worker may choose to stay with the receiving company on an indefinite contract, by registered letter to both companies until the assignment ends (art. 292) (sabiasque.pt, checked 2026-10-07).
Non-EU workers. The employer, the user under a temporary-work or occasional-assignment arrangement and the general contractor are jointly liable for fines, wage claims and unpaid charges when a foreign worker’s activity is used illegally (art. 198-A, Lei 23/2007) (leximigratoria, checked 2026-10-07).
Prior redundancies. Art. 338-A applies to the dismissing employer, so it matters mainly to a client that already employs people in Portugal. That is our reading of the article’s wording.
Who actually employs your hire in Portugal
Portugal has two public lists that bear on this question. We searched the Racius company register, which mirrors Ministry of Justice data, for each of the 20 vendors by brand name. We also checked the names of all 23 vendors we track against the IEFP lists of authorised, suspended, terminated and revoked temporary-work agencies (July edition on iefp.pt, opened 2026-10-07). Expired licences were not checked, and the search is by name only, so an agency trading under another name would not show.
Says “at Remote, we own our own legal entity in Portugal” (remote.com); the quote names no entity, and the Racius record is tied to remote.com only by a directory card
Says employees “will be properly employed through our entity” (nativeteams.com); Racius shows an IT programming company, which does not show it is the employer
Racius record: activity code 78100, selection and placement of staff, a recruitment class and not temporary work; Skuad’s Portugal page is an outdated copy with no entity statement
Yes: Velocity Global Portugal, Unipessoal Lda (Lisbon, 2021), under the former brand
Not found by name
Racius record: international expansion services including HR and immigration; the link to Pebl runs through the Velocity Global rebrand and is not stated on Pebl’s site
Defines an EOR in general terms as “a third-party organisation that becomes the legal employer of your staff under Portuguese law”; names no entity (playroll.com)
FAQ says “the EOR already has an established entity in Portugal”, about EORs in general; the page also says an EOR can “lease” workers to the client (safeguardglobal.com)
Says an EOR “hires on your behalf through its own local entity”, in general terms; Portugal is not named among its owned entities, and its page mentions Portuguese partners for benefits (rivermate.com)
Its Portugal page returned HTTP 403, so nothing is verified (papayaglobal.com)
Not confirmed
All checked 2026-10-07. Racius is a mirror of Ministry of Justice data, searched at racius.com; the IEFP lists are at iefp.pt.
Own entity means a vendor statement about its Portuguese entity or a Racius record matching the brand name; for six of the eight the link is the name only. None of the 20 named a partner or mixed model for Portugal. Source: vendor country pages and Racius, checked 2026-10-07.
Twelve of the 20 don’t say who the Portuguese employer is. Eight are classed as own entity, but only Remote and Native Teams say so in their own words, and for the other six the link from brand to company is a name match. A register entry shows a company exists, not that it signs your employee’s contract. None of the vendors appears on the IEFP agency lists by name, which shows the limit of the search and not non-compliance. Before signing, ask: “Which Portuguese entity signs my employee’s contract, and what is its ETT licence number or your written legal position on this model?”
How to choose an EOR in Portugal
Want the vendor’s own statement about its Portuguese entity? Only Remote and Native Teams say they own one, and each has a company of that name in Racius. Deel, G-P, Skuad, Pebl, Multiplier and Rippling have a Racius record by brand name only. Ask which of those companies signs the contract.
Need legal comfort on the model? None of the 20 providers appears on the IEFP agency lists by name, and the model’s status is unsettled. Ask any provider for its ETT licence number, or for a written legal position on why it does not need one, and treat a vendor’s statement that EOR is “legal” as a claim. Your own Portuguese entity removes the question.
Hiring a non-EU national? Employment visas need a lawful employment contract before arrival, and the Tech Visa needs an IAPMEI-certified company and at least EUR 1,342.83 a month. We could not confirm that an EOR can be the sponsor, so get the provider’s written basis before you promise a start date.
Price against completeness? Native Teams has the lowest list price in the table, from $99 a month, and says it employs through its own entity, but it publishes no Portugal price. G-P ($599 flat), Playroll (from $399), Borderless AI ($579) and Boundless (from EUR 175) show a figure on a Portugal page. Skuad, Multiplier and Pebl have Racius records, but Skuad’s Portugal page and Pebl’s are outdated.
Already employ people in Portugal and made redundancies in the last 12 months? Art. 338-A bars buying outside services for needs the dismissed workers covered. No source we found says whether that includes an EOR, so take legal advice first.
Why it fitsSays it owns its Portuguese entity; Remote Tech, Unipessoal Lda is in Racius, linked to remote.com by a directory card. $699/month global list.
A work-and-payments platform that combines EOR, a dedicated Contractor of Record product, contractor payments and global payroll across 95+ countries, with unusually transparent published 'starts at' pricing for a global-employment vendor.
7.9/10
★ 4.7 · 367 reviews
EOR price
Starts at $99/per employee per month
Coverage
95+ countries
Time to hire
Not stated as a number; vendor claims '3x faster onboarding' (relative claim only)
Certifications
GDPR, SOC 2, ISO, PCI DSS
What stands out
EOR, Contractor of Record, contractor pay and global payroll on one platform
transparent published 'starts at' pricing ($19-$149/mo) — rare among EOR vendors
dedicated CoR product in which Native Teams is the contracting party for the contractor, which reduces misclassification risk
Not a fit for
buyers needing a named, audited certification set (specific ISO 27001 / SOC 2 type)
The oldest, most analyst-recognized EOR (founded 2012) — deepest certification stack and widest documented country footprint, but no owned-entity disclosure or dedicated Contractor of Record product.
8.3/10
★ 4.4
EOR price
From $599/mo per employee
Coverage
180+ countries
Time to hire
Vendor claim: 'hire anywhere in minutes'; no SLA published
A global hiring platform (now a Payoneer company) covering 160+ countries across EOR, Agent of Record and contractor management, with rare published starting prices — strong for buyers who want transparent entry pricing and broad coverage in one tool.
8.0/10
★ 4.6 · 312 reviews
EOR price
Starting from $199 per employee/month
Coverage
160+ countries
Time to hire
Not publicly stated
What stands out
broad coverage: 160+ countries for EOR and contractors
published starting prices (EOR $199, AOR $99, CMS $19 per month)
payroll in 70 currencies
Not a fit for
buyers who require named security certifications (SOC 2/ISO 27001) published before purchase
buyers needing a dedicated Contractor of Record product
A 12-year EOR (rebranded from Velocity Global in 2025) with a large G2 review base and analyst recognition across 185+ countries, but thin transparency on entity ownership and pricing.
7.8/10
★ 4.6 · 603 reviews
EOR price
$399/mo per employee
Coverage
185+ countries
Time to hire
Vendor claim: 'as little as 24 hours', no entity needed
Certifications
SOC 2 Type 2, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, GDPR
Support
Vendor claim: guidance available any time, in-house experts
What stands out
12-year track record (est. 2014) with $1B in annual global payroll processed and 200+ in-house legal experts
SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certified; states GDPR-principle compliance
Large, strongly rated G2 footprint: 4.6/5 from 597 reviews
Not a fit for
buyers needing a true Contractor-of-Record product, not general contractor management
teams that require a fully disclosed owned-vs-partner entity count before signing
A global employment specialist with EOR in 150+ countries on an owned-entity network, a dedicated Contractor of Record, global payroll and published flat pricing — strong for compliant hiring across many markets with transparent EOR/contractor costs.
8.4/10
★ 4.7 · 2168 reviews
EOR price
Starting at $400 per month
Coverage
150+ countries
Time to hire
Vendor claim: onboard global hires in 24 hours; compliant contract in 5 minutes (not an SLA)
Certifications
SOC 2 Type I, SOC 2 Type II, SOC 3, ISO 27001:2022
What stands out
EOR live in 150+ countries on an owned-entity network
dedicated Contractor of Record (classification, contracts, tax, payments)
published flat pricing for EOR ($400) and contractors ($40), no minimum headcount
Not a fit for
buyers needing an all-in-one HR/IT/Finance suite beyond global employment
buyers who require published global-payroll list pricing up front
A unified workforce platform (HR, IT and Finance) with EOR in 80 countries and contractor payments in 185+ — strongest when you want employees, contractors, payroll, apps and devices managed in one system.
8.3/10
★ 4.8 · 23k reviews
EOR price
Custom quote
Coverage
80+ countries
Time to hire
≈5 days to payday in popular markets (12 in less common)
Certifications
SOC 1 Type II, SOC 2 Type II, SOC 3, CSA STAR Level 2
What stands out
EOR live in 80 countries; contractor payments in 185+ and 50+ currencies
unified HR, IT and Finance platform
broad security/compliance (SOC 1/2/3 Type II, ISO 27001/27018/42001)
Not a fit for
buyers who need published, transparent EOR pricing up front
A transparently-priced EOR and contractor platform with broad 180+ country coverage and unusually strong Africa/Middle East reach. Best for cost-conscious SMBs that want published prices and hands-on support over deep automation.
7.6/10
★ 4.7 · 209 reviews
EOR price
$399 per employee/month (no minimum)
Coverage
180+ countries
Time to hire
Vendor claim: EOR onboarding in 2-5 days; compliant contract generated in ~5 minutes
Certifications
SOC 2, GDPR
Support
24/5
What stands out
Transparent flat pricing: EOR $399/employee/mo, contractor $35/contractor/mo, no onboarding/offboarding fees
Broad 180+ country coverage with strong Africa/MENA reach
Fast self-claimed onboarding (2-5 days) and well-reviewed dedicated CSM/ESM support
Not a fit for
enterprises needing deep HRIS/finance integrations
buyers needing a dedicated Contractor of Record product
A young (2023) AI-native EOR with transparent flat pricing across EOR, contractor management and payroll — but unverifiable country-ownership claims and a thinner track record than established rivals.
A Dublin-based EOR/AOR platform, now part of Payoneer Workforce Management, with transparent published pricing and a rare public refusal to operate in Spain — but thin entity disclosure and reviews.
7.0/10
★ 4.8 · 28 reviews
EOR price
From $199/mo per employee
Coverage
110+ countries
Time to hire
Vendor claim: hire "within a few days"; no SLA published
Support
Avg response <1hr, resolution <1 day; no 24/7 claim
What stands out
Published, comparatively low EOR starting price ($199/€175/£149 per employee/month) with no setup fees
Only vendor reviewed that publicly refuses EOR in Spain and explains the legal reasoning
Confirmed direct-licence or entity registration in Canada, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK
Not a fit for
buyers needing documented owned-vs-partner entity status in every target market
teams wanting a dedicated Contractor-of-Record product — Boundless's AOR keeps contractors self-employed
A long-running (2015) direct-entity EOR — broadest owned-entity claim (160+ countries), a capped misclassification-protection AOR product, but no Contractor of Record and thin independent review volume.
7.7/10
★ 4.2 · 101 reviews
EOR price
From $599/mo per employee
Coverage
160+ countries
Entity model
no partners
Time to hire
Vendor claims conflict: 'days' vs '2 weeks'; no SLA
Certifications
ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, GDPR
Support
24-hour support team (vendor claim); 15+ languages
What stands out
160+ countries with owned legal entities and no third-party partners — the widest such claim reviewed
Transparent, publicly listed pricing for both EOR ($599/employee/month) and AOR ($199/contractor/month)
AOR ships with a capped, quantified Classification Protection benefit ($100k/contractor/month, $1M aggregate per client)
Not a fit for
buyers needing a true Contractor-of-Record product, not an authorized-agent AOR
companies with their own local entities needing standalone global payroll
One of the oldest players in the category (payroll since 2008, EOR since 2009/2010) — a large logo base and solid ratings, but no published pricing and a mixed entity model.
7.5/10
★ 4.2 · 141 reviews
EOR price
On request
Coverage
187+ countries
Time to hire
Vendor claim: 2 days once accepted; 1-2 weeks standard
Certifications
GDPR
What stands out
Founded 2008, among the longest-operating vendors in the category; still led by founder/CEO Bjorn Reynolds
1,500+ organizations served, and independently registry-confirmed owned entities in at least Spain and Singapore
NelsonHall NEAT 2025 Leader (Global EOR services) and a G2 Fall 2026 Leader badge for Contractor Management
Not a fit for
buyers who want to compare EOR pricing without a sales call
teams that need one uniform, publicly-verifiable owned-entity story across every country
A profitable, VC-free global-employment company that rebranded from Horizons in 2026, with strong G2/Capterra scores — but a split brand identity and no disclosed owned-vs-partner entity count.
7.8/10
★ 4.6 · 495 reviews
EOR price
From $199/mo per employee
Coverage
150+ countries
Time to hire
Local contracts in 24-48 hrs; up to 2-4 weeks elsewhere
Certifications
SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, GDPR
Support
Business hours; avg response <2hrs (top tier)
What stands out
Founded 2018 and profitable without VC funding - a longer, more stable track record than several younger rivals
Consistently high G2 (4.7/334) and Capterra (4.9/72) scores
Widest product range reviewed here: EOR, COR, contractor management, global payroll, US PEO, recruitment, incorporation
Not a fit for
buyers wanting a single, unchanging brand name and URL for contracts
teams that require a disclosed, numeric owned-vs-partner entity split before signing
A budget-friendly, transparently-priced EOR with broad headline coverage (185+ countries) and a free contractor-management tier. Strongest for cost-conscious teams that want published prices up front rather than a sales quote.
7.8/10
★ 4.4 · 440 reviews
EOR price
Starts at $199 per employee/month
Coverage
185+ countries
Time to hire
Vendor claim: 1-3 days in most locations once documentation and contracts are approved
Certifications
ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II, GDPR
Support
24/5 customer support; 24/7 for hiring managers and global employees
What stands out
Transparent published pricing: EOR from $199/employee/month, free contractor tier, $25/mo premium contractor tier
Broad headline coverage: EOR in 185+ countries, contractors in 150+, visas/work permits in 110+
Stated no setup fees, minimum contracts or termination fees
Not a fit for
buyers needing a dedicated Contractor of Record product
enterprises requiring extensive compliance attestations beyond ISO 27001 / SOC 2 Type II
A global HR and payroll platform with a notable focus on the Middle East, Africa and other emerging markets. RemotePass covers EOR, a dedicated Contractor of Record, contractor management and local payroll across 150 countries, and is one of the few in this set to publish list pricing.
7.9/10
★ 4.4 · 804 reviews
EOR price
Starting at $349/mo per employee (includes tax)
Coverage
150+ countries
Time to hire
Onboard new team members within days
Certifications
SOC 2 Type I, SOC 2 Type II, GDPR
What stands out
dedicated Contractor of Record that explicitly addresses worker-misclassification risk
published per-seat pricing for EOR ($349), CoR ($299), Local Payroll ($15) and Contractors ($39)
strong MENA/emerging-markets coverage incl. KSA and UAE, with visa sponsorship and relocation
Not a fit for
buyers needing the very broadest country footprint
buyers requiring ISO 27001 or SOC 1 attestations stated up front
Primarily a US PEO and payroll platform — audited (SOC 1/2, ESAC, IRS CPEO) — with a newer, smaller EOR product covering 43 documented countries at a flat $599/employee/month.
A young but fast-growing global-employment platform (180+ countries) with a real owned-entity core (38 entities), transparent flat pricing and standout human support. Best for SMBs — especially European — that value hands-on support and predictable pricing over deep automation.
7.6/10
★ 4.4 · 391 reviews
EOR price
From ~€299 per employee/month (varies by country/headcount)
Coverage
180+ countries
Entity model
38 owned
Time to hire
Vendor claim: ~48 hours in standard markets, same-day in some; longer in complex jurisdictions
Certifications
SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, GDPR
Support
24/7
What stands out
Broad 180+ country reach with a real owned-entity core (38 entities), not pure-partner
Transparent flat pricing; no setup/offboarding fees or annual lock-in
Fast onboarding (~48h standard) and strongly-rated 24/7 human support
Not a fit for
enterprises needing deep HRIS/finance integrations and advanced analytics
A payroll- and payments-led global workforce platform for enterprises, with EOR and global payroll across 160+ countries and a published 'from $599/mo per employee' EOR price — strongest when payroll depth, payments control and pricing transparency matter.
8.2/10
★ 4.3 · 154 reviews
EOR price
From $599/mo per employee
Coverage
160+ countries
Entity model
40 owned
Time to hire
Vendor claim: bulk onboarding of up to 1,000 EOR workers at one time; no per-worker time SLA stated
Certifications
ISO 27001, ISO 27701, SOC 1 Type II, SOC 2 Type II
What stands out
EOR and global payroll across 160+ countries
published EOR price (from $599/mo per employee) plus tiered payroll pricing — unusually transparent for the category
owns/operates EOR entities in 40 countries and contractor (AOR) entities in 180
Not a fit for
buyers who require EOR via the provider's own entity in most countries (only 40 are owned/operated)
those needing a dedicated Contractor-of-Record product
buyers who require EOR via the provider's own entity in most countries (only 40 are owned/operated)
What it costs to employ someone in Portugal through an EOR
Figures below assume a Lisbon-based office or IT role on an indefinite contract, 2026 rates, 14 payments a year. Employer statutory cost is TSU only: 23.75% of total annual gross, with both allowances inside the gross. No contribution ceiling is applied, none was found, and no hiring incentive is applied. The salaries are EUR amounts equal to about USD 50,000 and USD 100,000 at the ECB reference rate of 1 USD = 0.8874 EUR on 2026-10-06 (ecb.europa.eu, checked 2026-10-07).
Employer statutory cost only, before the EOR’s own fee. FCT and FGCT are zero in 2026, and the work-accident insurance premium is not included. Source: seg-social.pt, checked 2026-10-07.
Before the FCT/FGCT payments stopped, an employer paid a further 1.00% of base pay 12 times a year: EUR 380.57 on a EUR 44,400 salary in 2021 and 2022, so the total then was EUR 10,925.57 against EUR 10,545.00 now, about 3.6% more. That split comes from a secondary source (economiafinancas.com, checked 2026-10-07).
Not included: the work-accident insurance premium, which the insurer sets by sector and role, and TSU hiring incentives that depend on the worker’s profile.
The EOR’s own fee comes on top. List prices in our table run from $99 to $699 per month: Native Teams from $99; Skuad, RemoFirst, Remote People and Boundless from $199 (Boundless states it as EUR 175); RemotePass from $349; Playroll and Pebl $399; Borderless AI $579; Deel, G-P, Atlas HXM and Justworks $599; Remote $699. Most of these are global list prices. Only G-P ($599 flat for one employee), Playroll, Borderless AI and Boundless show a figure on a Portugal page. Oyster, Multiplier, Rippling, Rivermate, Safeguard Global and Papaya Global have no price we could confirm.
Hidden costs, where published:
Playroll’s Portugal page works through a EUR 3,000 salary: employer social security 23.75% (EUR 712.50), accident insurance about 1.0% (EUR 30) and a meal allowance of EUR 7 a day over 22 days (EUR 154), EUR 896.50 above the salary in total, with its own fee given as roughly EUR 380 (playroll.com, checked 2026-10-07).
Remote’s Portugal page lists a remote-work allowance of EUR 50 a month and occupational medicine at EUR 1.20 a month on top of base salary, plus optional health plans (remote.com, checked 2026-10-07).
Borderless AI says it has a zero salary deposit policy, a vendor claim (hireborderless.com, checked 2026-10-07).
For every other vendor, setup fee, deposit, minimum term and termination fee are not published for Portugal. Treat a blank as unpublished, not zero.
When you don’t need an EOR
A role that is employment should not be relabelled as a contract. Whether an EOR can sponsor a visa and whether its model needs an ETT licence were not established by any ruling or authority statement we found. Source: Lei 23/2007 and iefp.pt, checked 2026-10-07.
Your own Portuguese entity. The route that removes the question of the EOR model’s legal status. A residence permit for employed work needs an employment contract made in accordance with the law, and whether an EOR can be the sponsoring employer was not confirmed (art. 88, Lei 23/2007). For the difference between an EOR and a PEO, see EOR vs PEO.
What changed in 2026
2025-10-23: Lei 61/2025 in force, still the rule for 2026 hires. A work visa or residence visa is required before entry, the manifestação de interesse route ended, a qualified job-search visa of 120 days was added, and employment contracts must reference the worker’s visa or residence permit (je-lda.pt, checked 2026-10-07).
2026-01-01: RMMG rises to EUR 920.00 a month on 14 payments from EUR 870.00 (Decreto-Lei 139/2025). The agreement target is EUR 1,020.00 by 2028, not yet decreed beyond 2026 (cuatrecasas.com, checked 2026-10-07).
2026-01-01: IAS rises to EUR 537.13 from EUR 522.50. The Tech Visa salary floor of 2.5 x IAS becomes EUR 1,342.83 a month, our arithmetic (rtp.pt, checked 2026-10-07).
2026-06-19: Parliament rejected the Government’s “Trabalho XXI” labour reform bill, which would have repealed the outsourcing limit in art. 338-A and extended fixed-term contract limits to 3 years. No changes entered into force. This rests on one news source, which also says the bill then goes to the President, an oddity we could not resolve (cnnportugal.iol.pt, checked 2026-10-07).
2026-09-10: Lei 62/2026 published. It transposes the Single Permit Directive (EU) 2024/1233 and amends the foreigners law. Its effective date and its effect on employers and on EOR sponsorship are not confirmed (diariodarepublica.pt, checked 2026-10-07).
2026-12-31: the Medium-Term Agreement under which FGCT payments are suspended ends; it is also the last date for employers to withdraw remaining FCT balances. Whether FGCT contributions, formerly 0.075% of base pay, restart in 2027 is not confirmed (plmj.com, checked 2026-10-07).
Numbers vendors haven’t updated
Official RMMG is EUR 870 in 2025 and EUR 920 in 2026 (dgert.gov.pt, checked 2026-10-07). Several vendor pages differ.
Oyster’s library page gives EUR 1,020 “in January 2025”; the 2025 rate was EUR 870, and EUR 1,020 is the figure agreed as a 2028 target (oysterhr.com, checked 2026-10-07).
Pebl’s Portugal page says “For 2022, it is EUR705”, the 2022 rate (hellopebl.com, checked 2026-10-07).
Skuad’s archived Portugal page gives “EU 740.8”, which is not an RMMG rate in the 2021-2026 series (skuad.io, checked 2026-10-07).
How we built this page
Facts were collected and checked on 2026-10-07 against Portuguese legislation and the Labour Code, DGERT, Segurança Social, IEFP, and law-firm commentary. We searched the Racius company register, a mirror of Ministry of Justice data, for each vendor by brand name; where a vendor says it has its own entity we cite its words, otherwise the link from brand to company is a name match. We checked the names of all 23 vendors we track against the IEFP lists of temporary-work agencies, which cannot see an agency trading under another name or an expired licence. Vendors are ordered with the stated or registered own entities first, then those that do not disclose, by Portugal price and completeness of data; no vendor pays for placement.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an Employer of Record cost in Portugal?
Two layers. Employer social security (TSU) is 23.75% of gross, which is EUR 10,545 on a EUR 44,400 salary and EUR 21,090 on EUR 88,800, with the FCT/FGCT payments at zero in 2026. The EOR fee comes on top: list prices in our table run from $99 to $699 per month, and only four vendors show a figure on a Portugal page.
Is Employer of Record legal in Portugal?
It is a grey area. Portugal has no EOR statute, and supplying a worker to another company is allowed only through a licensed temporary-work agency (ETT) or, between affiliated companies, by occasional assignment. EOR providers use an ordinary indefinite contract through their own Portuguese company instead, which the law neither allows nor prohibits by name, and we found no court ruling on it.
Which EOR in Portugal has its own entity?
Remote and Native Teams say so on their Portugal pages, and both have a company of that name in Racius. Deel, G-P, Skuad, Pebl, Multiplier and Rippling have a Portuguese Unipessoal Lda by brand name in Racius, but no source we read shows who owns it or that it signs the employment contracts. The other 12 name no Portuguese entity.
Which EOR in Portugal is the cheapest?
Native Teams has the lowest list price in our table, from $99 per month, but it is a global figure and its Portugal page shows no price. Among vendors that publish a price on a Portugal page, Boundless starts at EUR 175 ($199) and Playroll at $399 per month.
What are the risks of hiring through an EOR in Portugal?
If an arrangement were treated as supply of workers through an unlicensed temporary-work agency, the contracts would be void and the worker deemed your employee on an indefinite contract, with joint liability for the last three years of claims. Whether an EOR would be treated that way has not been settled by any ruling we found. We found none of the 23 vendors we track on the IEFP agency lists by name, so ask for a licence number or a written legal position.
Should I hire a contractor instead of using an EOR in Portugal?
If the person works independently, yes: see [how to pay contractors in Portugal](/software/contractor-payouts/portugal/) and [our hiring guide](/hire-contractors/portugal/). If the role is employment under your direction, relabelling it as a contract is the misclassification risk. See [EOR vs PEO](/blog/eor-vs-peo/) and [contractor misclassification](/glossary/contractor-misclassification/).
Can an EOR in Portugal sponsor a work visa?
We could not confirm it. Non-EU nationals need a work visa or residence permit before arrival, and the Tech Visa route needs a salary of at least EUR 1,342.83 a month in 2026 and a company certified by IAPMEI. Only vendor pages claim EOR sponsorship, so ask the provider in writing before you promise a start date.
Where to go next
These platforms head to head
The full listings
Hiring contractors in Portugal instead
Employer of Record in other countries
Sources
The vendor pages every fact came from, with the date each was checked.
20 platforms tracked in this category. Every fact in the entries above comes from the vendor's own pages — each carries a footnote with the source and the date we checked it, and where a vendor publishes nothing we leave the field out rather than guess. Scores are ours and are not for sale. Full methodology · Report an error
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