Portugal begins paying qualification salary premium to 41,000 young workers

The Portuguese Ministry of Finance has announced that payments for the qualification enhancement salary premium for 2026 will begin this Monday. In this initial phase, approximately 41,000 young beneficiaries who applied in 2024 and meet the income requirements for 2025 will receive support through the Tax and Customs Authority (AT).

The salary premium, established in late 2023, aims to reward young workers up to age 35 by effectively reimbursing tuition fees following the completion of higher education degrees, such as bachelor's, master's, or doctorates.

For those who completed their studies in 2024 but have not yet applied, the government stated that the necessary application forms will be made available shortly on the Government Portal. Regarding concerns about overlapping benefits, the Ministry clarified that the rule preventing the accumulation of this premium with the 'IRS Jovem' tax regime will not apply to those who completed their studies by 2024.