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Child benefit Portugal 2026 (abono de família): amounts

Updated 25 October 2026· Checked against official sources

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Child benefit in Portugal — abono de família (officially “Abono de Família para Crianças e Jovens”, family allowance for children and young people) — is a monthly payment from Social Security (Segurança Social) to help with the costs of raising children. It depends on the family’s income and the child’s age.

Who can get child benefit in Portugal?

The child or young person qualifies if they meet all of these conditions:

• they live in Portugal (or are treated as a resident);
• they belong to a household (agregado familiar — the people who live in the same home and share expenses) whose income is in the 1st to 4th bracket (escalão);
• the household does not have financial assets (bank deposits, shares, savings certificates…) above 128 911,20€ (240 × IAS);
• they do not work (except people over 16 working during school holidays with a contract);
• between ages 16 and 24, they hand in proof of school enrolment (prova escolar) in July.

The IAS (Indexante dos Apoios Sociais — the reference amount used to calculate benefits) is 537,13€ in 2026.

How much is child benefit in Portugal in 2026?

Monthly amounts per child, according to the Social Security practical guide (July 2026):

The 5th bracket does not receive child benefit.

Extra amounts (majorações)

• Families with 2 children up to age 3: +64,96€ (1st), +57,64€ (2nd), +54,35€ (3rd), +9,28€ (4th).
• More than 2 children up to age 3: +106,96€ (1st), +92,32€ (2nd), +85,76€ (3rd), +55,70€ (4th).
• Single-parent families (only one adult responsible): +50% in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd brackets; in the 4th, +50% up to age 6.
• Double payment in September: children and young people aged 6 to 16, in school and in the 1st bracket, receive double child benefit in September.
• Garantia para a Infância (Child Guarantee): in the 1st bracket, with a reference income up to 2 495,37€, there is extra support.

The extras for families with two or more children up to age 3 are monthly amounts per bracket; exactly how they apply to each child in the household is explained in the Practical Guide on Child Benefit Increases.

How do I find my income bracket?

Your bracket depends on the reference income (rendimento de referência), calculated like this:

1. Add up the yearly income of everyone in the household (salaries, recibos verdes, rents, pensions, social benefits…).
2. Count the children and young people entitled to the benefit and add 1.
3. Divide the total income by that number.
4. Compare the result with the table below.

The year of income that is used depends on the date of your application and on whether you already receive the benefit. The limits above use the 2025 IAS (522,50€); to know which income counts in your case, see the Practical Guide on Child Benefit for Children and Young People or check on Segurança Social Direta.

Example: a couple with 1 child and a yearly income of 20 000€. 20 000 ÷ (1 + 1) = 10 000€ → 3rd bracket. If the child is 2 years old, they receive 132,07€/month.

How to apply for child benefit

Online (Segurança Social Direta)

1. Log in to Segurança Social Direta with your password or with Chave Móvel Digital.
2. Check your household under Perfil > Agregado e relações familiares (Profile > Household and family relationships).
3. Go to Família > Desenvolvimento de crianças e jovens > Abono de Família para Crianças e Jovens > Consultar e pedir Abono de Família e Pré-Natal.
4. Click Pedir e consultar (Request and view) and then Pedir novo abono de família (Request new child benefit).
5. Register your IBAN under Perfil > Conta bancária (Profile > Bank account), to be paid by bank transfer.

To apply online, the child and the person applying must have a NISS (Social Security number). If you do not have one yet, see how to get a NISS.

In person

At any Social Security service point, with the application form RP 5045 and the household composition and income declaration GF 54.

Deadline

You must apply within 6 months from the start of the month after the birth (or the event that gives the right). During pregnancy, from the 13th week, there may be a prenatal benefit (abono pré-natal), with the same amounts as the 1st bracket up to age 3 (190,98€ per baby in the 1st bracket).

Problems and common mistakes

• “I cannot apply online”: the child or the applicant has no NISS, or the household is not up to date on the portal.
• Payment suspended: Social Security asked for permission to access bank data or documents and they were not provided. Payment starts again the month after you provide them.
• Young person over 16 stopped receiving: the July proof of school enrolment is missing.
• Foreigners: the right ends when your proof of legal residence expires. Keep your permit renewed — see residence permit renewal with AIMA and residence permit in Portugal.
• False statements: these stop you from receiving means-tested benefits for 24 months.
• Wrong bracket: if your income changed, ask for a reassessment (reavaliação do abono) in the same menu.

Quick questions

• Can people working on recibos verdes (freelance invoices) get it too? Yes, what counts is the household income. See recibos verdes.
• Does child benefit count as income for IRS? Family benefits are not included when calculating the bracket for the child benefit itself.