If you employ staff in Brazil, paid annual leave (férias) is not a benefit you negotiate — it is a constitutional right backed by the Consolidação das Leis do Trabalho (CLT). Get the maths wrong, miss the concession deadline, or forget the one-third bonus and you are looking at double pay, fines, and a labour court visit you do not want.

This guide explains how férias work in Brazil in 2026 — how the entitlement accrues, who qualifies, the two 12-month periods every HR team has to track, and the obligations every employer has to meet. Facts here come from the CLT (articles 129 to 153) and article 7, XVII of the Federal Constitution.

Key Takeaways

Employees are entitled to 30 calendar days of paid annual leave per year under the CLT.
A one-third bonus (terço constitucional de férias) is added to normal remuneration during férias — this is a constitutional guarantee.
The right vests after a 12-month acquisition period (período aquisitivo) of work.
Férias must be taken during the following 12-month concession period (período concessivo) — otherwise the employee is owed double pay.
Férias may be split into no more than two periods, with one of them at least 14 days long.

The Statutory Entitlement: 30 Calendar Days of Férias

Under the CLT and article 7, XVII of the Brazilian Constitution, every employee with a formal employment contract is entitled to 30 calendar days of paid annual leave after each completed year of service. Unlike many European systems, the entitlement is expressed in calendar days (dias corridos), not working days — weekends and public holidays inside the leave block count toward the 30.

On top of normal pay, the employer must add the terço constitucional de férias — a bonus equal to one third of the employee’s normal remuneration. The bonus is non-negotiable. It is not a perk, a discretionary payment, or something a contract clause can opt out of. It is owed every time férias are taken and on every leave-related payout, including unused leave settled at termination.

Together, the 30 days plus the one-third bonus mean an employee on férias receives roughly 133% of their usual monthly pay for that month — base salary plus the constitutional terço.

The Acquisition and Concession Periods

Brazilian law splits the férias year into two distinct 12-month windows, and missing the difference between them is one of the most expensive HR mistakes you can make.

Período Aquisitivo (Acquisition Period)

This is the 12-month period during which the employee earns their right to férias. It starts on the employee’s hire date and runs for one year. At the end of the período aquisitivo, the right to 30 days of paid leave vests in full.

Período Concessivo (Concession Period)

This is the next 12 months, during which the employer must actually grant the leave. The employer chooses the dates, but the férias have to start and finish within this window.

If the employer fails to grant férias inside the período concessivo, the consequences are severe: the employee is entitled to double their normal remuneration for those days (still with the one-third bonus on top). This is a strict liability rule — good intentions and operational pressure are not a defence.

Who Is Eligible

Eligibility under the CLT is straightforward: any employee on a formal employment contract who completes a 12-month acquisition period earns the full 30 days of férias. For partial periods — for example, employees who leave before completing 12 months — leave is pro-rated, and the unused balance is paid out on termination together with the one-third bonus.

The right applies regardless of role, seniority, or pay level. It cannot be waived by contract.

Employer Obligations Under the CLT

The CLT puts a series of positive duties on the employer — not just paying for leave, but actively organising and granting it.

1. Grant 30 Calendar Days After the Acquisition Period

Once an employee completes the período aquisitivo, the employer must grant a full 30 calendar days of paid annual leave during the concession period that follows.

2. Pay Normal Remuneration Plus the One-Third Bonus

Férias pay is the employee’s normal remuneration plus the terço constitucional. The bonus must be paid even on partial leave, on the abono pecuniário (sale-back), and on termination payouts.

3. Schedule Férias Inside the Concession Period

Employers must allow the employee to take their leave within the 12-month concession period that follows the acquisition period. Failure to do so triggers double pay.

4. Pay Double for Untaken Férias Beyond the Concession Period

If the concession window closes without leave being taken, the employer owes double the normal remuneration for the untaken days. This is in addition to — not instead of — the constitutional one-third.

5. Pay Out Unused Férias on Termination

When a contract ends, the employer must settle any accrued but untaken férias as part of the employee’s termination package. Pro-rated férias for an incomplete acquisition period are also payable, with the one-third bonus.

6. Notify the Employee at Least 30 Days in Advance

The employer must tell the employee the dates of their férias at least 30 days before they start. Last-minute scheduling, surprise leave blocks, and informal arrangements do not satisfy the CLT.

7. Respect the Splitting Rules

Férias may be split, but the CLT caps the split at two periods, and one of them must be at least 14 days long. You cannot break a 30-day entitlement into a string of long weekends.

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Abono Pecuniário: Selling Back Up to a Third

The CLT allows an employee to convert part of their férias into cash. Under the abono pecuniário rule, an employee can sell back up to one third — 10 days — of their férias to the employer. The sold days are paid at double the normal rate, on top of the regular leave pay for the days actually taken.

The choice belongs to the employee, not the employer. You cannot force someone to sell their leave, and you cannot refuse the abono if it is properly requested within the legal window.

Common Pitfalls

International employers and even some Brazilian SMEs trip over the same set of issues. Avoid these:

Forgetting the one-third bonus. The terço constitucional is a constitutional right and applies to every férias payment, including termination payouts and the abono pecuniário.
Missing the concession period. Granting leave a few days late is not a minor administrative slip — it is double pay for every untaken day.
Splitting férias too aggressively. The CLT limits splits to two periods, with one of at least 14 days. More frequent splits are non-compliant.
Skipping the 30-day notice. Communicating leave dates fewer than 30 days in advance breaches the CLT.
Treating the 30 days as working days. Brazilian férias are measured in calendar days — weekends and holidays inside the block are not added on.

For a wider regional view, see our guides to annual leave entitlement in France, annual leave entitlement in Germany, and annual leave entitlement in Belgium for a side-by-side picture of how Brazil compares to major European systems.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many days of paid annual leave do employees get in Brazil?

Employees are entitled to 30 calendar days of paid annual leave per year under the CLT after completing a 12-month acquisition period.

What is the one-third férias bonus?

The terço constitucional de férias is a bonus equal to one third of the employee’s normal remuneration, added to férias pay. It is guaranteed by article 7, XVII of the Constitution and cannot be waived.

When must an employer grant férias?

Inside the 12-month concession period that follows the employee’s 12-month acquisition period. If férias are not granted within that window, the employer owes double pay for the untaken days.

Can férias be split into multiple periods?

Yes, but the CLT limits splits to no more than two periods, with one of those periods at least 14 days long.

Can an employee sell their férias back?

Yes. Under the abono pecuniário rule, an employee can sell back up to one third — 10 days — of their férias. The sold days are paid at double the normal rate.

What happens to unused férias on termination?

The employer must pay out any accrued but untaken férias, including pro-rated leave for an incomplete acquisition period, with the one-third bonus included.

How much notice does the employer need to give before férias?

The employer must communicate the férias dates to the employee at least 30 days in advance.

How Leave Balance Helps With Brazilian Compliance

Tracking acquisition and concession periods on every employee’s hire-date anniversary, applying the one-third bonus, splitting férias correctly, and notifying staff 30 days ahead is the kind of admin drag Brazilian HR teams do not need on a spreadsheet.

Leave Balance handles it for you:

Country-specific accrual rules for Brazil, with férias measured in calendar days against each employee’s hire-date anniversary.
Built-in tracking for both the período aquisitivo and the período concessivo, with alerts before the concession deadline.
Termination payouts that respect the CLT rules on pro-rated férias and the constitutional bonus.
Multi-country support for teams that span Brazil, Europe, and beyond — all on one flat $10/month plan with unlimited employees.