Daily wage to increase from €67.30 to €75
Portugal’s Minister of Presidency has announced the “largest pay increase in a decade” for volunteer firefighters participating in civil protection operations, including wildfire response efforts.
Following a Council of Minister Meeting on Wednesday, António Leitão Amarao said that the daily compensation paid to volunteer firefighters will this year increase from €67.30 to €75 – a rise of 11.44%.
The minister pointed out that the raise surpasses both the current inflation rate of 2.4% and the recent increase in the national minimum wage.
The pay adjustment is part of the 2025 Financial Directive issued by the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC), which outlines the state’s financial contributions to the costs incurred by fire departments across Portugal. These include not only daily pay, but also support for expenses related to meals, fuel, personal protective equipment, and compensation for equipment damage.
However, firefighters (namely the Portuguese League of Firefighters) have criticised the government for approving the directive without consulting them – a standard practice in previous years.
