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Portugal: why confirm a former employee's job?

Every Portuguese employer already states the dates of admission and cessation and the posts held in the work certificate it must give when a contract ends. Confirming the same facts takes a minute and helps the person into their next job. certo asks on their behalf, with their explicit consent.

Law as of 26 October 2026 · Código do Trabalho (Lei n.º 7/2009), consolidated version on the Diário da República, as last amended by Lei n.º 32/2025

In short

  • The facts are already on paper. When the contract ends, the employer must give the worker a work certificate stating the dates of admission and cessation and the post or posts held (art. 341(1)(a)). Those are the facts we ask about, and nothing more: the certificate may say more only at the worker's request (art. 341(2)).
  • It helps the person who worked for you. A record confirmed by a former employer is what the next employer trusts. Answering takes about a minute and needs no account.
  • certo asks on their behalf, with their explicit consent. The GDPR, which applies directly in Portugal, lets you disclose personal data with the person's consent (Art. 6(1)(a)). The person started this check themselves, for these facts and no others.
  • You do not have to answer. No Portuguese law obliges an employer to answer certo. Declining is fine.

The Labour Code

Código do Trabalho, approved by Lei n.º 7/2009. Quoted from the official consolidated version on the Diário da República.

Art. 341(1)(a): the work certificate

1 - Cessando o contrato de trabalho, o empregador deve entregar ao trabalhador: a) Um certificado de trabalho, indicando as datas de admissão e de cessação, bem como o cargo ou cargos desempenhados;

In English: when the employment contract ends, the employer must give the worker a work certificate stating the dates of admission and cessation and the post or posts held. These are the facts we ask about, so your records already hold them.

Art. 341(2): anything more only at the worker's request

2 - O certificado de trabalho só pode conter outras referências a pedido do trabalhador.

In English: the work certificate may contain other information only at the worker's request. We ask for nothing beyond what the certificate states, and the person's request covers exactly those facts.

Art. 17(1): what is never asked

1 - O empregador não pode exigir a candidato a emprego ou a trabalhador que preste informações relativas: a) À sua vida privada, … b) À sua saúde ou estado de gravidez, …

In English: an employer may not require a job applicant or a worker to give information about their private life, or about their health or pregnancy, save narrow exceptions. certo never asks about any of these, nor about performance, pay or the reason for leaving.

Personal data

The GDPR applies directly in Portugal; Lei n.º 58/2019 ensures its execution in national law.

  • Art. 6(1)(a), consent. The legal basis for your answer. The person's request names your organisation and the exact facts.
  • Art. 7(1), proof of consent. certo records which account asked, when, and for which facts. Write to support@certo.bio and we send you the record for your request.
  • Art. 5(1)(c), data minimisation. You confirm or leave unticked only the facts listed. Add nothing else: anything beyond them is not covered by the person's consent.

What this means for your answer

  • Tick only what your HR, payroll or personnel records show.
  • Not sure it is the same person? Press "We can't find a matching record". Never confirm a record you are not sure is theirs.
  • Your policy is not to answer? Press "We do not answer these requests". The record shows your organisation declined, and nobody else there is asked.

Sources

This page is not legal advice. It reflects the law as it stood on 26 October 2026.