How do you hire a Brazilian employee in 2026?
Brazil requires a signed CLT employment contract before the employee starts work. There is no right-to-work check in the UK sense, but you must register the hire in the employee's Carteira de Trabalho (CTPS) and begin FGTS deposits from the first month. Probation runs up to 3 months under CLT Art. 445.
· Brazil guide
Illustration · Sao Paulo, Brazil
The Brazil hire process has five steps. Offer letter, work-authorisation check, CLT employment contract, CTPS registration and FGTS setup, first payday.
The CLT contract must be in place before work begins. The employee's Carteira de Trabalho must be annotated within the first day of employment.
Probation (periodo de experiencia) lasts up to 3 months. Annual leave is 30 days. FGTS deposits start from month one at a rate of 8% of gross salary.
What does the end-to-end Brazil hire process look like?
Five steps take you from accepted offer to first payslip. Offer letter, work-authorisation check, CLT contract, CTPS registration and FGTS setup, first payday.
The CLT contract must be signed before the employee starts. CTPS annotation and FGTS registration must happen from day one.
| Step | What happens | Owner | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Offer letter | Written offer with role, salary, start date, probation period, and key terms | Client / Teamed drafts | Same day after verbal accept |
| 2. Work-authorisation check | Verify the employee holds a valid CPF and, for foreign nationals, a valid work visa (VITEM V or equivalent) | Teamed | Before the employee starts |
| 3. CLT employment contract | Signed written contract under the Consolidacao das Leis do Trabalho (CLT), including probation terms | Teamed (legal employer) | Before the start date |
| 4. CTPS registration and FGTS setup | Annotate the Carteira de Trabalho e Previdencia Social; register with eSocial; open FGTS account and begin monthly deposits | Teamed | Day 1 to 7 |
| 5. First payday | First payslip issued, IRRF withheld, FGTS deposited, INSS contributions filed | Teamed | End of first calendar month |
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Issue the offer letter
Send a written offer the same day as verbal acceptance. Include role, gross monthly salary, start date, probation of up to 3 months, and any conditions such as work-authorisation or reference checks.
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Complete the work-authorisation check
Verify the employee's CPF for Brazilian nationals and permanent residents. Check the work visa for foreign nationals before the start date. Record the document details and retain a copy.
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Issue the CLT employment contract
The CLT contract must be signed by both parties before the employee starts work. Teamed drafts the contract in Portuguese with an English translation. Clients choose commercial terms; Teamed signs as the legal employer.
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Complete CTPS registration and FGTS setup
Annotate the employee's Carteira de Trabalho, file the eSocial S-2200 pre-admission event before the first shift, open the FGTS account, and collect CPF and bank details. This runs across days 1 to 7.
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Issue the first payslip and file contributions
Run the first payroll at the end of the calendar month. Deposit FGTS at 8% of gross salary, withhold IRRF, and remit INSS contributions. The employee receives their payslip and is on the payroll record.
What must a Brazilian offer letter include?
The offer letter is not the CLT contract. It is the document the candidate decides against.
Include role title, reporting line, start date, gross monthly salary, working hours, work location, probation period of up to 3 months, and any conditions such as work-authorisation or reference checks.
Three traps to avoid in Brazilian offer letters:
- Quoting net salary. Brazilian employees often ask about net pay, but quoting a net figure in writing creates problems when INSS or IRRF contributions change. Quote gross salary only.
- Conflicting probation terms. If the offer letter states a probation length that differs from the CLT contract, the CLT contract governs. Align both documents before the employee starts. The probation period cannot exceed 3 months and can be structured as a single period or two phases (for example 45 days plus 45 days), as long as the total stays within the cap.
- Committing to discretionary benefits as fixed entitlements. Vale Refeicao (meal vouchers) and Vale Transporte (transport vouchers) are common but may vary by collective agreement. If your sector has a dissidio coletivo (collective wage agreement), check the minimum terms before drafting.
Teamed's standard Brazil offer letter covers all required ground without overcommitting. Clients choose commercial elements. Teamed holds the legal-employer position and issues bilingual documents (Portuguese and English) where requested.
Brazil work-authorisation checks (CPF and visa requirements)
Brazil does not have a right-to-work check system identical to the UK model.
Every employee must hold a valid CPF (Cadastro de Pessoas Fisicas). Foreign nationals must also hold a valid work visa before starting.
Brazilian nationals and permanent residents
Brazilian citizens and permanent residents may work without restriction. The employer verifies the CPF number and, where applicable, the RNE (Registro Nacional de Estrangeiros) for permanent resident foreign nationals. The CPF is collected at the point of onboarding and used for INSS and IRRF filings. The employee's Carteira de Trabalho (CTPS) is also checked: the physical card or the digital CTPS records the employment history and must be annotated by the employer.
Foreign nationals
Third-country nationals must hold a valid Brazilian work visa before starting employment. The most common category for employment is the VITEM V temporary visa, issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE) in coordination with the Ministry of Labour and Employment (MTE). The employer must apply for the work authorisation before the visa is issued. Employment without a valid work visa is a breach of Brazilian immigration law and exposes both the employer and the employee to penalties.
Foreign nationals seeking to work in Brazil must obtain prior authorisation from the Ministry of Labour and Employment (MTE) before a work visa is issued. The employer submits the authorisation request to the MTE. Employment without valid authorisation is an administrative and criminal offence under Lei 13.445/2017 (Lei de Migracao).
Source: Ministerio do Trabalho e Emprego: Trabalhadores Estrangeiros
eSocial registration
All employees, regardless of nationality, must be registered in eSocial before the first day of work. The eSocial registration links the employee's CPF to the employer's CNPJ and triggers INSS and FGTS obligations from day one. Teamed handles all eSocial filings.
The Brazilian CLT employment contract: what must it contain?
Brazil's Consolidacao das Leis do Trabalho (CLT) governs all employment. A written contract must be in place before the employee starts.
The contract is the legally binding document. The offer letter is not. Both parties must sign before the start date.
What the Brazilian CLT employment contract must include:
- Full names, CPF numbers, and addresses of both employer and employee
- Start date and, if applicable, probation period duration (up to 3 months)
- Job title and description of duties
- Gross monthly salary and pay intervals (monthly under CLT Art. 459)
- Normal working hours per day and per week (up to 44 hours per week under CLT Art. 58)
- Work location and any remote-work or travel arrangements
- Annual paid leave entitlement (30 days under CLT Art. 129)
- 13th salary (Decimo Terceiro Salario) acknowledgement under Lei 4.090/1962
- FGTS deposit obligation at 8% of gross salary per month
- Notice period obligations after probation (30 days minimum for the employer, scaled by tenure; 30 days for the employee under CLT Art. 487)
- Applicable collective bargaining agreement (Convencao Coletiva de Trabalho or Acordo Coletivo), if any
- Sickness and sick pay terms (employer pays the first 15 days, then INSS takes over)
The CLT contract is typically drafted in Portuguese. Bilingual versions are permitted but the Portuguese text governs in any dispute before a Brazilian labour court (Junta de Conciliacao e Julgamento). Teamed drafts all contracts in Portuguese with an English translation as standard.
Key source: Consolidacao das Leis do Trabalho (CLT) via Planalto (federal government).
Onboarding admin in the first week
Days 1 to 7: CLT contract signed, CTPS annotated, eSocial registered, CPF and bank details collected, FGTS account opened.
Teamed handles the payroll and compliance side. The client handles the cultural and operational side.
| Onboarding task | Who does it | Day |
|---|---|---|
| CLT contract signed by both parties | Employee and Teamed | Before day 1 |
| Work-authorisation check completed (CPF verified; visa checked for foreign nationals) | Teamed | Day 0 (before start) |
| Carteira de Trabalho (CTPS) annotated with employment entry | Teamed | Day 1 |
| eSocial pre-admission event filed (S-2200) | Teamed | Day 1 (before first shift) |
| CPF number and bank account (PIX or TED) collected | Employee submits to Teamed | Day 1 |
| FGTS account opened and first deposit scheduled | Teamed | Days 1 to 7 |
| INSS registration confirmed | Teamed | Days 1 to 7 |
| Vale Transporte (transport voucher) request submitted | Employee declares usage; Teamed processes | Days 1 to 7 |
| Occupational health check (ASO - Atestado de Saude Ocupacional) | Employee attends; Teamed arranges | Day 1 (required before starting work in many sectors) |
| Equipment and system access | Client | Days 0 to 1 |
| Manager introduction and first-week plan | Client | Days 0 to 7 |
How does Teamed handle Brazilian employment for you?
Teamed becomes your legal employer of record in Brazil for from $599 per employee per month, with zero FX mark-up in any currency.
CLT payroll, eSocial filings, FGTS deposits, CTPS annotations, and the full Brazilian employment law stack run on one platform.
Real HR and legal experts handle your Brazilian hires, from the first CLT contract through every monthly FGTS deposit and eSocial filing. An actual person, not a chatbot or a pooled queue. There is no setup fee and no exit fee. Employer cost passes through at cost, itemised on every invoice.
EOR payroll, contractor onboarding, and entity setup all live on one platform. A Brazilian contractor who converts to CLT employment keeps their record. Run the Crossover Calculator to see the month your Brazilian hire is ready to graduate to your own entity. Start from the Brazil hiring overview; each guide here takes one layer of Brazilian employment law.
Key sources: Consolidacao das Leis do Trabalho (CLT), Ministerio do Trabalho e Emprego, and eSocial portal.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to hire someone in Brazil through Teamed?
Teamed can onboard a Brazilian national within a few business days. The critical path is the CLT contract signature, the eSocial pre-admission filing, and CTPS annotation, all of which must happen before the first shift. Foreign nationals who need a work visa take longer, as the Ministry of Labour and Employment authorisation must be in place before the visa is issued.
What is the CTPS and what does the employer need to do with it?
The CTPS (Carteira de Trabalho e Previdencia Social) is the Brazilian employment record book. It records every formal employment relationship and is used for INSS and FGTS entitlement calculations. The employer must annotate the CTPS with the employment entry on day one. Since 2019 there is also a digital CTPS accessible via the Ministerio do Trabalho app. Teamed handles both the physical annotation and the digital registration.
What is the probation period and notice during probation in Brazil?
The periodo de experiencia (probation) can last up to 3 months under CLT Art. 445. It can be structured in one or two phases, as long as the total does not exceed the cap. During probation, neither side is required to give advance notice before ending the contract. The contract simply ends at the agreed date, or either party can terminate earlier without notice.
What are the FGTS obligations when hiring in Brazil?
The Fundo de Garantia do Tempo de Servico (FGTS) is a mandatory severance fund. The employer deposits 8% of the employee's gross monthly salary into the employee's personal FGTS account every month. This starts from the first month of employment with no qualifying period. On termination without cause, the employer pays an additional penalty of 40% of the total FGTS balance. On mutual agreement termination (distrato), the penalty reduces to 20%.
What is the minimum annual leave entitlement for a Brazilian employee?
The minimum paid annual leave entitlement under CLT Art. 129 is 30 days per year. Leave is accrued after each 12-month period of employment (periodo aquisitivo). The employee also receives a vacation bonus (Terco Constitucional) equal to one third of their monthly salary on top of the leave pay. Employers may allow the employee to sell up to one third of their leave entitlement for cash under the CLT.
The two things that catch new employers in Brazil are the CTPS annotation and the eSocial pre-admission event. Both must happen before the employee's first shift, not after. Get those two steps wrong and you have an unregistered worker on your books from day one. We run both in parallel with the contract so there is no gap.
In Brazil the CLT contract must be signed before the employee walks in. Not on day one. Before day one.
FGTS deposits start from the first month. There is no qualifying period and no opt-out.
Get the registration right from the start and you stay clean.
