Home · Services Brazilian social security benefits

Ever worked in Brazil? That time is not lost.

Retirement, survivor and disability benefits for those who contributed in Brazil and live in the United States. The social security agreement between the two countries, in force since 2018, allows the periods to be added together — and the claim is filed and followed without you going back.

Request a review of my case Document review and written proposal within 48h
2.000+International clients served
2.500+Cases handled in Brazil
14 yearsPrivate International Law
19 yearsPracticing law in Brazil
This is for you if

Situations we handle

If your case fits one of these scenarios, our team reviews the contribution record and runs the claim in Brazil from end to end.

Legal warning

The cost of waiting: social security does not look for those entitled to it

A Brazilian benefit depends on a claim being filed: nobody is called, and living abroad triggers no notice at all. Time already recorded does not expire, but it does not turn into a pension on its own. And with survivor's benefits the deadline bites — filing late means payment no longer backdates to the date of death, but starts from the date of the claim.

How we settle it

From your first call in the United States to delivery in Brazil

Service in your own time zone in the United States (in Portuguese, English or Spanish) and execution in person at registries and courts in any Brazilian state.

01

Review and drafting

We review your documents and build the legal strategy that best fits your case.

02

Translation and apostille

We arrange the sworn translation and the Hague Apostille with no hassle.

03

Execution in Brazil

Our team files and follows the case in person at registries and courts.

04

Document delivery

You receive the certificate or recorded document digitally and by physical mail.

Possible routes

The right route depends on your case

Each route carries different requirements and costs. Reviewing your documents we determine which applies — and the estimated timeline goes in writing in the proposal, before any payment.

01

On Brazilian time alone

Those who already meet the qualifying period in Brazil claim directly, without the agreement. The shortest route when the time is enough.

02

Totalization under the agreement

When time is missing, the agreement lets both countries' periods be added. Each country pays the share contributed there.

03

Survivor and disability

The other two covers under the agreement: dependants of someone who contributed, and those who lost the capacity to work.

Paperwork

What you will normally need

A simplified list of the documents usually required to start the procedure.

The exact list for your case comes with the initial review — we ask only for what is needed, with no pointless paperwork.

Who handles your case

Lawyers licensed by the Brazilian Bar, with a life in both countries

Service in your own time zone in the United States — and execution in person at registries and courts in any Brazilian state.

Aline Guedes, attorney, Brazilian Bar MG 117.070, partner at Guedes & Deschamps

Aline Guedes

OAB/MG 117.070

14 years in Private International Law and more than 2,000 Brazilian and foreign clients served. Law degree from PUC Minas, MBA from FGV, international training in Belgium (Louvain) and Australia (Newcastle). Former professor at PUC Minas.

Reinaldo Deschamps, attorney, Brazilian Bar SC 23.817, partner at Guedes & Deschamps

Reinaldo Deschamps

OAB/SC 23.817

19 years of practice and more than 2,500 cases in Brazil, in civil, contract and real estate law. Former court-appointed defender for the Bar of Santa Catarina, a Brazilian and American citizen, he has lived in Florida since 2016 and serves clients in three languages.

Regina Deschamps, legal assistant at Guedes & Deschamps in the United States

Regina Deschamps

Legal Assistant

Law graduate with advanced training in International Family Law. She is the one who receives and organizes your case in the United States: document review, case follow-up, liaison with the team in Brazil and service in your own time zone.

Frequently asked

Frequently asked questions about Brazilian social security abroad

Does the time I worked in the United States count towards a Brazilian pension?

It counts towards reaching the minimum qualifying period, under the social security agreement in force since October 2018. The amount paid by Brazil, however, considers only the contributions made in Brazil: each country pays the share proportional to the period contributed there.

Do I have to go back to Brazil to file?

No. The claim is filed and followed by our team in Brazil, and a granted benefit can be received while living abroad.

I stopped contributing years ago. Have I lost what I paid?

No. Time recorded in the system does not disappear. What the interruption affects is your insured status, which weighs on some benefits and not on others. Reading the statement shows exactly where you stand.

I never contributed in Brazil. Can I contribute from the United States?

The law provides for voluntary insured status for Brazilians living abroad. There are conditions, among them the social security situation of someone already contributing in the country where they live. It is an individual analysis, and it comes in writing before any decision.

How does proof of life work from abroad?

Those living abroad still prove life at a consulate or embassy, or through the digital channels of Brazilian social security — unlike those in Brazil, where the check became automatic. If the benefit has already been suspended for lack of it, the case becomes administrative, and that is where we step in.

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Law without borders · Trust without limits

Your Brazilian pension, settled from here.

It takes two minutes to fill in. A Brazilian lawyer reviews your case and replies in writing with what can be done, how long it takes and what it costs.

  • A written proposal within 48 hours
  • Scope, timeline and fees agreed before we start
  • You travel neither to Brazil nor to the consulate
  • Bar-licensed lawyers, serving you in your own time zone
2,000+ clients served · written proposal within 48h

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