$ insurance --installments --2026
Brazil Unemployment Insurance Calculator 2026 — Installment Amount and Count
Find out the amount of your installment under the official 2026 table of Brazil's seguro-desemprego, how many installments you are entitled to and the total benefit — with the full calculation breakdown.
- 100% in your browser
- free
- no sign-up
Unemployment insurance table in force in 2026 (as of January 11, 2026) — source: Brazilian Ministry of Labor and Employment (gov.br). Verified on July 17, 2026.
Enter the last month’s salary and the months worked to simulate the amount and the number of installments.
Unemployment benefit brackets in force in 2026 — source: Ministério do Trabalho e Emprego. This simulation is an educational estimate and does not replace the official assessment — the unemployment benefit claim is filed through the Carteira de Trabalho Digital app, the gov.br portal or a SINE office.
How to use the unemployment insurance calculator
Enter the salaries of the 3 months before the dismissal — only the first one is required; if you worked fewer months, the average uses the ones available. Then choose whether this is your 1st, 2nd or 3rd request (or more) of the benefit and enter how many months you worked as a formal employee in the last 36 months. The result appears instantly, with the full calculation breakdown: salary average, table bracket, formula applied and the number of installments. Everything runs in your browser — no data is sent to a server. All amounts are in Brazilian reais (R$) and follow Brazilian number formatting: dots for thousands, commas for decimals (R$ 2.518,65 = 2,518.65 reais).
Full example: average of R$ 2.900, 1st request, step by step
| Step | Math | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Salary average | (2.800 + 2.900 + 3.000) ÷ 3 | R$ 2.900,00 |
| 2. Table bracket | average between R$ 2.222,18 and R$ 3.703,99 → bracket 2 | R$ 1.777,74 + 50% of the excess |
| 3. Amount above bracket 1 | 2.900,00 − 2.222,17 = 677,83 → × 50% | R$ 338,92 |
| 4. Installment amount | 1.777,74 + 338,92 (between the floor and the cap ✓) | R$ 2.116,66 |
| 5. Number of installments | 1st request with 18 months worked → 4 installments | 4× |
| Total benefit | 4 × 2.116,66 | R$ 8.466,64 |
Run the simulation above with your own salaries to see the same breakdown with your numbers — including when the floor or the cap enters the math.
How the installment amount is calculated (2026 table)
The amount starts from the average of the last 3 salaries before the dismissal. On that average, the official table of the Brazilian Ministry of Labor and Employment is applied, adjusted by 3.90% under the INPC inflation index and in force since January 11, 2026:
| Salary average | Installment amount |
|---|---|
| Up to R$ 2.222,17 | 80% of the salary average |
| From R$ 2.222,18 to R$ 3.703,99 | R$ 1.777,74 + 50% of the amount above R$ 2.222,17 |
| Above R$ 3.703,99 | Fixed installment at the cap of R$ 2.518,65 |
Two limits complete the math: no installment can be lower than the 2026 minimum wage (R$ 1.621,00) nor higher than the cap of R$ 2.518,65. The calculator shows when the floor or the cap was applied, so you understand exactly where the amount came from.
How many installments: the rules per request
| Request | Minimum qualifying period | Months worked → installments |
|---|---|---|
| 1st request | 12 months | 12–23 → 4 · 24+ → 5 |
| 2nd request | 9 months | 9–11 → 3 · 12–23 → 4 · 24+ → 5 |
| 3rd request (or more) | 6 months | 6–11 → 3 · 12–23 → 4 · 24+ → 5 |
Remember that the benefit applies only to dismissal without cause — resignation, dismissal for cause and termination by mutual agreement carry no right. Before closing any agreement, simulate the amounts in our CLT severance calculator and, when evaluating a new job offer, check how much lands in your account with the net salary calculator.
What suspends or cancels the benefit
- New formal job: being hired suspends the payment from the hiring date — the cross-check is automatic via eSocial/CNIS (Brazil’s employment databases);
- Active CNPJ (including MEI): creates a presumption of own income and can block the grant; with no revenue, it is possible to appeal by proving the absence of income;
- Refusing a suitable job offered by SINE, starting an ongoing social security benefit or proven fraud cancel the benefit;
- A new request requires, besides the qualifying months, the 16-month acquisition period since the previous request.
Deadlines and how to request the benefit
Formal workers must request unemployment insurance between the 7th and the 120th day counted from the dismissal date. The fastest route is the Carteira de Trabalho Digital app (Android and iOS) or the gov.br portal, under the option to request unemployment insurance ("Solicitar seguro-desemprego"); those who prefer in-person service can book an appointment at a SINE unit. The employer is required to hand over the unemployment insurance form together with the termination documents — it is what enables the request.
Important: the amounts on this page are educational estimates based on the official table in force. The grant, the final amount and the number of installments are defined in the official processing, done through gov.br/Carteira de Trabalho Digital or at SINE, after the review of your employment records in CNIS.
## faq
Frequently asked questions
Who is entitled to unemployment insurance in Brazil in 2026?
Formally employed workers (under the CLT, Brazil’s standard employment regime) dismissed without cause (including constructive dismissal), who have no sufficient income of their own and receive no ongoing social security benefit — except the accident allowance and the survivor pension. You must also meet the qualifying period of months worked in the last 36 months: 12 months on the 1st request, 9 on the 2nd and 6 from the 3rd on. Domestic workers and artisanal fishermen have their own rules and amounts (installments of one minimum wage).
How is the unemployment insurance installment calculated in Brazil in 2026?
First compute the average of the last 3 salaries before the dismissal. Then apply the table in force since January 11, 2026: with an average of up to R$ 2.222,17, the installment is 80% of the average (e.g. average of R$ 2.100,00 → installment of R$ 1.680,00); between R$ 2.222,18 and R$ 3.703,99, the installment is R$ 1.777,74 plus 50% of the amount above R$ 2.222,17 (e.g. average of R$ 3.000,00 → R$ 1.777,74 + R$ 388,92 = R$ 2.166,66); above R$ 3.703,99, the installment is fixed at the cap of R$ 2.518,65. No installment is below the minimum wage (R$ 1.621,00) or above the cap.
How many unemployment insurance installments will I receive?
It depends on how many times you have already requested the benefit and on the months worked in the last 36 months. On the 1st request: 12 to 23 months worked, 4 installments; 24 months or more, 5 installments. On the 2nd request: 9 to 11 months, 3 installments; 12 to 23, 4; 24 or more, 5. From the 3rd request on: 6 to 11 months, 3 installments; 12 to 23, 4; 24 or more, 5 installments.
What are the maximum and minimum unemployment insurance amounts in 2026?
The maximum (cap) is R$ 2.518,65 per installment, the result of the 3.90% adjustment by the INPC inflation index, in force since January 11, 2026. The minimum is Brazil’s national minimum wage for 2026, R$ 1.621,00 — no installment can be lower than that, even when 80% of the salary average results in a smaller amount.
Does termination by mutual agreement give the right to unemployment insurance?
No. In a termination by mutual agreement (article 484-A of the CLT, Brazil’s labor code), the worker withdraws 80% of the FGTS (the employer-funded severance fund) and receives half of the indemnified notice period and of the FGTS penalty, but loses the right to unemployment insurance. The benefit is exclusive to dismissal without cause (and to constructive dismissal). Resignation and dismissal for cause also carry no right. To check the amounts of each type of termination, use our CLT severance calculator.
Where and how soon do I need to request unemployment insurance?
Formal workers can request it from the 7th to the 120th day counted from the dismissal date. The request is free and can be made through the Carteira de Trabalho Digital app (Brazil’s digital work card), the gov.br portal or in person at SINE units (the public employment service). Have at hand the unemployment insurance form handed over by the employer and the termination documents. Payment is released about 30 days after approval, into a Caixa bank account or through the Caixa Tem app.
Does having a company (CNPJ) or a MEI block unemployment insurance?
It can. Since the law requires the absence of own income, an active CNPJ (Brazilian company registration) in your name — including a MEI, the Brazilian micro-entrepreneur regime — creates a presumption of income and usually blocks the automatic grant. If the company generates no revenue, it is possible to appeal by proving the absence of income (or to close the CNPJ before requesting). Each case is reviewed during processing; do not omit the information, since undue payments must be returned.
Does getting a new job cancel the remaining installments?
Yes — being hired into a new formal job suspends the benefit from the hiring date, and the remaining installments stop being paid (the system cross-checks the new employment automatically through eSocial/CNIS, Brazil’s employment databases). The benefit is also cancelled by the unjustified refusal of a suitable job offered by SINE, by proven fraud and by the start of an ongoing social security benefit.
How long do I have to wait to receive unemployment insurance again?
Besides the qualifying months worked (12, 9 or 6, depending on the request), there is the 16-month acquisition period: at least 16 months must have passed between the previous request and the new one (Law 7,998/1990). This means that even someone dismissed again quickly may have to wait until that window closes.
Are unemployment insurance and the FGTS withdrawal the same thing?
No — they are independent rights that usually arrive together. The FGTS is the severance fund deposited month by month by the employer (8% of the salary), withdrawable on dismissal without cause together with the 40% penalty; unemployment insurance is a temporary monthly benefit paid by the government (FAT fund). You can receive both at the same time, and one does not reduce the other. Simulate the FGTS + penalty in our severance calculator.
## other tools