Published on November 5, 2026.
Anyone who receives or will apply for a benefit from the INSS, Brazil’s social security agency, must have their biometrics registered in a government database. The requirement comes from Law 15.077/2024 and applies to granting, maintaining and renewing social security benefits. The final standard is the National Identity Card (CIN), but other databases are accepted during a transition period. The dates are set in Ordinance SGD/MGI No. 2.907/2026, published in the Federal Official Gazette on April 6, 2026.
The dates that matter
Under the ordinance, biometrics already registered with the National Driver’s License (CNH), the Federal Police civil identification database or the Electoral Court database (voter ID with biometrics) remain valid until December 31, 2027, provided the registration was made by December 31, 2026 (art. 2).
- Until 12/31/2026: you can still register biometrics with the CNH, the Federal Police or the Electoral Court and use them with the INSS.
- After 12/31/2026: anyone without biometrics in any of these databases will have to use the CIN database (art. 2, sole paragraph).
- After 12/31/2027: the CNH, Federal Police and Electoral Court databases are no longer considered, and the CIN becomes the reference.
In practice, anyone who already has a driver’s license or voter ID with biometrics does not need to rush now, but should plan to get the CIN before 2028. Anyone without any of these biometrics should get organized in 2026.
People already receiving a benefit
The requirement also covers maintaining and renewing benefits, not only new applications (art. 2 of Decree 12.561/2025). The biometric verification service must be made available to the agencies by December 31, 2026, and each agency, such as the INSS, will define in its own act how and when verification enters its procedures (art. 3 of the ordinance). As of the date of this article, the federal rules published do not order benefits to be blocked in November 2026.
Who may be exempt
The law provides that biometrics will not be required while the government does not offer the means to collect them, including through technology or mobile services, in three situations: hard-to-reach locations, difficulty traveling due to advanced age or health, and other exceptional situations set by the Executive Branch (Law 15.077/2024, art. 1, sole paragraph). Decree 12.561/2025 provides for a joint act of the ministries to regulate this exemption (art. 3).
What to do now
- Check whether you have a driver’s license or voter ID with registered biometrics.
- If not, contact your state’s identification agency to get the CIN, or register biometrics in 2026.
- Keep your phone, address and email up to date in the Meu INSS app.
- Be wary of messages asking for passwords, payments or data to “release” biometrics.
- If you or a relative cannot leave home, keep medical reports and documents that prove the situation.
If the benefit is suspended
If a benefit is suspended or denied because of biometrics, request a copy of the decision and check whether the person fits a legal exemption. An administrative appeal is available and, where appropriate, a lawsuit in the Federal Courts. SPD Advocacia handles social security law throughout Brazil, with online service, including for clients living abroad. See our social security page and what to do when there is a benefit denied by the INSS. Each case needs its own analysis.
Frequently asked questions
I have a driver’s license with photo and fingerprints. Do I need the CIN now?
If the biometrics on your driver’s license were registered by 12/31/2026, they are valid for the INSS until 12/31/2027. After that, the CIN becomes the reference.
Will my benefit be blocked in November 2026?
The federal rules published as of the date of this article do not provide for blocking on that date. Follow the official INSS notices in the Meu INSS app.
My father is elderly and bedridden. Will he lose the benefit?
The law waives biometrics, while the government does not offer the means to collect them, when there is difficulty traveling due to advanced age or health. Keep the medical documents that prove the situation.
Official sources
- Ordinance SGD/MGI No. 2.907 of April 2, 2026 (Federal Official Gazette, 04/06/2026, in Portuguese) (accessed on 11/05/2026)
- Law 15.077/2024, art. 1 (Planalto, in Portuguese) (accessed on 11/05/2026)
- Decree 12.561/2025 (Planalto, in Portuguese) (accessed on 11/05/2026)
By Sidnei Pedro Dias, lawyer, OAB/GO 48.603, OAB/DF 68.207 and OAB/SP 501.693.
Related pages
Social security: INSS benefits, reviews and appeals.
Benefit denied by the INSS: what to do next.
Retirement with time abroad: counting contributions from other countries.