Accessing Your FGTS after Leaving Brazil
If you’ve worked in Brazil and contributed to the FGTS (Fundo de Garantia do Tempo de Serviço), you may have heard that you need to wait three years abroad to withdraw your balance. But that’s only one of the available paths. In reality, most foreign citizens are eligible to access their FGTS much sooner, depending on how their employment in Brazil ended.
Below are the three main routes that allow you to legally withdraw your FGTS balance — often without needing to wait years.
You may also want to check our main page about How to withdraw FGTS from abroad.
✅ 1. Three Years Without Work or Deposit in Brazil
Most websites and even Brazilian banks repeat the rule that you must be out of Brazil for 3 years to withdraw FGTS. But there are two key nuances that actually make this much more flexible:
(a) You have not worked in Brazil under a formal contract for 3 full years, or
(b) No deposits have been made to your FGTS account for 3 full years — even if you’re still formally residing in Brazil or registered with CPF.
🌎 Example (USA):
Emily, a U.S. citizen, worked in Sao Paulo until April 2021. She moved back to Miami and didn’t work under a Brazilian contract again. In May 2024 — exactly three years later, she became eligible to withdraw her FGTS even though her tourist visits to Brazil continued. What mattered was the lack of deposits or new formal employment.
✅ 2. Termination Without Just Cause
If your Brazilian employer terminated your contract without just cause, you are entitled to receive all your FGTS balance immediately, including a 40% fine on top of the total deposited during your time with that employer.
🌎 Example (UK):
James, from London, worked for a Brazilian tech startup in Florianópolis. When his contract was ended abruptly due to a corporate restructuring, the company filed the proper termination paperwork. As a result, James could access his full FGTS funds immediately, without waiting a single day — even though he stayed in Brazil on a tourist visa for another few months before returning to the UK.
✅ 3. Natural Termination of a Temporary Contract
Temporary or fixed-term contracts that end at their scheduled time also entitle workers to withdraw their FGTS — no need to wait years or leave the country.
🌎 Example (Canada):
Sophie, a Canadian teacher, had a 12-month teaching contract at an international school in Brasília. When the contract ended on its scheduled date and was not renewed, she automatically became eligible to withdraw her FGTS balance — even though the termination wasn’t unexpected or involuntary.
Why Getting Professional Help Now!
Don’t let outdated advice delay your access to funds you’ve earned. Whether you’re back in your home country or still traveling, chances are you may already qualify to withdraw your FGTS — no three-year wait required.
If you’re unsure about your eligibility or need help navigating the paperwork from abroad, our bilingual legal team is here to assist. We’ve helped dozens of former expats in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. successfully recover their FGTS balances and transfer them internationally.
Reach out today to see if you qualify — no commitment required.