News and Business
Brazil sets 60-day deadline for re-registration in new Worker’s Food Program system
Registered participants must update details by November 9, 2026, to avoid risk of being excluded from the program
Subjects
On September 10, 2026, Brazil’s Ministry of Labor and Employment (MTE) issued Ordinance No. 1,599/2026, giving all current participants in the Worker’s Food Program (Programa de Alimentação do Trabalhador – PAT) 60 days to re-register through the program’s new management system.
The PAT is a long-standing federal program that encourages employers to provide their workers (particularly lower-income employees) meal and food benefits in return for enrolling in the program and complying with its nutritional guidelines.
The requirement to update registration applies not only to employers providing such benefits, but also registered nutritionists, food suppliers, and meal-voucher operators (facilitator companies). The process must be completed by November 9, 2026, via the program’s new digital platform, which requires authentication via the Brazilian government’s gov.br public service access portal.
Re-registration is mandatory. Participants who fail to complete the process by the deadline will be automatically removed from the PAT registry. The MTE has confirmed that data from the previous system cannot be migrated to or reused on the new platform.
Any company removed from the registry for missing the deadline may apply to enroll again, however they will be subject to the rules in effect at the time of application.
Key takeaways:
- Re-registration deadline: November 9, 2026;
- Requirement applies to all currently registered PAT participants;
- New system must be accessed via a gov.br account;
- Failure to re-register within the deadline will result in automatic removal from the PAT registry;
- New enrollments may be submitted following removal, subject to the rules in effect at the time.
The MTE has developed the new system as part of a broader effort to modernize the program’s registration and management processes. The registration update seeks to ensure that participant records are carried forward accurately in the new online system.
For more information on this topic, please contact Mattos Filho’s Labor & Employment and Tax practice areas.
