INSS Temporarily Doubles Atestmed Sick-Leave Limit to 60 Days

Overview

• Joint portarias raise the maximum duration for auxílio por incapacidade via Atestmed to 60 days through April 2026, counted cumulatively even for non-consecutive periods, after which the cap reverts to 30 days.
• All benefits granted before the new rule’s publication remain valid, ensuring legal certainty for approvals already issued or under analysis.
• INSS must fully fund complementary exams requested by medical examiners in grant, review, and reinstatement processes, via reimbursements or agreements with partner clinics.
• A pilot to expand digital service was extended so some requests can be handled on the Meu INSS app or website without prior scheduling.
• INSS, the Social Security Ministry, and Dataprev have 120 days to deploy technological checks on certificate authenticity and bolster controls as backlogs exceed 1.2 million and examiners push to restore in-person assessments as the norm.