ETT and SIRETT: how to know whether a temporary-work agency is registered

Before signing a temporary contract, workers rarely ask whether the company hiring them is authorized to operate. The question is decisive: the law only allows temporary-work intermediation by a company registered with the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MTE), and the lack of registration affects the validity of the regime. This guide explains the rule, what registration means, how to check it and what the Ministry has already answered on the subject.

1. Direct answer

A temporary-work agency (ETT) must be a legal entity registered with the MTE (Law 6.019/1974, art. 4), holding a registration certificate. Registration is done in the SIRETT system, and each CNPJ must have its own individual certificate, as the Ministry itself stated in reply to a freedom-of-information request. The worker, the client company and the labor inspectorate may check the company's status.

2. Legal basis

• Law 6.019/1974, arts. 4 to 6: define the temporary-work agency, the requirements for operation and the need for registration.
• Decree 10.060/2019: regulates temporary work, including registration and the companies' obligations.
• Law 6.019/1974, art. 9: requires a written contract between the ETT and the client company, stating the justifying reason.
• Law 6.019/1974, art. 10, §7: the contracting company is secondarily liable for labor obligations during the temporary-work period.
• Law 12.527/2011 (Access to Information Law): the basis for information requests to the MTE through the Fala.BR system.

3. What registration means

Registration authorizes the company to act as an ETT from a given date. Four points matter:

1. Registration date: a temporary employment contract signed before that date was made without authorization.
2. CNPJ: the certificate is valid for the registered CNPJ. Companies in the same group do not inherit one another's registration.
3. Corporate purpose: the company's articles of association must include temporary labor supply.
4. Validity and status: registration may be suspended or cancelled, and the status must be regular.

A company that provides other personnel services (recruitment, selection, consulting) is not, for that reason, authorized to supply temporary workers. They are different activities with different classifications (for example, CNAE 78.10-8 for selection and labor placement, and CNAE 78.20-5 for temporary labor supply).

4. How to check, step by step

1. Ask the company for the registration certificate number before signing.
2. Check SIRETT or ask the MTE for the information through Fala.BR.
3. Compare the contract's CNPJ with the certificate's, digit by digit. A different digit indicates another legal entity.
4. Check the registration date and whether it covers the contract period.
5. Check the articles of association at the Commercial Registry (see the post on the full registry certificate) and confirm the corporate purpose.
6. Ask for the inter-company contract or at least confirmation that it exists and states the reason.
7. Keep everything: individual contract, payslip, communications.

5. What the MTE answered

In answers to freedom-of-information requests, the Ministry stated that:

• "the designation RPO, by itself, neither replaces nor removes the legal requirements applicable to hiring temporary work";
• "the participation of companies from the same economic group does not dispense with identifying the contracting parties";
• in SIRETT, "each CNPJ must have its own individual Certificate";
• the eSocial system does not validate the reason declared for the temporary hiring.

The answers are in three information-access proceedings (NUPs 19955.043506/2026-08, 19955.042639/2026-59 and 19955.043508/2026-99) and are recorded in the dossier.

6. Possible consequences of lacking registration

The law requires registration as a condition for the ETT to operate. Its absence may lead to administrative consequences (a fine by the labor inspectorate) and to discussion on the validity of the temporary regime. What effects the court recognizes in each case depends on the evidence and on a concrete examination. What should not be done is to presume the result.

7. In the Pernod Ricard, Michael Page and Page Interim case

The SIRETT extract indicates that Michael Page International was authorized as a temporary-work agency on 20/05/2026. Instrument ID c28562b, filed by Pernod Ricard in the claimant's case, identifies Michael Page with CNPJ 01.791.490/0001-80, while the company's CNPJ in SIRETT is 03.791.490/0001-80. The claimant's contract with Page Interim, the employer, ran from 19/02 to 03/04/2025.

On 20/07/2026, the MPT summoned Page Interim to prove, within 15 business days, the date of compliance with art. 4 of Law 6.019/1974 (Notice no. 382202.2026/PRT2), considering registration only on 20/05/2026. In September 2026, the Regional Labor Superintendency in São Paulo began an inspection of Page Interim (Inspection Report no. 32122676-3), with conclusion expected by 28/02/2027.

8. Checklist for the worker

• Ask for the registration number before signing.
• Keep the individual contract and ask for the inter-company one.
• Compare the CNPJs in all documents.
• If in doubt, ask the MTE for the information.
• Keep the payslip and the eSocial receipt.
• Note who presented the contract to you and how it was signed.

9. Frequently asked questions

Is the SIRETT lookup public? It can be requested from the MTE through Fala.BR, and the labor inspectorate has access.

Does registration after the contract regularize the earlier one? Registration is valid from its date. The consequence for earlier contracts is a question of merits, decided by the court.

Can a company in the same group use another's registration? The MTE stated that each CNPJ needs its own certificate.

What is CNAE? The National Classification of Economic Activities. The code indicates the main registered activity.

Practical cases and advanced questions

Hypothetical example 1: unregistered company. A company offers temporary positions but does not provide the certificate number. The candidate should ask for the number, check with the MTE and, if there is no registration, refrain from signing and notify the labor inspectorate.

Hypothetical example 2: recent registration. The company was registered in March, and the contract is from January. Registration is valid from March. The situation from January to March is open to challenge, and the worker should keep the contract and the SIRETT extract.

Hypothetical example 3: economic group. Company A is registered; company B, of the same group, signs the contract. A's registration does not apply to B, because each CNPJ needs its own certificate.

Question: does an ETT need minimum capital? The law requires minimum share capital for registration. The amount is in the legislation and MTE rules, and should be checked against the regulations in force.

Question: can a recruitment company supply temporary workers? Only if it is also a registered ETT. The MTE stated that the designation RPO, by itself, does not remove the legal requirements of temporary work.

Question: who oversees this? The Ministry of Labor and Employment, through Labor Inspection. The Public Labor Prosecutor's Office also acts, on complaint or on its own initiative.

Question: what should a worker do on discovering that the company was not registered? Gather the contract, payslips and the SIRETT extract, notify the MTE and the MPT, and assess legal measures.

Know your rights: Temporary work: rights, deadlines and rules (2026) · Labor rights guide