Brazil's Digital Work Card: how to check it and fix errors

*The Digital Work Card (Carteira de Trabalho Digital) has replaced the paper work card for new registrations since 2019. Through the app or gov.br, workers can check their contracts, salaries, vacation and leave as reported by employers in eSocial (the government's payroll reporting system), and apply for unemployment insurance.*

Quick summary

• Access: the Carteira de Trabalho Digital app or the gov.br website, with your gov.br account.
• Legal basis: Law 13,874/2019, which made the digital work card the rule.
• What it shows: employers, hiring and leaving dates, job title, contractual salary and changes.
• Data source: eSocial, fed by the employer.
• Unemployment insurance and the *salary bonus (abono salarial)* can also be checked there.

How to check it, step by step

1. Download the Carteira de Trabalho Digital app or access it through gov.br.
2. Log in with your gov.br account.
3. Open Contratos (Contracts) to see each employment record, with dates and salary.
4. Tap a contract to see salary changes, vacation and leave.
5. Use Benefícios (Benefits) for unemployment insurance and the salary bonus.

The employment record is missing or wrong

• Appears late: the employer has a deadline to send events to eSocial; wait a few days after hiring.
• Does not appear: ask the employer for proof that the registration was sent; if there is no registration, see Working without a registered contract.
• Wrong data (date, salary, job title): ask HR in writing to correct it; they must amend it in eSocial.
• No solution: file a complaint with the Ministry of Labor or ask the Labor Court for the correction.

Tip: keep evidence

Download or take screenshots of your contracts periodically. They help with unemployment insurance and retirement applications and any legal cases — see Evidence in a labor case.

Frequently asked questions

Is the paper work card still valid?

It is valid for the older records written in it. New registrations are made digitally.

Why does my salary look different from my payslip?

The work card shows the contractual salary reported in eSocial; supplements and overtime appear on the payslip. Differences in the base salary must be corrected by the employer.

How do I apply for unemployment insurance through the digital work card?

Through the Benefícios menu, between the 7th and the 120th day after dismissal — see Unemployment insurance 2026.

Read more in this series

• Working without a registered contract: rights and how to regularize
• Unemployment insurance 2026: amount, installments and how to apply
• FGTS: how to check it, when to withdraw and how the 40% penalty works
• CLT worker rights: complete guide
• Index: complete guide to labor rights