28/07/2025
On July 24, 2025, Law No. 15,176/2025 was published, establishing that, starting in January 2026, individuals diagnosed with fibromyalgia will be officially recognized as persons with disabilities (PwD) and will be entitled to specific public policies, such as quotas in public service exams and exemption from the IPI tax when purchasing vehicles.
Fibromyalgia is a syndrome characterized by muscle and joint pain, along with other symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue, anxiety, and depression.
The condition primarily affects women—usually young or middle-aged—at a rate seven times higher than men, children, or adolescents.
In order for fibromyalgia to be classified as a disability, each case must be evaluated by a multidisciplinary team, including physicians and psychologists, who will assess whether the individual’s limitations affect their ability to perform daily activities and participate in society on an equal basis with others.
The new regulation amends Law No. 14,705 of 2023, which established guidelines for the Unified Health System (SUS) to provide treatment for individuals with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and regional pain syndrome—related conditions.
In some regions of the country, individuals with fibromyalgia are already recognized as PwD, such as in the Federal District, which passed a similar regulation in 2024.
This recognition will help companies struggling to meet legal disability hiring quotas by expanding the pool of qualified individuals, who, despite having fibromyalgia, were not previously classified as persons with disabilities under the law.
Authored by:Peterson Vilela Muta
