A1 Certificates for Germany-Based Employees

If you are employed in Germany and temporarily work in another country, you may need an A1 certificate (A1-Bescheinigung).

The A1 certificate confirms which country's social security legislation applies to you while you work across borders. Where German social security legislation continues to apply, the certificate helps demonstrate that social security contributions should continue to be paid in Germany rather than in the country where the temporary work takes place.

This can help prevent double social security contributions.

An A1 certificate is an official document that confirms the social security legislation applicable to an employee who works in more than one country or is temporarily posted to another country. For more information, visit A1 Certificate for EU based employees

For Germany-based employees temporarily working abroad, an A1 certificate may confirm that the employee remains subject to German social security legislation while working in another country.

The A1 certificate is commonly used for temporary work in:

The requirements and application process may differ depending on the destination country and the nature of the employee's cross-border work.

You may need an A1 certificate if you are temporarily performing work outside Germany while remaining employed under German social security legislation.

This can include situations such as:

The correct process depends on whether the employee is:

These situations are assessed differently under social security coordination rules.

An A1 certificate may be required for business trips where work is performed in another country.

Requirements and enforcement practices can vary between destination countries. Some countries actively check for A1 certificates during workplace or employment inspections.

For this reason, Remote People recommends that cross-border work requirements are reviewed before the employee travels.

For a standard temporary posting, German social security legislation can generally continue to apply for up to 24 months, provided the applicable conditions are met.

This includes, among other requirements, that:

The specific circumstances of each assignment must be assessed before the A1 certificate is issued.

Where possible, the A1 application should be submitted before the employee begins working abroad.

For short business trips of up to seven days, German guidance confirms that an A1 certificate can, where required, be applied for retrospectively.

However, this should not be treated as a general rule that applications for longer trips cannot be submitted retrospectively.

Because destination countries may have different inspection and enforcement practices, we recommend starting the process before travel whenever possible.

If the A1 certificate has not yet been issued, confirmation that the application has been submitted may be available as evidence that the application is being processed.

A1 applications in Germany must be submitted electronically.

Applications can generally be submitted through:

The responsible authority depends on the employee's social security and health insurance situation.

For many employees covered by statutory health insurance, the responsible statutory health insurer (Krankenkasse) handles the application for a temporary posting.

Different authorities may be responsible for employees who are not covered by statutory health insurance or who have a different employment or insurance status.

For Germany-based employees, Remote People coordinates the A1 application process with support from the local payroll provider.

Depending on the application process, the employee may be required to provide information or authorization to allow Remote People's local payroll team or authorized representative to submit or support the application on their behalf.

We will confirm if additional documentation or authorization is required.

To assess and process an A1 application, we require information about the employee's work and travel arrangements.

This may include:

Please provide complete and accurate information as early as possible. Missing or incorrect information may delay the application process.

We will communicate any applicable costs and approval requirements before proceeding.

Where costs are incurred, manager or client approval may be required before the application is processed.

A standard A1 certificate for a temporary posting is generally issued for a maximum period of 24 months.

If the employee needs to continue working abroad after this period, the applicable social security position must be reviewed.

Depending on the circumstances, the employee may:

An extension is not automatic and must be assessed based on the employee's individual circumstances.

Please contact Remote People before the A1 certificate expires if the employee's cross-border assignment is expected to continue.

Possibly. An A1 certificate only confirms which country's social security legislation applies.

Some countries have additional requirements for employees working or posted temporarily within their territory.

For example, depending on the circumstances:

These local requirements are separate from the A1 certificate.

Having an A1 certificate does not replace any separate employment, posting, immigration, registration or notification requirements that may apply in the destination country.

If you are planning to work temporarily outside Germany or have questions about whether an A1 certificate may be required, please contact Remote People Support before making your travel arrangements.

Providing advance notice helps us review the applicable requirements and coordinate with our local payroll provider where necessary.