A1-Certificate: Posting on business
Based on the legal basis of the European Posting of Workers Directive (EU Directive 2018/957), all employees travelling to other EU/EFTA countries or Switzerland on behalf of the employer must apply for an international A1 posting certificate for the posting on business from the national social security institution. With this certificate, employees travelling on business can prove that they are covered by social security in their home country and therefore do not have to pay double social security contributions.
The purpose of this international binding regulation is twofold:
- To ensure overall fair competitive conditions with regard to the cross-border supply of services (prevention against unfair treatment and the emergence of a low-wage sector) and
- to protect posted employees by guaranteeing a common set of social rights.
The A1 international posting certificate for the posting on business is required from day one for longer, but also for very short travel requests (business trips) abroad, e.g. for the purpose of a conference visit, a project meeting or a lecture activity. In addition, it should be noted that a separate international A1 posting certificate for the posting on business must be applied for in each country in which a corresponding activity is carried out. For Germany, there is currently an exemption and thus no obligation to carry the international A1 certificate of posting for the posting on business.