Who requests the certificate?

The employer, or the self-employed person, informs the competent institution of the Member State whose legislation applies, where possible in advance; the certificate is issued at the request of the person or the employer (Articles 15(1) and 19(2) of Regulation 987/2009).

Does the host country have to accept it?

Documents issued by an institution of one Member State can be relied on before the institutions of the other Member States as long as they have not been withdrawn or declared invalid by the issuing State. If there is doubt, the receiving institution asks the issuing institution for clarification and, where appropriate, withdrawal (Article 5(1) and (2) of Regulation 987/2009).

EU · Expiry & renewal tracking

Keep an A1 certificate in place for every posting

A posted worker stays under home-State social security if the work is expected to last at most 24 months and does not replace another posted person (Art. 12(1), Regulation 883/2004). The employer notifies the competent institution; the A1 certificate states its end date (Arts. 15 and 19, Regulation 987/2009).

A person employed in one EU Member State who is sent by their employer to work on its behalf in another Member State remains subject to the social security legislation of the first State, provided the anticipated duration of the work does not exceed 24 months and the person is not sent to replace another posted person (Article 12(1) of Regulation (EC) No 883/2004, as amended by Regulation (EU) No 465/2012). A similar rule applies to self-employed people who go to pursue a similar activity in another Member State (Article 12(2)).

The employer, or the self-employed person, informs the competent institution of the Member State whose legislation applies, where possible in advance. That institution issues the attestation referred to in Article 19(2) of Regulation (EC) No 987/2009 (Article 15(1), as amended by Regulation (EU) No 465/2012). At the request of the person or the employer, the attestation confirms which legislation applies and indicates, where appropriate, until what date and under what conditions (Article 19(2)).

In Germany the attestation is called the A1-Bescheinigung. The employer applies electronically; once it is established that German legislation applies, the certificate data are sent to the employer within three working days, and the employer must make the certificate available to the employee without delay (Section 106(1) SGB IV).

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At a glance

Legal basis	Regulation (EC) No 883/2004, Article 12; Regulation (EC) No 987/2009, Articles 15 and 19
Anticipated duration	No more than 24 months, and not to replace another posted person (Art. 12(1) of Regulation 883/2004)
Who informs	The employer, or the self-employed person, where possible in advance (Art. 15(1) of Regulation 987/2009)
What the certificate shows	Which legislation applies and, where appropriate, until what date and under what conditions (Art. 19(2))
Recognition	Can be relied on in other Member States until the issuing State withdraws it or declares it invalid (Art. 5(1))
Germany	Electronic application by the employer; data sent within three working days (Section 106 SGB IV)

The date that counts is the one stated on the certificate. This page does not cover people who normally work in two or more Member States (Article 13 of Regulation 883/2004).

Who is responsible?

The employer informs the competent institution of the Member State whose legislation applies, where possible before the posting starts (Article 15(1) of Regulation 987/2009). If an exception to the usual rules is to be agreed, the employer or the person concerned submits the request, where possible in advance, to the competent authority of the Member State whose legislation is requested (Article 18).

Hired specifically for the posting?

A person recruited with a view to being posted can also be covered, provided that immediately before starting work they were already subject to the legislation of the Member State where the employer is established (Article 14(1) of Regulation 987/2009). The employer must normally carry out substantial activities there, other than purely internal management (Article 14(2)).

Tracking it with ExpirySuite

Add each posted employee and enter the end date stated on their A1 certificate as the expiry date.
Reminders arrive 60, 30, 14, 7 and 1 day before the date and on the day itself.
Article 12 refers to an anticipated duration of at most 24 months. Add a second record dated 24 months after the posting began, so you can review the posting in good time.
Assign a responsible person, such as HR or payroll; emails arrive in each recipient's language.
If a date passes, managers get further reminders 3, 7 and 14 days later.

Frequently asked questions

How long can a posting last under the A1 rules?: Article 12(1) of Regulation 883/2004 applies if the anticipated duration of the work does not exceed 24 months and the person is not sent to replace another posted person. The certificate itself states, where appropriate, until what date it applies (Article 19(2) of Regulation 987/2009).
Who requests the certificate?: The employer, or the self-employed person, informs the competent institution of the Member State whose legislation applies, where possible in advance; the certificate is issued at the request of the person or the employer (Articles 15(1) and 19(2) of Regulation 987/2009).
Does the host country have to accept it?: Documents issued by an institution of one Member State can be relied on before the institutions of the other Member States as long as they have not been withdrawn or declared invalid by the issuing State. If there is doubt, the receiving institution asks the issuing institution for clarification and, where appropriate, withdrawal (Article 5(1) and (2) of Regulation 987/2009).

Sources

Last checked: Oct 1, 2026 · This page summarises official sources for general information and is not legal advice. Check the linked sources for current rules and fees.

Made for A1 certificate (posted worker)

A ready template for A1 certificate (posted worker) with sensible validity defaults, so you enter less and track more.

Reminders on time

Email alerts at 60, 30, 14, 7 and 1 day before each A1 certificate (posted worker) expires, plus overdue escalation to managers.

Assign an owner

Give each A1 certificate (posted worker) an owner and let employees update their own via a secure link — no login needed.