Rules for social security apply to every cross-border work-related activity, including business trips. The employer (or any self-employed person) concerned is obligated to notify the competent country, whenever possible, in advance, and obtain the A1 certificate.4
A1 Certificates for Temporary Postings/Assignments
- According to the 2023 Statistical Report, approximately 3 million A1 certificates for temporary postings/assignments were granted to around 1.8 million people in 2022. This means that an average 1.7 A1 certificates were issued to a person. Compared to 2012, the number of A1 certificates issued in 2022 for temporary postings/assignments trebled.
- The main issuing countries of A1 certificates for temporary postings/assignments are Germany, Poland, Italy, Spain, and France. The Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Iceland, and the U.K. each issued fewer A1 certificates for temporary postings/assignments in 2022 than in 2010.
- The main receiving countries are Germany, France, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.
A1 Certificates for Activity in Two or More Countries
- The 2023 Statistical Report notes that in 2022, approximately 1.4 million A1 certificates were granted for work in two or more countries, covering roughly 1.3 million persons. The number of these A1 certificates has been on a consistent rise since 2010.
- The main issuing countries for the A1 certificate for work in two or more countries are Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Slovenia, and Lithuania. Slovenia and Lithuania have experienced the sharpest increase in the number of A1 certificates issued for work in two or more countries.