Postings abroad

Updated : 03/2012

Conditions & formalities – self-employed

As a self-employed worker legally established in any EU country, you have the right to work in another EU country at any time. You won't need a work permit.

For up to 2 years, you can work in another EU country and remain covered by your "home-country" social security system — certainly the easiest way to keep paperwork to a minimum.

If you decide to switch to the social security system of the country where you are posted, you'll have to pay contributions there.

Remaining in your home social security system

If you wish to do this, you'll have to apply for an A1 form (formerly the E 101 form). This form proves that you and your dependants are still covered by your home system while abroad - for up to 2 years.

To find out which body can issue this document, contact your home–country liaison office for posted workers.

To get the form, you have to prove that the activities you intend to pursue abroad are "similar" to those you pursued in your home country. How? See the EU guide on posting rules pdf [690 KB] .

You can only remain covered by your home system for 2 years. After that, you can continue working abroad, but will have to switch to the local social security system and pay contributions there.

If you don't want to switch systems, you have to stop working for at least 2 months.

Exception — if you couldn't complete your work due to unforeseen circumstances (illness, weather, delays in delivery, etc.), you can request an extension of your initial posting period until your work is completed, without having to observe the 2-month gap.

However, the length of time you can work in the host country but remain in your home social security system is still limited to 2 years in total.

To get an extension, you must request it from the authority that issued your A1 form before the end of the initial posting period.

You should be able to present the A1 form to the authorities at any time during your stay abroad. If you're unable to, you might have to pay social security contributions there. If you are checked and have a valid A1 form, your host country must recognise it.

Sample story

The host country must recognise your valid A1 form.

Alan is a self-employed Czech construction worker who has gone to work in Ireland. Inspectors visited a construction site he was working on and declared that Alan’s A1 form (formerly the E 101) was not valid, potentially making him liable to pay social security contributions in Ireland.

Under EU law, it was not up to the Irish authorities to judge whether Alan was a validly posted worker or not. Only his home country (the country where he usually works) can declare an A1 form invalid. Once this was sorted out, the Irish authorities acknowledged that Alan did not have to pay contributions in Ireland.

Staying longer than 2 years

When it's clear from the start that you'll be working abroad longer than 2 years, you can request an exemption, which would allow you to remain covered by your home social security system for the duration of your posting.

Such exemptions, which vary from case to case, require the agreement of the relevant authorities in every country concerned and are valid for a defined period only.

Advance declaration

You might also have to fill in an advance declaration stating your intention to work in the host country.

For details, contact the liaison office posted workers or single contact point in the country you're going to.

Professional qualifications

To work temporarily in another EU country, you don't need to apply to have your qualifications recognised.

You may, however, need to make a written declaration (paper or electronic) in the country you're going to if:

this is the first time you'll be practising your profession there and/or
your work could have a serious health or safety impact on clients.

To find out if this is required, check with the national authorities in the host country.

However, in most cases you can start working immediately in the host country (you don't have to wait for approval).

For any further help or information with the formalities required to practice your profession, contact the host-country contact point for professional qualifications.

Declarations

If a declaration is required, you must submit it:

directly to the host-country authority responsible for your profession (to find out which authority this is, ask the national contact point there).
any time before you start working in the host country (even if you're not certain you'll actually be working).
once a year only (not every time you wish to provide a particular service).

It should contain the following:

name, surname and contact details
nationality
profession in the country where you usually work and profession you wish to practise in the host country
information on your professional liability insurance: insurer, contract number
reference to any declarations submitted previously in the same country.

And the following supporting documents:

proof of your nationality
proof you are legally established in an EU country and not prohibited from practising, even temporarily
evidence of professional qualifications
proof you have practised the profession in question for at least 2 of the last 10 years (if neither the profession nor the training for it were regulated in the country where you are legally established)

proof you have never been convicted of any serious criminal offence (if you have a security-related job, for example security guard).

The means of proof may vary from country to country. Contact the responsible authority to check which type of documents will be accepted as proof.

Professions with health or safety impact on clients

If the profession you want to practise involves a potential threat to public health or safety, your host country may want to check your qualifications in advance.

This means you can't start working until this has happened and you have received formal authorisation.

Does your profession require this advance check? Ask the host-country contact point for professional qualifications.

If it does, it can take 1 to 4 months longer (after the authority receives your declaration) to get the authorisation you need.

To speed up the authorisation, make sure your declaration contains all the right information and documents. Missing documents or mistakes can cause unnecessary delays.

The host-country authority may also impose additional conditions such as asking you to pass a test or begin your stay with a period of supervised work.

Usually, you're expected to comply with these conditions 1 month after being informed. If this is not possible (for example you have to pass a test, but no tests will be organised in that period), you can call on our assistance services.

Certified translations

If your qualifications are verified — because of a potential health or safety impact on clients — you may be asked to provide a certified translation of your documents.

However, EU rules state that:

this requirement applies only to key documents, such as the qualifications themselves.
authorities are obliged to accept sworn translations from other EU countries.

National identity cards, passports, etc. are NOT considered key documents and need not be translated.

In addition, the following professionals are not required to provide a certified translation of their qualifications:

doctors
general nurses
midwives
veterinary surgeons
dental surgeons
pharmacists
architects.

The information above is a summary of complex laws with numerous exceptions. To make sure those exceptions do not apply to you, read the relevant FAQs on the EU guide to recognition of professional qualifications [186 KB] .