Posting staff abroad

The posting of workers in the EU comes with a defined set of rules. As an employer you must respect the posting rules if:

  • your business has a contract with business partners in other EU countries and your staff need to go to that EU country for a specific period with the purposes of providing services
  • you send a staff member to a business you own in another EU country

In both cases, there must be an employment relationship between you and the person being posted.

Posting rules also apply when a person comes to work for you from a different EU country than the one where your business is registered or operating and is hired through an agency providing temporary staff. In this case, an employment relationship must exist between the worker and the temporary or placement agency you use. You can also post workers who are third-country nationals (non-EU), provided they are legally residing in one of the EU Member States. EU posting rules apply to them as well.

Warning

As a general rule, posted workers must be registered in their home country’s social insurance system for at least 1 month before being posted. Shorter periods might be allowed after a case-by-case evaluation.

Conditions of employment in the host country

You must guarantee your staff the same conditions and terms of employment throughout their posting as those in force – either by law or universally applicable collective agreements – in the host country in relation to:

  • minimum rest periods
  • maximum working time
  • minimum paid annual holidays
  • remuneration (including its all mandatory elements) as defined in national law or universally applicable collective agreements
  • health and safety at work
  • protective measures for pregnant women, women who have recently given birth and young people (under the age of 18)
  • equal treatment between men and women
  • the conditions of workers’ accommodation in the host country, if this should be provided by an employer
  • allowances or reimbursement of expenditures to cover travel, board and lodging costs when required during the posting assignment

If these employment terms and conditions in your own country are more favourable to your staff than those of the host country, you should maintain these conditions during the posting.

For sectors other than the construction sector, the remuneration and annual holiday requirements are not obligatory when:

  • the initial installation and/or initial assembly of certailn products by specialised members of your staff is an integral part of your contract with the partner in the other country; and
  • your staff is posted to the other country for a period of less than 8 days per year

Warning

EU countries may decide - after consulting employers' and employees' representatives - that the host country's remuneration and annual holiday requirements do not apply if the whole posting lasts for less than 1 month. This exemption does not apply to workers posted through agencies providing temporary staff.

Obligations to inform posted workers

If you post your staff for a consecutive period of more than four weeks, you must provide them in writing, before their departure, with the following information:

  • country or countries where your staff will work (host country)
  • expected duration of the work abroad
  • currency to be used for the payment of the remuneration
  • any benefits (in cash or other) related to the work assignment
  • information on repatriation: whether it is provided and, if yes, with what conditions
  • remuneration according to the applicable law of the host country
  • any specific allowances related to the posting
  • arrangements for reimbursing travel, board and accommodation expenses
  • a link to the host country’s national official website on posted workers

Long term posting

If the posting period is longer than 12 months (or 18 months if you submit a motivated notification to the host country) you must guarantee your staff all the mandatory terms and conditions of employment of their host country, except those regarding the termination of their contract or supplementary working pensions.

For more information on the motivated notification procedure, please check the national website of the host country.

Declaration obligations

As an employer, you may also need to send a notification to the authorities in the host country before (or at the latest when) the posting begins, with the following details:

  • identity of the employer
  • number of posted workers
  • contact person for the employer
  • address of the workplace of posting
  • expected duration of the posting, including start and end dates
  • the type of service provided during the posting
  • a contact person who will liaise with the authorities in the host country

Moreover, you should inform the competent institution of the host country if any changes will take place, such as if the posting does not take place or is interrupted.

Read more about the declaration obligations on the website of the host country.

Social security rules for posted workers

While working temporarily in another EU country, your posted employees, or you as self-employed, can continue to be covered by the social security system of the country where they worked before the posting.

As an employer, you must inform the host country's administration in advance, and request a form called Portable Document A1 (PD A1) issued by the social security institution in the country where the employees are insured. The PD A1 confirms that the posted employee is registered under the social security system in your home country and does not need to pay contributions in the country of posting.

When requesting the PD A1, you need to specify the start and end date of the posting in the other EU country. The maximum period you can indicate on the form is 24 months.

If the posting period lasts longer than 24 months or needs to be prolonged, you as an employer can:

  • request the issuer of the PD A1 to grant an extension – this is not granted automatically and is subject to a mutual agreement between the home and the host countries
  • let your employee subscribe to the social security system of the host country

Business trips and posted workers

If you send workers to another EU country on a business trip to attend conferences, meetings, fairs, trainings, etc, those workers are not posted workers. Such business trips do not fall under the rules for posted workers, since in this context workers do not provide a service in the host country.

In terms of social security, however, if you send your workers to a business trip you must still inform the host country’s administration whenever possible in advance, and request the form Portable Document A1 (PD A1)

National websites and contact details

Each EU country has a website with detailed information about posting workers abroad. On national websites you can also find contact points that cooperate and share information, monitor the terms and conditions of employment during the posting, and follow up alleged infringements of the rules.

For more information on a specific EU host country, visit the relevant national website below.

National Liaison Offices

Every country has a competent authority that can answer questions on the posting of workers. The contact details of these National Liaison Offices are under the Ask national administrations button below.

You are self-employed and intend to work abroad for a few months. Read the FAQ to know what formalities are necessary.

More information

Read the short guide on the posting of workers to learn more on posted workers in the EU

See also the practical guide on posting legislation

See also

EU legislation

Need more information on rules in a specific country?

Choose country

Austria

Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Wirtschaft

Federal Ministry of Labour and Economy

Favoritenstraße 7

AT-1040 Wien

Belgium Belgium - Flanders Belgium - Wallonia

FPS Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue, Belgian liaison office, Directorate-general labour law and legal studies

SPF Emploi, Travail et Concertation sociale, Bureau de liaison belge, Direction Générale Droit du travail et études juridiques

FOD Werkgelegenheid, Arbeid en Sociaal Overleg, Belgisch verbindingsbureau, Algemene directie arbeidsrecht en juridische studiën

Rue Ernest Blerot 1

BE-1070 Bruxelles/Brussel

Employment Belgium (EN) Open as an external link

Emploi Belgique (FR) Open as an external link fr

Werk België (NL) Open as an external link nl

Bulgaria

Министерство на труда и социалната политика - ИА Главна инспекция по труда

Ministry of Labour and Social Policy - General Labour Inspectorate EA

3 Kniaz Aleksandar Dondukov blvd.

BG-1000 Sofia

Croatia

Ministarstvo rada, mirovinskoga sustava, obitelji i socijalne politike

Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy

Ulica grada Vukovara 78

HR-10000 Zagreb

Cyprus

Υπουργείο Εργασίας , Πρόνοιας και Κοινωνικών Ασφαλίσεων - Τμήμα Εργασίας

Ministry of Labour, Welfare and Social Insurance - Department of Labour

9 Klimentos Str

CY-1480 Nicosia

Czechia

Ministerstvo práce a sociálních věcí

Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs

Na Poříčním právu 1

CZ-128 01 Praha 2

Denmark

Danish Working Environment Authority

Landskronagade 33

2100 København Ø

Estonia

Tööinspektsioon; Ms Liis Naaber-Kalm

Labour Inspectorate

Mäealuse 2/2

EE-12618 Tallinn

Finland

Tyosuojelu

Arbetarskyddsförvaltningen

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

France

Bureau de liaison nationale - Direction générale du travail - Ministère du Travail

National Liaison Office - Directorate General for Labour - Ministry for Labour

39-45, quai André Citroën

FR-75902 Paris Cedex 15

Germany

Generalzolldirektion Direktion VII - Finanzkontrolle Schwarzarbeit

Directorate VII of the Central Customs Authority - Financial Control of Undeclared Work

General Customs Directorate Directorate VII - Financial Control of Clandestine Employment

Josef-Lammerting-Allee 24-34

DE-50933 Köln

Greece

Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Directorate-General of Employment Relationships, Occupational Health and Safety and Labour Market Integration

Directorate of Individual Contractual Labour Arrangements, Section of Individual Labour Contract (D. Pantazidou, A. Revela)

29 Stadiou Str.

10559 Athens

Greece

ypergasias.gov.gr Open as an external link el

Greece

Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Directorate-General of Employment Relationships, Occupational Health and Safety and Labour Market Integration

Directorate of Health and Safety at Work, Section of Working Conditions and Strategic Planning (V. Papanastasiou, A. Mandalou)

29 Stadiou Str.

10559 Athens

Greece

ypergasias.gov.gr Open as an external link el

Greece

Labour Inspectorate, Independent Authority

Central Division, Directorate of Planning and Coordination of Labour Relations Inspection (A. Mpouzios, D. Souliotis)

10 Agisilaou Str.

10437 Athens

Greece

sepe.gov.gr Open as an external link el

Hungary

Nemzetgazdasági Minisztérium - Munkafelügyelet Foglalkoztatás-felügyelet

Ministry for National Economy - Hungarian Labour Inspectorate

P.O. Box 481

HU-1369 Budapest

Iceland

Velferðarráðuneytið

Ministry of Social Affairs

Skogarhlid 6

IS-150 Reykjavik

Ireland

Workplace Relations

O'Brien Road

Carlow

Ireland

Italy

Ministero del Lavoro e delle Politiche Sociali; Direzione Generale dei rapporti di lavoro e delle relazioni industriali

Ministry of Labour and Social Policy

Via Fornovo, 8

IT-00192 Roma

Latvia

Valsts darba inspekcija

State Labour Inspectorate

Kr. Valdemara Street 38

LV-1010 Rīga

Liechtenstein

Amt für Volkswirtschaft - Abteilung Wirtschaft

Office of National Economy - Department of Economic Affairs

Haus der Wirtschaft

Poststrasse 1

LI-9494 Schaan

Lithuania

Valstybinė darbo inspekcija

State Labour Inspectorate

Algirdo Str. 19

LT-03607 Vilnius

Luxembourg

Inspection du travail et des mines

Labour and Mines Inspectorate

3, rue des Primeurs

L-2361 Strassen

Malta

Department for Industrial and Employment Relations

121, Melita Street

VLT 1121 Valletta

Netherlands

Ministerie van Sociale Zaken en Werkgelegenheid - Inspectie SZ

Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment - Labour Inspectorate

Parnassusplein 5, NL-2511 VX Den Haag

P.O Box 90801, NL-2509 LV Den Haag

Norway

Arbeidstilsynet

Labour Inspection Authority

Postboks 4720 Torgard

NO-7468 Trondheim

Poland

Państwowa Inspekcja Pracy - Główny Inspektorat Pracy

National Labour Inspectorate - Chief Labour Inspectorate

ul. Barska 28/30

PL-02 315 Warszawa

Portugal

Autoridade para as Condições do Trabalho (ACT)

Authority for Working Conditions

Praca de Alvalade n. 1

1749-043 LISBON

website Open as an external link pt

e-forms Open as an external link pt

Romania

Inspecția Muncii

Labour Inspectorate

Strada Matei Voievod, nr. 14

RO-030167, Sector 2

București

Slovakia

Národný inšpektorát práce

National Labour Inspectorate

Masarykova 10

SK-040 01 Kosice

Slovenia

Ministrstvo za delo, družino, socialne zadeve in enake možnosti

Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities

Štukljeva cesta 44

SI-1000 Ljubljana

Spain

Dirección General de Trabajo

General Directorate of Labour

Pío Baroja, 6

ES-28009 Madrid

Desplazamiento - Datos de contacto Open as an external link es

Desplazamiento Open as an external link es

Sweden

Arbetsmiljöverket

Swedish Work Environment Authority

Box 9082

SE-171 09 Solna

Need support from assistance services?

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Last checked: 17/03/2024
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