Posted workers

Your employer can send you to work temporarily in another EU country. During this period, you will acquire the status of a posted worker and will benefit from the same basic working conditions and rights as workers in your host country.

A posting can last as long as it is necessary to complete a specific task. When your posting has finished, you should return to your workplace in the EU country where you were posted from.

Working conditions

You will fall under the terms and conditions of employment of your host country if they are more advantageous than those of your home country. In this case, your employer is obliged to comply with that country's basic rules on employee protection and terms of employment related to:

  • All the basic elements of remuneration as defined in national law or universally applicable collective agreements
  • Overtime compensation
  • Allowances or the reimbursement of expenses to cover travel, board and lodging costs in the host country during the posting (if you are required to travel during the posting assignment)
  • Maximum work periods
  • Minimum rest periods
  • Minimum paid annual leave
  • Health, safety and hygiene at work
  • Any conditions specific to hiring through agencies providing temporary staff
  • Protective measures for pregnant women, women who have recently given birth and young people (under the age of 18)
  • Equal treatment for men and women and other rules to prevent discrimination
  • Accommodation, if provided by your employer
If, instead,the terms and conditions in your home country are more favourable than those of the host country, your employer must maintain the conditions of the home country during the posting.

Your rights and obligations as a posted worker

While posted to another EU country:

  • you will not need a work permit
  • you will not need to have your professional qualifications recognised; however, you may need to make a written declaration for some professions: find out more about the recognition of professional qualifications
  • you do not need to register with the social security authorities in the country where you have been posted, since you remain insured in the country where you are normally employed. Therefore during your posting you do not accumulate any additional social security rights such as pension rights or the right to unemployment benefits in the country where you have been posted.
  • you must register your residence with the authorities if your posting is longer than 3 months
  • you will not accumulate the right to permanent residence in your host country.

Long-term posting

If you are posted for more than 12 months (or 18 months if your employer submits a motivated notification to your host country's national authorities) all relevant terms and conditions of employment of your host country apply, with the exception of those relating to the termination of contracts and supplementary working pensions.

If you are posted to another EU country for a long period of time you may want your family to join you there, they can do so by virtue of their own EU citizens' rights, but not as your dependants.

Income tax

If you work in your host country for less than six months, you should not be liable for income tax there. However, there are no EU-wide rules that set out which country can tax your income during a posting. This may be set out in national laws or tax agreements between EU countries.

Social security cover while abroad

As a posted worker, to continue to be covered by the social security system in your home country, your employer must request a Portable Document A1(PD A1 form PDF ) from the social security institution in your home country and inform the host country´s authorities. If your posting lasts longer than 2 years, you can either:

  • switch to the social security system of the country where you are posted or
  • ask your employer to apply for the extension of the validity of your social security form posting period to remain covered in your home country. The extension will be granted if a mutual agreement is reached between the authorities in both countries and it is in your interest.

Find out more about your social security cover while on a posting to another EU country.

Information employer must provide to host country

In most cases your employer must send a notification (“posting declaration”) 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
  • 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 authortities in the host country

Your employer should also inform the competent institution of the host country if any changes 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.

Information your employer must provide to you

If your posting lasts for a consecutive period of more than four weeks, your employer must provide you in writing, before your departure, with the following information:

  • country or countries where you 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

National websites on posting

Check the national website of your host country to find out the terms and conditions of work for posted workers, as well as the contact information for the local authorities.

National websites on posting

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.

More information

For more information check the EU' short guide on the posting of workers

See also the EU's practical guide on posting.

Are you self-employed and planning to work abroad for a few months? Read this FAQ to find out what formalities are necessary.

FAQs

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

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Last checked: 04/09/2024
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