The A1 certificate is required for all sorts of travels, including business travels and workations, to EU countries, Switzerland and the United Kingdom,

whereas the CoC (Certificate of Coverage) is required outside the EU but only with countries Germany maintains a bilaterial agreement on Social Security.

The A1 certificate, also known as the Portable Document A1, is a critical document used within the European Union for the purpose of certifying the social security contributions of individuals working temporarily in other EU/EEA countries. This certificate verifies that the holder is covered by the social security system of the issuing country and is exempt from making social security contributions in the host country during the period of temporary stay.

Currently, WorkFlex is actively requesting the A1 certificate in several European countries, including Germany, Austria, the UK, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.

Additionally, WorkFlex has plans to expand its A1 certificate request process to include more countries, further enhancing its commitment to ensuring compliance and providing employees with the necessary documentation to support their temporary work arrangements.

Germany has entered into various bilateral Social Security Agreements (SSAs) with several countries to eliminate double social security coverage and ensure that individuals working under the CoC are exempt from contributions to the host country's social security system. Some of the countries with which Germany has treaties relating to the Certificate of Coverage include:

These agreements and others serve to provide legal certainty to workers and employers by establishing the rules for social security coverage and the issuance of CoCs, thereby preventing overlapping social security contributions and preserving individuals' rights to benefits in both their home and host countries.

The WorkFlex Social Security Statement (WSSS) is a separate A1/CoC confirmation provided by WorkFlex, which provides the same information. The advantage here is that

the document can be issued immediately, as the processing time of the authorities is eliminated. With the WSSS, the employee also travels in compliance with the law and WorkFlex bears the liability. As soon as the authorities have issued the A1/ CoC, this can be used instead of the Social Security Statement.

You can find all documents in your request under "My Requests".