The A1 Certificate is required for all work-related travel (including both business trips and workations) to EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Whereas the CoC (Certificate of Coverage) is required outside the EU but only with countries Germany maintains a bilateral 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 or Switzerland. 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 countries, including:

Additionally, WorkFlex plans to expand its A1 certificate request process to include more countries, further reinforcing its commitment to ensuring compliance and providing employees with the necessary documentation to support their temporary work arrangements. Other countries can be added upon request.

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 Provisional A1/CoC applies to countries with a social security agreement (treaty) in place. For countries without such an agreement, the WorkFlex Social Security Statement (WSSS) is provided as an alternative confirmation. The provisional A1 and the WSSS contains the same information as the A1/CoC, but with the added benefit that it can be issued immediately, as it bypasses the processing time of the authorities. With the provisional A1 or the WSSS, the employee is still traveling in compliance with the law, and WorkFlex bears the liability. Once the authorities issue the A1/CoC, it can replace the provisional A1 or the Social Security Statement.

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