What is an A1 Bescheinigung? Why might I need it? How do I get it? If you are living and working not just in Germany, but also other EU and EFTA countries, you will eventually be asked to get an A1 Bescheinigung. It’s so that both (or all!) EU/EFTA countries in which you work can figure out where you’re covered when it comes to social security.
Artists in particular who get employed by European theatres often get asked for this A1 certificate of coverage before the theatre will even pay them.
The A1 certificate is used by EU countries, EFTA countries (Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland), Switzerland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (still used despite Brexit). What makes it confusing is that there are limitations involved on how the rules are applied, depending on the countries involved and the citizenship of the person involved. For example, EFTA countries only apply the social security rules to citizens of EU and EFTA countries, Switzerland only applies it to Swiss and EU citizens, and Denmark only applies the rules to EU and Swiss citizens. If you find yourself caught in a great mix of confusion when trying to get an A1 certificate, this might be the reason.
When do you need an A1 certificate of coverage?
- When you‘re employed in Germany and your employer sends you to work in another EU country
- When you’re employed in another European country and your employer sends you to work in Germany
- When you’re self-employed in Germany and a company in another EU country wants you to be self-employed for them
- When you’re self-employed in an EU country and a German company wants you to be self-employed for them
How do I get my hands on an A1 Bescheinigung?
If your employer in another EU country is sending you to be employed in Germany, they should obtain the certificate for you. Tick. Easy peasy. Same goes if your employer in Germany is sending you to be employed in another EU country. They should be able to get you the certificate.
But what if you’re self-employed?
Are you self-employed and publicly health insured in Germany? (Voluntarily or via the Künstlersozialkasse)
Your health insurance provider is responsible, and you should apply online. See below for further details.
Are you self-employed and privately health insured in Germany?
If you’re with a private healthcare provider, the DRV (Deutsche Rentenversicherung) is the office responsible for the certificate. You still need to apply online. See below for further details.
Are you self-employed and not a citizen of an EU or EFTA country or the UK or Switzerland?
Try to get a certificate online first, but if you run into problems, it might be because of the different rules that apply in different countries. Talk to the Deutsche Verbindungsstelle Krankenversicherung Ausland (DVKA).
Getting an A1 Bescheinigung with sv.net
If you’re a freelancer/self-employed and registered in Germany, visit the website sv.net Standard (the sv stands for ‘Sozialversicherung’ – social insurance) to apply for an A1 Bescheinigung. It’s not the most user-friendly interface you’ll come across (it’s not great with accents and other symbols) and it does ask some complicated German questions. Every case will be a little bit different.
First, you’ll register and get a login.
You then have to answer a couple of questions about your work status, your personal details, the name, address and country of the company that will hire you, the duration of your stay etc. You can check the application before you send it off, and it will probably trigger a few errors before it lets you submit. Once you submit, you’ll get your A1 Bescheinigung within a few days.
Note that some non-European citizens who try to go through this process online get a confusing rejection. If you fall into this category, get in touch with DVKA to find out what to do next.
Once I have it, what do I do with it?
Admire it, because it’s pretty. Send a PDF copy to your employer / client outside of Germany and store it in a safe place. Then go and party because a) you get to work and travel in two European countries, go you! and b) you managed to get an A1 certificate.
If you want a hand with the form, a half-hour coaching with Lioba should do the trick.
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