Posted workers need A1 in advance as EU rules apply from 2028

Employers that post staff abroad and self-employed persons working in another EU state face new A1 and posting conditionsTelp that start applying on 1 November 2028Telp. The Council of the European Union adopted the amendments to the EU social-security regulationsTelp on 28 September 2026Telp. The amended regulations enter into force on 1 November 2026Telp, but a 24-month transition applies to most of the changesTelp, so the changed provisions begin to be applied only on 1 November 2028Telp. The reform aims to clarify the rules on insuring work abroad and the guidance on applying for A1 certificates, and to tighten cooperation between authorities.

The headline change is timing. An A1 certificate for a posted employee or entrepreneur must henceforth generally be applied for before the work abroad begins.Telp Where the certificate cannot be issued immediately, the applicant must be given proof that the application is pending. Employers should therefore move the A1 request to the front of the travel process rather than treating it as paperwork that can follow the worker.

Short assignments get an exception. As a rule, an A1 certificate is not required for work trips or where the work lasts at most three consecutive working days during 30 days. The exception does not apply to the construction sector, so construction postings keep the certificate duty even for the shortest jobs.

The posting conditions themselves tighten. An employee or entrepreneur must generally have belonged to the home state's social security for at least three months before the foreign work startsTelp; current application practice has required one month. The posting duration itself is unchanged at 24 months, so the reform alters who can be posted, not how long a posting may last.

Administration goes electronic and stricter. Social-security institutions may exchange and compare data electronically to prevent fraud and errors. The correction and withdrawal of A1 certificates and the handling of disagreements get more precise procedures and time limits than today, and electronic data exchange and electronic handling of A1 certificates are strengthened.

Money paid to the wrong state stays in the system. Where a person is found afterwards to have belonged to another state's social security, the contributions are transferred between the competent institutions to the correct state instead of being refunded to the employer or the person. The reform also brings new rules and provisions for benefit types including unemployment benefits; the page gives no detail beyond that scope signal.

The practical consequence is anticipation. The reform's stated goal is clearer cross-border working rules, but the changes increase the need for those going abroad to foresee foreign-work situations: employers must pay closer attention to applying for the A1 before work starts and to whether the posting conditions are met. The reform affects national and international application guidance, the A1 application service and the processing systems. The Finnish Centre for Pensions (Eläketurvakeskus) will give more detailed information on the changes and organise training for employers and stakeholders before the new rules apply on 1 November 2028.

Legal basis: Telp's news page of 27 October 2026 on the EU social-security regulation reform adopted by the Council on 28 September 2026, entering into force on 1 November 2026 with application of the changed provisions from 1 November 2028.