How to apply for an A1 certificate for employees posted to France. What it is, who applies, how long it takes and what the risk is without one.
Blog · Social Security · France
Posting an employee to France? That employee must carry an A1 certificate. The A1 proves that the employee remains socially insured in their home country — and that you do not have to pay French social contributions.
SIPSI declaration, Carte BTP and representative with a date per worker. You file, the software checks. One subscription per country.
Updated: July 2026
Country: France
Source: EU Regulation 883/2004
Apply with Your national social-security institution (table in step 1)
Valid Per posting
Max. duration 24 months
Bring On paper or shown digitally
Webinar clip: applying for an A1, processing time and common pitfalls — from the WorkAdministration webinar
What is an A1 certificate?
The A1 (officially: Portable Document A1 ) is a European form that proves in which country an employee is socially insured. For a posted employee, this means: the employee continues to fall under the social security system of their home country during the posting.
Without an A1, the French authorities may assume that the employee must pay social contributions in France. You want to avoid this — both because of the financial risk and because of the proof required by the labour inspectorate.
How do you apply for the A1?
Contact your national social security authority
A1 certificates are issued by your national social security authority for employees insured in your home country. Check your authority's route and processing time early. The most common origins:
Company based in Apply with Route and stated time
Netherlands SVB TWinternet with eHerkenning; 6–8 weeks stated
Germany Health insurer or Deutsche Rentenversicherung Electronic only; three working days by law
Poland ZUS Form US-3 via eZUS
Belgium ONSS 'Working abroad' service
Fill in the employee details
Per employee: name, social security number, job title, name and address of the client in France, expected start and end date.
Allow sufficient processing time
Processing time differs per country — from a few working days to eight weeks. Apply for the A1 as soon as the posting is definitively planned; do not wait until the week of departure.
Bring the original to the worksite
The A1 certificate must be present at the worksite throughout the entire posting. A printout or the electronically issued A1 is sufficient; make sure it can be shown on the spot. It may also be held by the French représentant, if one has been appointed.
✓ Temporary alternative: bring the proof of application if the A1 has not yet arrived (see below)
Don't have the A1 yet when departing? Applied in time but the certificate has not yet arrived by the departure date? Bring the proof of application . This shows that the application has been filed. No penalty is due provided you produce the A1 itself within two months of the inspection (Code de la sécurité sociale L114-15-1). Keep this proof of application carefully until the final certificate arrives — forward the original to the worksite or représentant as soon as it comes in.
Self-employed / freelancers: note the application form
Self-employed individuals who are socially insured in their home country must also apply for an A1 for work in France. However: self-employed persons follow a separate route at the same institution (a separate form or portal at the same institution).
Applications are also submitted via the national social security authority, but using the form specifically for self-employed persons (not the employee form). Check with your national authority which form or portal applies to your situation as a self-employed person.
In addition to the A1, self-employed persons typically also need to demonstrate at an inspection that they are working as self-employed in their home country — for example via a company registration extract or proof of registration.
How is the A1 checked?
The French labour inspectorate ( DREETS /DDETS) and Urssaf check at the worksite whether the A1 is available (Code de la sécurité sociale L114-15-1). During an inspection, the inspector may request the A1 (on paper or digitally).
Ensure therefore that the A1 is:
present at the worksite itself, or
available with the appointed représentant (the French representative of your company) — who is authorised to hold and show documents to the inspectorate.
An inspector has the right to immediate access to the document. If the A1 cannot be shown, this can result in a fine — even if it subsequently turns out to exist.
Tip: documents with the représentant. If you have appointed a French représentant (required for a SIPSI notification), it is practical to also keep the A1 with them. The inspector can then contact them directly — even if the employee does not have the document on them at that moment.
Frequently asked questions
Does the A1 requirement apply to short jobs of just one day?
Yes. The A1 obligation has no minimum threshold. Even for a one-day service intervention in France, the employee must be able to show an A1.
What if the employee already had an A1 for a previous assignment?
An A1 is applied for per posting. Check whether the validity period covers the new assignment. If not, apply for a new A1.
How long may the posting last with an A1?
For a standard posting, the duration may be a maximum of 24 months. For longer periods, special authorisation is required (Article 16 procedure). Postings longer than 12 months also have additional employment law consequences in France.
Does the A1 requirement also apply to self-employed persons?
Yes, self-employed persons who are socially insured in their home country must also carry an A1 for work in France. Note: self-employed persons use a different application form than employees — see the "Self-employed / freelancers" section above.
What is the risk without an A1?
€ 4,005
per employee without an A1 at an inspection (2026: one monthly social-security ceiling; doubled on a repeat within 2 years)
If the A1 cannot be shown at an inspection, Urssaf imposes a penalty equal to the monthly French social-security ceiling per employee (2026: € 4,005; doubled on a repeat within two years). The law charges this penalty to your French client (Code de la sécurité sociale L114-15-1); expect the client to pass it on to you contractually. Furthermore, the employee may be treated as subject to French social security — resulting in social contributions still having to be paid in France.
→ Full checklist for work in France — all obligations including A1
A1 and SIPSI in one checklist
In WorkAdministration's France checklist the A1 application, the SIPSI declaration and the representative are steps: you apply and file, the app checks per employee that the A1 is uploaded and covers the posting period.
Start the checklist
Get in touch
This article is based on the Code de la sécurité sociale, EU Regulations 883/2004 and 987/2009 and official sources (as of: July 2026). It constitutes general information and not legal advice. Regulations may change; consult a specialist if in doubt.
Request a quote · Read more on WorkAdministration.com