A1 certificate for truck drivers: who issues it and when it is required

A truck driver who works in more than one member state needs an A1 certificate from the social security institution of the one country whose law applies to them, and a share of working time under 25% in the residence state indicates that state's law does not apply ( Reg. 987/2009, Art. 14(8), as adopted ). The Commission proposed the EU Social Security Pass (ESSPASS) on 2026-09-15, with the portable A1 as the first document to go digital, but it is still a proposal and the paper or PDF certificate stays for now ( DATEV, 2026-10-02 ). This guide gives the decision path, the issuer in Poland, Romania and Germany, and a side-by-side comparison with the posting declaration filed in the EU Internal Market Information system (IMI).

One detail catches hauliers out. The French transport ministry's list of documents for a posted road operation names a copy of the IMI declaration, proof of the national leg and tachograph records. It does not name the A1 ( French Ministry of Ecology, updated 2023-06-23 ). The two documents answer different legal questions, and a driver can hold one without the other.

What does an A1 certificate prove for a truck driver?

The A1 (the portable document A1) proves which member state's social security legislation applies to the holder, so a host-country inspector can see that the driver is already covered elsewhere. It is issued under Regulations 883/2004 and 987/2009, which have applied since 2010 ( European Commission ).

It is a social security document. It says nothing about minimum pay, working conditions or posting rules, which sit in labour law and are handled through the IMI declaration discussed below. It is also separate from the other papers a driver carries, such as the licence, Driver CPC and tachograph card, which the guide on documents a truck driver needs in the EU covers.

One warning for Polish readers: the A1 is not the Polish driver attestation (świadectwo kierowcy). That is a different document with a different purpose, and it cannot stand in for the A1.

Which country's social security law applies to a driver who works in several member states?

The answer follows three questions in order: where the driver lives, whether a substantial part of their work happens there, and who the employer really is. Treat the steps below as a checklist for each driver, not each truck.

Step 1: does the driver live in a state where they work?

Under Article 13(1)(a) of Regulation 883/2004, a person who normally works in two or more member states falls under the law of their state of residence if they pursue a substantial part of their activity there ( Reg. 883/2004, Art. 13, as adopted ). A Romanian-resident driver who regularly loads and unloads in Romania passes the first gate.

Step 2: is the share in the residence state substantial?

"Substantial" means a quantitatively substantial part, not necessarily the majority. For employees, the criteria are working time and/or remuneration, and a share under 25% indicates it is not substantial (Reg. 987/2009, Art. 14(8), as adopted). The institution assesses this on the projected next 12 calendar months, per Article 14(10) of the same text.

A hypothetical example, for illustration only: a Romanian-resident driver whose projected working time in Romania over the next 12 months is 30% is not excluded by the 25% indicator, so Romanian law is the likely outcome. At 20%, the indicator points the other way and the driver moves to step 3.

Step 3: who is the employer?

If the residence route does not apply, Article 13(1)(b) points to the state of the employer's registered office. The Court of Justice clarified in AFMB (C-610/18, judgment 2020-07-16) that the employer is the undertaking exercising actual authority over the driver, bearing the wage costs and holding the power to dismiss. The formal contract is not enough, and the national court decides the final application (Njord Law summary, 2020-08-18).

For a haulier, this matters in subcontracting chains. If a driver is hired through one company but directed, paid and dismissable by another, the registered office of the second company may be the relevant one.

Who issues the A1 certificate for a truck driver in Poland, Romania and Germany?

The issuer is the social security institution of the state whose law applies, not the state where the inspection happens. The table below covers the three countries with a verified channel.

Poland

Since 2022-04-01, ZUS accepts A1 applications only through PUE ZUS. The certificate arrives on the applicant's PUE profile, and a refusal arrives as a decision on the same profile (Trans.info). The same report notes that France may treat a missing A1 as evidence of illegal work.

Romania

CNPP issues the document through its RODPA1 application or its portal. It publishes separate templates for road transport companies with pluriactivity and for cases under Article 16 of Regulation 987/2009. The CNPP page states no fixed processing time and no validity period, so do not promise a driver a date. Romanian employers weighing the pay side of the same question can read the Romanian driver diurna guide .

Germany

The route depends on the status of the person. Employees apply through their statutory health insurer or the SV-Meldeportal. Regular multi-state workers use the DVKA. Self-employed people without statutory health insurance apply to their pension insurer. IHK Rhein-Neckar advises applying in advance for trips to France, Austria and Switzerland, and says retroactive applications are possible for trips of up to seven days.

Published guidance gives different validity figures for the long-term German certificate, so this guide quotes none. The certificate states its own period, and the issuer is the authority to ask.

Does a truck driver need an A1 in every country they drive through?

The A1 attaches to work done in a state, so a simple pass-through is a different case from a delivery. IHK Rhein-Neckar reads the rule this way: a driver crossing Austria on the way to Italy needs the A1 to cover Austria as well when the transport counts as work there, while pure transit without work is not covered (IHK Rhein-Neckar).

That is one chamber's view and carries no binding force. Host-state enforcers may read it differently, and the answer can change with the type of operation. Labour-law posting is a separate matter: the French ministry states that bilateral operations, transit and combined-transport legs are not posting in France, while cabotage (a foreign carrier's right to run domestic transport inside a member state) and non-bilateral international transport are (French Ministry of Ecology). A trip can therefore be outside French posting rules and still raise an A1 question.

The practical rule for dispatchers is to carry the driver's A1 on every international trip, applied for before departure, and to ask the issuer about unusual routings.

What is the difference between the A1 certificate and the IMI posting declaration?

The A1 settles which country's social security law applies to the driver. The IMI posting declaration, filed through the EU Internal Market Information system, tells a host state that a driver is carrying out a posted operation, which brings that state's labour-law rules into play. The posting rules for road transport sit in the EU Mobility Package, covered in the guide to the EU Mobility Package posting and cabotage rules .

A driver on a cabotage job in France will normally need both. The A1 shows the driver stays in the home social security system, and the IMI declaration shows the operator has met the French posting formalities. The cabotage rules guide explains when a foreign haulier may run those domestic legs.

What do roadside inspectors ask for, and is the A1 on the list?

For a posted operation in France, the ministry's list is the IMI declaration copy, proof of the national leg and tachograph records. The A1 is absent from it. This does not make the A1 optional in general. The list covers posting formalities only, so it does not show whether other checks ask for the A1.

Authorities can also request more documents through IMI, such as contracts and payslips, and the operator has eight weeks to respond (French Ministry of Ecology).

Penalties vary by host state and by the legal basis the authority uses. This guide quotes no fine amounts for France or Belgium because no official figure was verified for road transport drivers. The safer approach is to keep the A1, the IMI declaration copy and the posting-leg proof together in the cab or the driver app.

Will ESSPASS replace the paper A1 certificate?

Not yet, and possibly not for some time. The Commission proposed ESSPASS on 2026-09-15. Under the proposal as reported by DATEV, the portable A1 would be the first document to move, one year after the regulation enters into force, with QR-code verification and paper still available. Other documents would follow after three years (DATEV, 2026-10-02).

It is a proposal, so it still has to pass through the legislative process, and the final text may change. No road-transport pilot has been confirmed. Keep issuing and carrying the A1 in its current form until your issuer says otherwise.

Frequently asked questions

Do truck drivers need an A1 certificate?

A driver who normally works in two or more member states needs one to prove which country's social security law applies. The institution decides on residence, the 25% indicator and the employer. Drivers working only in their home country do not need one.

Who issues the A1 certificate?

The social security institution of the state whose law applies. In Poland that is ZUS through PUE ZUS, in Romania CNPP through RODPA1, and in Germany a statutory health insurer, the DVKA or a pension insurer depending on the person's status.

What is the difference between A1 and a posting declaration?

The A1 is a social security document under Regulations 883/2004 and 987/2009. The posting declaration is filed in IMI under the labour-law posting rules of the EU Mobility Package. The French roadside list for posted operations names the IMI copy and not the A1.

Is A1 needed for transit?

IHK Rhein-Neckar says pure transit without work is not covered, while a delivery in the transited country counts as work there. That is one chamber's reading, so confirm with your issuer for routes through Austria, France or Switzerland. The French ministry separately treats transit as outside posting.

What happens if a driver has no A1?

Consequences depend on the host state. A Trans.info report from 2022 notes that France may treat a missing A1 as evidence of illegal work. This guide gives no fine amounts, because none was verified for road transport drivers.

How long is an A1 valid?

The certificate states its own period, and published guidance for German long-term certificates conflicts, so no single figure is safe to quote. CNPP does not state a period on its A1 page either. Read the dates on the issued certificate.

Can I apply for an A1 retroactively?

IHK Rhein-Neckar says retroactive applications are possible for trips of up to seven days. For anything longer, apply before departure and ask the issuer what it accepts.

Can a non-EU driver get an A1?

It can depend on legal residence in the issuing state, and issuers may check each case. Current ZUS practice for third-country drivers is not verified here, so confirm with the issuer. The non-EU driver guide covers the wider rules.

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