No more paper A1 applications

Since April of this year, amended regulations concerning the application for and issuance of the A1 certificate have been in force. Applications for this document can be submitted to the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) exclusively in electronic form via the Electronic Services Platform (PUE). Paper applications are no longer accepted. The Social Insurance Institution reminds about the new procedure on its website.

What is the A1 certificate?

The A1 certificate confirms coverage under Polish social security legislation. It is an essential document for employees posted to work abroad. The A1 certificate is issued pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the coordination of social security systems.

Poland stands out among EU countries due to the very high number of posted workers, which is why ZUS issues the highest number of A1 certificates in Europe. In 2020, 617,700 A1 certificates were issued, and in 2021, 676,700. The main country for which the largest number of certificates is issued is Germany, followed by France. In addition to employees, more and more entrepreneurs and service providers under civil law contracts are travelling abroad, informs Krystyna Michałek, Regional Press Spokesperson for ZUS in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship.

New application procedure

ZUS accepts only electronic applications for A1 certificates and issues the certificates in electronic form. Certificates issued by ZUS will be made available to the applicant on their profile created on the ZUS PUE platform.

In the event of refusal to issue an A1 certificate, ZUS will issue a decision, which will be accessible on the applicant’s PUE ZUS profile.

On the website www.zus.pl, the authenticity of the A1 certificate can be verified. The electronic form requires entering specific data from the certificate, and the validator will inform about the validity of the document. In this way, foreign social security institutions, foreign employers, or other entities can verify the validity and authenticity of the submitted document, explains Krystyna Michałek.

A printed A1 certificate constitutes proof of what is stated in the document issued electronically by ZUS and is an official document under Polish law. The printout serves as evidence in legal procedures.

Online tool to verify the validity of the A1 certificate (ZUS A1 Validator)

Since 1 April 2022, ZUS has launched a service on its website to verify the authenticity of the A1 certificate. By entering specified data from the certificate into the electronic form, the validator provides information about the document’s validity. This enables foreign social security institutions, foreign employers, or other entities to check the validity and authenticity of the submitted certificate.

The amended legal provisions and the measures implemented on their basis aim to streamline the process of applying for and issuing A1 certificates, including reducing errors when completing applications, preventing abuses, and limiting the circulation of paper documentation.

More information about the new procedure can be found on the Social Insurance Institution’s website: ZUS Homepage.