Posting Has Its Own Logic
An Entsendung (posting) is when an employer sends an employee to work in another country temporarily while the employment relationship stays at home. It has its own social-security logic that overrides the usual “insured where you work” rule: for a genuine, time-limited posting, you can remain in your home country’s system, insured as if you never left. That is often a relief — but it depends on doing the paperwork, and the details decide whether German rules apply instead.
The key document: within the EU/EEA, an A1 certificate confirms you remain subject to your home country’s social security during the posting. With a valid A1, you stay in your home health system for the posting period; without it, you risk falling under German rules.
Coming to Germany on a Posting
If a foreign employer posts you to Germany with a valid A1 (or an equivalent under a bilateral agreement), you generally remain insured at home and are not obliged to join the German system for the posting’s duration. Practically, you should still ensure your home cover actually works in Germany — carry your EHIC or insurer documentation, and confirm access to German providers. Postings have time limits; if the assignment extends or becomes permanent, the position can change and German insurance may then apply.
Going Abroad from Germany
- Employees posted abroad: a German employer posting you out can obtain an A1 so you stay in the German system while away
- PKV members abroad: your private tariff’s worldwide-cover clause governs treatment during the posting — check the trip-length limits and whether an extension or add-on is needed for a long assignment
- Notify your insurer: tell your PKV insurer about an extended posting so cover and any special terms are clear before you go
Where PKV Fits
For a privately insured German employee posted abroad, PKV typically continues, with the worldwide clause doing the work — the main task is matching the tariff’s limits to the assignment length. For someone posted into Germany on an A1, the German PKV/GKV choice usually does not arise, because they remain in their home system. The exception is when a posting ends or converts to local employment: at that point the ordinary German rules — and the PKV option for qualifying earners — come into play.
The Bottom Line
A posting lets you stay in your home country’s health system temporarily, evidenced within the EU by an A1 certificate — so an Entsendung into Germany usually does not trigger the German insurance choice, and a German employee posted abroad normally keeps PKV with its worldwide cover. Sort the A1, confirm your cover works where you are going, mind the time limits, and reassess if the posting becomes permanent.
Frequently Asked Questions
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