The German labour market has its own specificities and rules that should be known by everyone who goes there to work or seconds or temporarily leases employees. You should definitely consult experts to avoid unnecessary fines and penalties, where the German authorities are uncompromising.

One of the key obligations when seconding or leasing employees to Germany is to register them with the local customs office.

When seconding employees, this step is an essential requirement for companies that do business in certain sectors, including but not limited to construction, electrical installation, building cleaning, or assembly and dismantling in connection with trade fairs and exhibitions. It is worth knowing in advance whether this obligation applies to you. The ProfiDeCon team of experts will safely guide absolutely everyone through the pitfalls of German bureaucracy.

Employee registration is one of the measures to prevent social dumping and illegal work. So if you are planning to second employees to Germany on a temporary basis, you should familiarise yourself in advance with all the conditions and obligations to avoid problems and possible sanctions.

How to do it

How and when is it necessary to register with the German customs authority? The declaration shall be submitted electronically via the online portal of the German customs authority. You must do this before the actual work begins. The length of secondment or temporary assignment of employees is irrelevant. You have to report even if the secondment should only last one day!

Expensive details

Remember that the German authorities are renowned for their rigour and therefore reporting needs to be complete and correct. When filling in the form, you must not only provide basic information about the employees, but also the place of work and the location in Germany where the necessary documents are located in case of an inspection. The customs office (Zollamt) regularly checks that foreign workers are guaranteed at least the minimum wage and other working conditions.

Avoiding fines

If you fail to report the employees or report them incorrectly, you could be fined up to €30,000. If you plan to second employees to more than one construction site, you must submit a separate report for each site. Special conditions apply to mobile activities, so consult experts before seconding employees in order to avoid unnecessary penalties.

At ProfiDeCon, we have been making it easier for Slovak companies to do business in Germany for more than 15 years.