Sending a crew from one EU country to work on a project in another is routine in shipbuilding, offshore and industrial construction. The paperwork is less routine. This guide walks through posting workers in the EU step by step, from checking that the job really is a posting to the documents that must be ready when the labour inspector arrives.
The Posting of Workers Directive (Directive 96/71/EC, as amended by Directive (EU) 2018/957) defines a posted worker as a worker who, for a limited period, carries out work in a Member State other than the one where they normally work.
Article 1(3) of the Directive covers three situations where a company established in one Member State posts workers:
In all three, the employment relationship with the sending company must continue during the posting. One exclusion is relevant for marine work: under Article 1(2), the Directive does not apply to merchant navy undertakings as regards seagoing personnel. Crews working on board ships may therefore fall under different rules, which should be checked case by case.
A posted worker keeps the employment contract with the sending company, but the host country's core terms apply during the posting. Article 3(1) of the Directive lists the matters covered, where the host country sets them by law or by universally applicable collective agreements:
Note the word remuneration. Since the 2018 amendment it means all the elements of pay made mandatory in the host country, not only the minimum wage. What counts is set by the host country's own law and practice.
Where do you find these rules? Each Member State must publish them on a single official national website. The Directive requires the information to be accurate and up to date, and the European Commission publishes the addresses of these national websites. Use the host country’s official posting portal to confirm the current rules, forms and deadlines.
Labour law and social security are separate tracks. For social security, a posted worker normally stays insured in the home country, and the employer requests a Portable Document A1 from the home country's social security institution. Current EU coordination rules allow an A1 for a posting of up to 24 months; any extension depends on agreement between the competent institutions.
Request the A1 before the worker leaves. On site, it is the worker's proof that contributions are paid at home. The conditions and the procedure are explained in our guide to the A1 certificate for posted workers.
The Enforcement Directive (Directive 2014/67/EU) allows host countries to require a simple declaration from the service provider, made at the latest when the service starts. Article 9(1)(a) lists the kind of information it can include:
Each country sets its own form, portal, language and deadline within these limits. Check the host country's national website for the actual procedure.
Article 9(1)(b) of the Enforcement Directive allows the host country to require copies of these documents during the posting, kept in an accessible place such as the workplace or the building site:
Host countries may require two contact persons, defined in Article 9(1)(e) and (f):
| Rule | Limit | What happens after |
|---|---|---|
| Long-term posting (Directive 96/71/EC, Art. 3(1a)) | 12 months, or 18 months after a motivated notification | Almost all applicable host country employment terms apply, except contract conclusion and termination rules and supplementary pension schemes |
| Social security (PD A1) | Up to 24 months | Switch to the host system, or an agreed extension between the countries |
One detail catches out rotating crews. If a posted worker is replaced by another posted worker doing the same task at the same place, the Directive counts the cumulative duration of the postings for the 12 or 18 month limit. Swapping people does not reset the clock.
Income tax is outside both the Posting Directive and the A1. There is no single EU-wide income-tax rule for every posting; it depends on national law and tax agreements, so check it before the job starts.
This guide summarises EU-level rules. Each Member State applies them through its own law, so requirements, forms and deadlines differ between countries. Treat this as a starting point and verify every posting with the host country's authorities or a qualified adviser.
One assignment can cross more than one border. During the construction of Icon of the Seas, RAM deployed a 40-person technical team for mechanical and interior outfitting: bathrooms, sanitary areas, stair assemblies and associated interior installation. The team worked for 3 months at Meyer Turku in Finland and then for 4 weeks in Cádiz, Spain, during the sea-trial phase (newbuild, outfitting and ship repair).
For anyone planning a similar assignment, the steps in this guide apply per host country. A move from Finland to Spain means two national websites to check for terms and conditions, two declaration formats and two sets of documents to keep on site, while the social security cover has to match the whole period.
RAM prepares any mobilisation in the same order as the checklist above: understand the work, match capability to the task, check qualifications and documentation against what the project asks for, and agree scope, supervision, interfaces and deliverables before anyone travels. Under workforce solutions, RAM handles employment, documentation, mobilisation and workforce administration, and the client directs the work on site. Under technical subcontracting, RAM organises the trades, supervision and coordination around the deliverables agreed in the contract. Where a client needs payroll for its own employees rather than employment through RAM, RAM's payroll support covers Romania, Denmark and Norway.
RAM's published records span several countries, among them the cruise vessel newbuild in Finland and Spain, an onboard technical assignment aboard Allseas Solitaire in the Netherlands, and yard-stage production in Harstad, Norway.
If you need a crew mobilised under a clear employment and payroll setup, see how RAM handles payroll and employment services and the RAM services overview, or contact the team with your project details.
No. The A1 covers applicable social security legislation. Posting declarations and host-country employment rules are separate requirements.
Not automatically. Where workers replace one another on the same task at the same place, cumulative duration may apply under the posting rules.
The worker keeps the contract with the sending employer, while mandatory host-country terms identified by the applicable posting rules must also be respected.
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