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Cross-Border services

Service providers from other EU/EEA Member States and Switzerland can provide their services on a temporary basis without setting up a permanent branch in Germany.

If you comply with the legal requirements in your country of origin, other Member States cannot generally impose any additional requirements. Certain requirements can still be imposed under very limited circumstances if they are necessary for one of the following reasons: public policy, public security, the protection of public health, or protection of the environment.

The Point of Single Contact in Hessen informs you of the rules and formalities involved and enable you to complete administrative procedures online.

But of course you can also set up a branch of your business in Germany if you want to provide services there permanently.

This practical guideÖffnet sich in einem neuen Fenster for citizens and businesses on their rights and opportunities in the EU’s single market might be helpful.

The Hessen-Finder (Hessen Info Service) provides a detailed description of the cross-border provision of trade industry services by trade workers from other EU/EEA countries.

(website only available in German)

Verwaltungsportal Hessen

Your Europe is an EU site designed to help you do things in other European countries – avoiding unnecessary inconvenience and red tape. This can mean moving, living, studying, working, shopping or simply travelling abroad. Or, as a company, doing business abroad.

Your Europe

You will find information for businesses about movement of goods, services and capital, aviation tax and much more at zoll.de

Zoll

The legislator has established a procedure for safeguarding tax claims in order to curb illegal activities in the construction industry. Find out more Information on the linked Site.

Tax deduction for construction

Eures is a cooperation network designed to facilitate the free movement of workers within the European Economic Area; Switzerland is also involved. Partners in the network include public employment services, trade union and employers' organisations.

Eures

The Portal 21 provides initial information about general laws and regulations that may apply to the cross-border provision of services, e.g., international private law, civil law (such as contract law, warranty law and corporation law), insolvency law, and industrial/intellectual property law.

(website only available in German)

Portal 21

Are you resident in Germany, and would like to start up business in the Netherlands? Or would you like to provide transnational products and services? The German and Dutch Start-up Portal helps get you started.

Dutch Start-up Portal

The point of single contact at the Lower Bavarian and Upper Palatine Chamber of Trades and Crafts provides informative guidelines for anyone providing a skilled trade in Germany. A PDF containing guidelines is only available in german language.

German

The Lower Bavarian and Upper Palatine Chamber of Trades and Crafts

The Hessen Trade & Invest GmbH (HTAI) is the economic development agency of the state of Hesse. It is responsible for the sustainable development of the business and technology hub of Hessen, with the aim of reinforcing and improving its competitiveness. The services are aimed at innovation and technology-oriented businesses from Hesse, as well as Hessian companies that want to expand abroad or develop their existing international business.

HTAI

The Posting of Workers Directive requires EU countries to cooperate and share information. National liaison offices and authorities responsible for monitoring the terms and conditions of employment have been set up in each country. These act as contact points for authorities from other Member States, for companies that post workers, as well as for posted workers themselves. Auf der Seite der europäischen Kommissionen finden Sie Links zu den Kontaktstellen und Informationsblätter.

European commission

The DVKA provides information for employers and workers about health insurance in Germany, Obligatory insurance in case of employment abroad and Tips for foreign employers in Germany.

DVKA

The brochure gives a comprehensive overview of the Social Security system in the Federal Republic of Germany. Contents include pension, health, long-term care and occupational accident insurance schemes as well as the fields of promotion of employment, labour law and educational assistance, rehabilitation of disabled persons, housing allowance and social assistance.

BMAS

You can find more useful information in the following section: Foreign tradeÖffnet sich in einem neuen Fenster.

Flyer (englisch) (PDF/1.18 MB)

Employees can be posted abroad by a German company, in the same way as they can be posted to Germany from a foreign company. The following links guide you towards information concerning employee posting, covering everything from residency permits to social security legislation.

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