A1 Certificate (CNPP Romania)

What is the A1 Certificate (Portable Document A1)?

The A1 Certificate (formerly known as E101), officially called Portable Document A1, is an official European document issued in Romania by the National House of Public Pensions (CNPP). It certifies that an employee or self-employed person temporarily posted to another European Union member state (as well as the European Economic Area or Switzerland) remains insured under the Romanian social security system.

By holding this certificate, the Romanian employer is not required to pay social security contributions in the host country where the work is performed (where rates are considerably higher — for example 30-45% of the salary in Germany or France), and instead continues to pay contributions exclusively in Romania.

Important! The A1 Certificate is mandatory from the very first day of activity in the destination country. Working without it exposes both the Romanian company and the foreign partner to severe fines from the local labour inspectorates.

A1 Certificate for drivers, transport companies and multi-state activity

For international transport companies, drivers and persons working in several member states, the A1 assessment may involve specific posting or multi-state activity rules. XBT reviews the situation before filing and can prepare a price quote based on the number of persons and the complexity of the file.

Key CNPP conditions for A1 Certificate approval

The National House of Public Pensions rigorously reviews the eligibility of applicant companies. To receive a favourable decision, the following legal conditions under Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 must be met cumulatively:

• Substantial activity in Romania: The employing company cannot be a shell company. It must have genuine activity in Romania, demonstrated by local turnover (as a rule, at least 25% of the total), active administrative staff in Romania and ongoing local commercial contracts.
• Length of employment contracts: The staff proposed for posting must have been legally employed by the Romanian company for at least one month before the posting begins.
• Direct relationship of subordination: Throughout the posting, the employee must remain under the direct authority of the Romanian employer (the Romanian company pays the salary, retains disciplinary authority and the right to terminate the employment contract).
• Non-replacement condition: An employee cannot be sent to replace another employee whose 24-month posting period has expired.

How we work at XBT Trading

Obtaining the A1 certificate can be a complex bureaucratic process involving extensive files and strict tax reviews. Our team of experts provides full support throughout the entire procedure:

1. Preliminary assessment: We analyse the company's documents and establish the degree of eligibility against the CNPP criteria.
2. Drafting the employment documentation: We prepare the international posting addenda to the employment contracts, the administrative decisions and the statutory declarations.
3. Preparing the tax and commercial file: We help you gather the company registry certificates, the tax certificates from the Romanian tax authority (ANAF) and the certified translations of the destination contracts.
4. Filing and monitoring the application: We submit the complete file to CNPP and stay in contact with the inspectors to clarify any issues, ensuring optimal processing times.
5. Delivery of the A1 Certificate: We deliver the issued A1 certificate in secure digital format, ready to be presented to European control authorities.

Documents required for the A1 Certificate

The file and the information requested by CNPP differ depending on the legal status of the applicant, the destination country and the specific conditions of the posting. Below are the documents and checks most frequently encountered in practice:

1. For an Employer (Romanian limited company - SRL / SA):

To post employees within the European Union and obtain the A1 certificate, the employer must prepare a file consisting of:

• Company Registry Certificate (ONRC): Recent, issued in the current month (no older than 30 days).
• Tax Clearance Certificate: Issued by ANAF, showing that the employer has no debts to the consolidated state budget at the date of the application.
• Labour Inspectorate (ITM) certificate: Official document confirming the employer's total number of employees.
• Accounting balance sheets and VAT returns: For the last 12 months, demonstrating substantial activity on Romanian territory (local turnover of at least 25%).
• The main commercial contract: The contract or pre-contract, translated into Romanian by a certified translator, concluded between the Romanian employer and the beneficiary company in the EU destination state.
• Individual employment contracts: Copies of the employment contracts of the staff to be posted, registered in the national employment registry (Revisal), together with the signed registry extract.
• Posting addenda: Copies of the addenda specific to international posting (stating the salary in the destination country, the daily allowance, and the transport and accommodation provided).
• Social security contribution certificate: Issued by the County Pension House, confirming that the employees have contributed for at least 12 months prior to the posting.
• ID copies: The Romanian identity cards of the posted employees.

2. For Self-Employed Persons (PFA / sole traders):

A self-employed professional carrying out independent activities in another EU member state can obtain the A1 Certificate by submitting:

• Tax registration certificate (CIF): Together with the company registry (ONRC) resolution establishing the business.
• Operating authorisation: The document issued by the authorities upon establishment.
• Tax Clearance Certificate: Issued by ANAF, proving there are no debts to the consolidated state budget.
• Social security contribution certificate: Issued by the Pension House, confirming contributions over the last 12 months in Romania.
• The latest financial statement: The annual tax return filed with ANAF for the previous year, together with the receipts and payments ledger demonstrating activity in Romania prior to the posting.
• Up-to-date company registry certificate: Confirming the current status of the business (issued in the month of filing).
• The destination commercial contract: The services contract or pre-contract concluded between the Romanian business and the EU partner, translated into Romanian by a certified translator.
• Identity card: A copy of the Romanian ID of the business owner.

How long does it take, and how much does the A1 Certificate cost?

Processing time depends on the completeness of the information, the number of persons, the type of applicant and any clarifications requested during the procedure. For urgent projects, the first step is an eligibility check before filing.

The price for consulting and preparing the A1 application is calculated based on the complexity of the case: company or self-employed, number of employees, destination country, existence of the foreign contract, posting duration and the volume of documents to be reviewed.

Frequently asked questions about the A1 Certificate