The introduce of ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System), an electronic registration procedure for short stays in a Schengen member state, was postponed to mid-2025. The ETIAS travel authorisation will be necessary for people who were previously able to enter without a visa for a short stay. Myths and facts about ETIAS: follow this link.
Residence permits for temporary protection of refugees from Ukraine that are valid as of 1 February 2024 will be extended until 4 March2025.
Information of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees
From 1 March 2024 at the latest, applications for A1 certificates for employees for postings to other EU/EEA countries, Switzerland or the United Kingdom must be sent to the health insurance fund or the responsible social insurance institution via the new SV-Meldeportal.
Self-employed individuals also must submit applications for A1 certificates for temporary activities via the new portal to the insurance carrier (statutory health insurance fund, pension insurance institutions).
Link to the SV-Meldeportal (in German); Techniker Krankenkasse: Guideline SV-Meldeportal (in German).
The EU member states reached an agreement that from 31 March 2024, there will no longer be checks on persons at EU internal air and maritime borders between Bulgaria and Romania and the countries in the Schengen area.
Information
Information from the Federal Ministry of Finance on standard amounts for additional expenses for meals and accommodation costs for business trips abroad from 1 January 2024.
Information (in German)
The levy rate for artists' social insurance will remain unchanged at 5.0 % in 2024. The KSK announces this here.
As of January, the statutory minimum wage for employees is 12.41 euros per clock hour. A FAQ on the minimum wage in Germany are provided at the webpage of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
The earnings limit for minijobs increases from 520 euros to 538 euros per month (information in German; information on minijobs in English).
Since the end of July 2023, Cuban nationals require an airport transit visa when they pass through a German airport - via the international transit area - to travel to a third country (outside the Schengen area). There are exceptions to the rule if, for example, a valid Schengen visa is available. The German Embassy Havanna informs here.
Since July 2023, employees are allowed to a greater extent to remain socially insured in the state where the employer is based when working from home abroad. The work of cross-border workers in a home office abroad (i.e. at the place of residence) can now comprise up to 49.99 % of the total activity, and the social security of the state in which the employer is based continues to apply. Previously, the activity in the country of residence was not allowed to exceed 25 % of the total activity, which would have led to a change in social security law. The regulation is linked to a special regulation during the corona pandemic and applies permanently.
Information and conditions and exceptions are provided by the DVKA here; summary information is also available here.
As of January 2023, Croatia is part of the Schengen area and the euro area.
Informationen of the European Council
The levy rate for artists' social insurance will increase from 4.2 % to 5.0 % in 2023.
Information of the Künstlersozialkasse (in German)
Information from the Federal Ministry of Finance on standard amounts for additional expenses for meals and accommodation costs for business trips abroad from 1 January 2023.
Information (in German)
Communication of the Federal Ministry of Finance on the tax treatment of travel expenses and travel expense reimbursements for business and work-related trips abroad as of 1 January 2023
See the communication here (in German)
The upper remuneration limit will increase from 1,600 euros to 2,000 euros per month from January 2023. Up to the income limit, employees pay lower social security contributions.
Information of the Minijobzentrale (in German) is updated here.
Easier access to unemployment benefits is established for employees who are predominantly employed for a short period of time; the special regulation, limited until the end of 2022, is thus no longer valid. The regulation takes into account also the specifics of the arts and culture sector.
The Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales informs here (in German).
From January 2023, the citizen's income will replace the previous unemployment benefit II - Hartz IV - as basic security for jobseekers.
Information of the Arbeitsagentur (in German)
Information of the BMAS (in German)
From January 2023, the Supply Chain Act will come into force: human rights and environmental protection will be strengthened in global supply chains. Initially, the law will apply to companies with at least 3,000 employees.
Information of the BMAS
Since January 2023, the Bundesamt für Auswärtige Angelegenheiten - BfAA (Federal Office for Foreign Affairs) has been responsible for the final certification of signatures on German public documents for use abroad. Previously, the Bundesverwaltungsamt (Federal Office of Administration) was responsible.
Information (in German)
The new right of residence has been introduced as of January 2023. It is intended to give those who have possessed “tolerated” status a permanent right of residence in Germany.
Information of Pro Asyl (in German)
Information of the Federal Government
On 1 October 2022, the statutory minimum wage will be increased to 12 euros per hour. The bill passed by the federal cabinet also provides for an increase in the remuneration limit for mini-jobs to 520 euros. For information provided by the BMAS, please see here (only available in German).
Insured persons of the KSK can continue to earn up to 1,300 euros from a non-artistic/non-publicist self-employed activity in 2022 without losing health and long-term care insurance protection. The increase in additional earnings from 450 euros to 1,300 euros has also been decided for 2022. The KSK informs here (only available in German).
From 2022, self-employed persons must also apply electronically for the A1 certificate for postings to EU or EEA countries, Switzerland or the United Kingdom. The application is possible via the sv.net programme (only available in German). This transmits the application to the competent social insurance institution, and the A1 certificate is sent online after processing. The Techniker Krankenkasse explains here how the application works (only available in German).
A1 certificates for self-employed activities in several states must still be applied for via a fillable pdf from the DVKA. The application form can be found here on the DVKA website (only available in German).