A1 Certificate Translation – When and Why Should the A1 Form Be Translated?

A worker leaves for a construction site in Ireland. An engineer spends several months supervising a project in the Netherlands. A business owner carries out contracts in Poland and Germany at the same time. Each of these situations involves the same document – the A1 certificate. In Poland it is issued by ZUS, the Social Insurance Institution, and it is issued in Polish. The difficulty begins when it has to be shown to someone who does not understand Polish.

This article explains what the A1 form is, when its translation is genuinely needed, and why in many cases the job should go to a sworn translator of English (in Poland: tłumacz przysięgły języka angielskiego).

What Is the A1 Form?

The A1 certificate – also referred to as the A1 form or the portable document A1 – confirms which country’s social security legislation applies to a given person. It is issued by the institution of the country in which that person remains insured. In Poland, this is ZUS (Zakład Ubezpieczeń Społecznych).

The document is used between the Member States of the European Union, the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) and Switzerland. Since 2021, A1 certificates have also been issued for work in the United Kingdom, on the basis of the Protocol on Social Security Coordination forming part of the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

The principle behind the system is simple: a person working in more than one country is covered by the social security scheme of only one of them. The A1 certificate states which one. As a result, nobody pays contributions twice, and foreign institutions are, as a rule, bound by the certificate – until the issuing institution withdraws it or declares it invalid.

Who Needs an A1 Certificate?

The A1 certificate is most often required in the following situations:

• posting an employee to another EU or EEA country or to Switzerland – generally for a period not exceeding 24 months;
• working simultaneously in two or more countries (e.g. sales representatives, international transport drivers, board members of foreign companies);
• temporarily pursuing a business activity abroad by a person who is normally self-employed in Poland;
• remote work performed from another country for a Polish employer;
• short business trips, training sessions and conferences – some countries, such as Austria or France, check for an A1 even during a stay of a few days.

The application is filed by the employer or, in certain cases, by the person concerned. The most convenient way is through the ZUS Electronic Services Platform (PUE), before departure. ZUS processes a complete application without delay. If clarification is needed, the time limit extends to one month, and in particularly complex cases to two months.

Does the A1 Form Need to Be Translated? The Law vs. Practice

There is no single answer to this question. That is precisely why clients so often ask it at a translation office.

Formally, the position is clear. Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 prohibits the authorities, institutions and tribunals of Member States from rejecting documents solely because they are written in the official language of another Member State (Article 76(7)). The A1 form also has a uniform, EU-wide layout – the same fields and the same numbering in every country. A foreign counterpart of ZUS should therefore accept a Polish certificate without translation.

Practice is more demanding. The A1 certificate is read not only by social security institutions but also by:

• labour inspectors checking a construction site or a plant,
• main contractors and investors,
• HR departments of business partners,
• auditors, insurers and contracting authorities in tender procedures.

Many of these parties are not bound by the EU language rule. Others simply expect a document they can understand without further explanation. Directive 2014/67/EU should also be borne in mind: it allows host countries to require translation of certain documents relating to the posting of workers into their official language or another accepted language.

When Is an A1 Certificate Translation Needed?

Translation of an A1 certificate is most commonly ordered in connection with:

• requirements of a main contractor who verifies workers’ documents before admitting them to a site;
• an inspection by the local labour inspectorate or another authority in the host country;
• work in the United Kingdom, Ireland or Malta, where business partners expect documents in English;
• tenders in which the bidder must demonstrate that its staff are properly insured;
• a dispute with a social security institution or court proceedings;
• an audit within an international group whose working language is English;
• submitting in Poland an A1 certificate issued in English, e.g. by an Irish or Maltese institution – in which case it is translated into Polish.

The list is not exhaustive. When someone asks for an “official translation” of an A1 form, they almost always mean a certified translation.

Certified or Standard Translation?

A standard translation is sufficient for information purposes – for example, when a foreign partner’s HR department only wants to check the validity dates and the employer’s details. Where the document is to have legal effect, or is to be submitted to an authority, a court or a tender committee, a sworn translator is required.

A sworn translator of English in Poland is entered on the list kept by the Minister of Justice and works under the Sworn Translator Profession Act. The translation bears the translator’s seal, signature and register number. The translator also states whether the translation was made from the original, a copy, an extract or a photocopy, so the recipient knows exactly what it was based on.

Before placing an order, it is worth asking the recipient directly which form they expect. That one question often saves several days.

How Is an A1 Certificate Translated?

At our office, the process is as follows:

• Sending the document – a legible scan or photo is enough for a quote.
• Choosing the form – a paper translation with a seal, or an electronic one signed with the translator’s qualified electronic signature.
• Translation – all completed fields, employer details, addresses of places of work and the period covered by the certificate are translated. Seals, signatures and graphic elements are described.
• Checking – names, addresses, identification numbers and dates must match the original character for character.
• Delivery – in person, by courier or electronically.

An A1 certificate usually takes up to two pages and its structure is repetitive, so the translation can often be ready within one working day. When a whole team is being posted, it is worth sending all the certificates at once: consistent terminology across the documents makes any later inspection easier.

ZUS increasingly issues certificates in electronic form. A sworn translator can translate such a document from the file or from a printout – this will be stated in the certification clause.

Translations in Wrocław – Order Your A1 Certificate Translation

As an office of a sworn translator of English, we work daily with HR, social security and corporate documents. We translate A1 certificates from Polish into English and from English into Polish – single copies as well as complete sets for companies posting workers abroad.

We serve clients in Wrocław and throughout Poland. Many orders are handled entirely remotely, with no need to visit the office.

Need an A1 certificate translated? Send a scan of the document via tlumaczenia-kasprzyk.pl and we will reply with a quote and a delivery date. In case you may need to contact us in person, our contact data is as follows:

OFFICE OF A SWORN TRANSLATOR OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE JACEK KASPRZYK

Podwale 36A, office 14, 50-040 Wrocław

Mobile: 608 722 438

E-mail: kancelaria@tlumaczenia-kasprzyk.pl.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

Does ZUS issue the A1 certificate in English?

No. ZUS issues the A1 certificate in Polish. The layout of the form is uniform across the EU, but it is completed in the language of the issuing institution. An English version has to be prepared as a translation.

Can a foreign institution refuse an A1 certificate without a translation?

Social security institutions of EU countries should not reject a document solely because of its language. Business partners, main contractors, contracting authorities and bodies outside the coordination system are a different matter – they may require a certified English translation.

Is a standard translation enough?

For information purposes – yes. If the document is to be submitted to an authority, a court, a labour inspectorate or included in tender documentation, a certified translation is the safer choice.

Is the original document needed for the translation?

Not always. A sworn translator can work from a scan or a copy and states this in the certification. If the recipient requires a translation made from the original, the document must be shown to the translator.

Can the translation be issued electronically?

Yes. A sworn translator can prepare the translation in electronic form and sign it with a qualified electronic signature. It is advisable to confirm in advance that the recipient accepts this form.

How long is an A1 certificate translation valid?

The translation has no expiry date of its own – it remains valid as long as the underlying document. A new A1 certificate, e.g. after an extension of the posting, requires a new certified translation to English (or Polish).

Can a sworn English translator translate an A1 issued abroad?

Yes. We translate certificates issued in English, e.g. by Irish, Maltese or UK institutions, into Polish for Polish authorities, courts and business partners.

For what period is an A1 certificate issued for a posting?

For a posting to an EU or EEA country or to Switzerland, the anticipated period of work abroad generally may not exceed 24 months. A longer period requires an agreement between the institutions of both countries.

Legal Basis

• Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the coordination of social security systems (in particular Articles 11–16 and Article 76(7)).
• Regulation (EC) No 987/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 September 2009 laying down the procedure for implementing Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 (in particular Articles 5, 14, 15 and 19).
• Directive 96/71/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 1996 concerning the posting of workers in the framework of the provision of services, as amended by Directive (EU) 2018/957.
• Directive 2014/67/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 on the enforcement of Directive 96/71/EC (in particular Article 9).
• Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland – Protocol on Social Security Coordination.
• Polish Act of 13 October 1998 on the Social Insurance System (ustawa o systemie ubezpieczeń społecznych).
• Polish Act of 10 June 2016 on the Posting of Workers in the Framework of the Provision of Services (ustawa o delegowaniu pracowników w ramach świadczenia usług).

Polish Act of 25 November 2004 on the Sworn Translator Profession (ustawa o zawodzie tłumacza przysięgłego).