What the EU's Fair Labour Mobility Plan Could Change for Cross-Border Workers

The European Commission's September 15 Fair Labour Mobility package could simplify how some workers carry social-security records and how employers compare qualifications across borders. It is still a set of proposals. Until the European Parliament and Council adopt the relevant measures and they enter into force, workers continue using today's national institutions and procedures.

For a worker sent temporarily to another EU country, the difference is practical. The current system involves forms issued by a home-country authority, a notification to the host country and separate rules for professional recognition. The package would add digital ways to request, present and verify some of those records.

What a posted worker does today

According to Your Europe's posted-worker guidance, an employer posting a worker abroad generally requests a Portable Document A1 from the social-security institution in the country where the worker is insured. The A1 records which country's social-security law applies. For a posting, the issuing institution is in the sending country. The document can cover up to 24 months; an extension beyond 24 months requires mutual agreement between the competent authorities in both countries and must be in the worker's interest. During a qualifying posting under the A1, the worker generally does not register in the host country's social-security system or build a second set of pension or unemployment rights there. This concerns social-security contributions; host-country employment conditions remain a separate issue.

That paperwork is separate from the employer's posting declaration to the host-country authorities. The declaration normally identifies the employer, worker count, workplace, service and expected dates. Employment conditions in the host country also apply when they are more favourable than the worker's home-country terms. These steps remain relevant even if the proposed pass is adopted: the package digitises records and administration, while existing posting rules still determine the worker's position.

Health coverage uses another document. An insured person can request a European Health Insurance Card from their national health insurer at no charge, according to Your Europe's EHIC guidance. The EHIC proves insurance status during a temporary stay. It does not replace travel insurance, cover private healthcare or guarantee free treatment. A patient using private care may need to pay the full amount and seek reimbursement later.

The proposed pass would change how records move

The Commission's European Social Security Pass proposal would let people request and receive selected documents online, including the A1 and EHIC. A person could store and present them through the EU Digital Identity Wallet, and public authorities could check them digitally. That would reduce the need to send or carry paper copies in some cross-border situations.

The timetable starts after legislation takes effect. The Commission's published timetable proposes beginning A1 digitalisation one year after the ESSPASS regulation enters into force. The EHIC and other documents would follow within three years. These are staged periods after adoption, rather than launch dates that can be counted from the September announcement.

Qualification recognition stays country-specific

Professional rules depend on the destination. A profession can be regulated in one EU country and not another. Someone planning to work as a nurse, engineer or other regulated professional must check the host country's requirements and may need a formal recognition decision before practising. Your Europe's regulated-profession guidance explains how to check the rules in the destination country. Language tests and professional registration can still apply. Current guidance from Your Europe says authorities should acknowledge receipt within one month and decide within three months after receiving the certification papers, although they may request more documents.

The existing European Professional Card is an electronic certificate for five professions: general-care nurses, physiotherapists, pharmacists, real-estate agents and mountain guides. It does not replace the traditional recognition procedure for every professional. That makes the Commission's proposed Skills Portability Act a broader change: it would create a standard digital format for qualifications and a free tool for comparing credentials using national databases.

For regulated professions, the Commission proposes a mandatory digital recognition procedure. It estimates that a decision could take five weeks instead of about three months. That is a projected timeline, not a service standard already available to applicants. The proposal also aims to simplify recognition of qualifications earned outside the EU within two years of adoption, with digital qualifications and easier procedures for regulated professions phased in within three years.

What the package does not change

The package does not itself grant permission to live or work in another country, set tax rules or remove national professional standards. Its proposals concern social-security documents, qualification recognition and cross-border enforcement.