How Long Do You Wait for the A1 Certificate?

The waiting time for the A1 Certificate from ZUS (Social Insurance Institution) is highly variable. The whole process—from setting up a sole proprietorship to the final decision—usually takes up to two months. However, just one mistake is enough to significantly prolong the waiting time or even result in a refusal.

Chapter 1 – An Offer You Can’t Refuse

Mr. Andrzej was sitting at his kitchen table when the phone rang. He glanced at the display: a number from abroad. He answered with trepidation.
– “Hello, Andrzej? It’s Karl from BauHaus GmbH. We have a big construction contract for you in Germany. Starting next month. Are you interested?” he heard on the other end, spoken with a characteristic German accent.

Andrzej’s heart beat faster. He had been looking for an opportunity abroad for weeks, and suddenly, this offer!
– “Of course, I’m interested” – he replied in English, trying to sound confident. “When, and what formalities do I need to complete?”
Karl explained that the contract would last a year on a large construction site in Munich. There was one condition: Andrzej had to work as an independent contractor, preferably with his sole proprietorship (JDG), and he absolutely had to have the A1 Certificate.
– “You know, a paper from ZUS that says you pay contributions in Poland. Otherwise, we can’t legally employ you” – Karl added in broken Polish, trying to help.

Andrzej thanked him for the information and hung up. He sat silently for a moment, staring at his phone. The joy of the lucrative contract was mixed with apprehension. A company abroad? An A1 Certificate? he repeated in his mind. He had never run a business before, let alone handled international formalities. “Where in my small town am I going to find an accounting office that knows anything about foreign income?” he thought, panicked. Suddenly, he looked at a business card a friend who helped him apply for the German contract had given him: “Biuro Rachunkowe Precyzja – we operate entirely online. Ewa Bielecka, Chief Accountant.” He remembered his friend’s words: “They operate online, so you have contact with them all over the world. I worked with them during contracts in Germany, Saudi Arabia, and Belgium.”
Yes! This was his chance for rescue from this bureaucratic jungle.

Chapter 2 – What Formalities Must Be Met to Obtain the A1 Certificate from ZUS in 2025?

The next morning, Andrzej was waiting for someone to let him into the Google Meet call. A moment later, Ms. Ewa joined—a forty-something, energetic accountant with a sharp gaze, known for being fearless in the face of any procedure. She smiled encouragingly, seeing Andrzej’s nervousness.
– Good morning, Mr. Andrzej. I heard you have an interesting job offer abroad and need help with the formalities – she began.
Andrzej sighed with relief, feeling he had come to the right place.
– Exactly, Ms. Ewa. I have absolutely no idea where to start. They require me to have my own business and some kind of A1 Certificate… whatever that means.

Ewa nodded.
– All right, let’s start from the beginning. First, sole proprietorship (JDG) registration. You have to set up a company in your name. In Poland, this is done through CEIDG—the Central Register and Information on Economic Activity. This is the register for entrepreneurs running a sole proprietorship.
Andrzej listened carefully as Ewa continued, counting the points on her fingers:
– We file the CEIDG-1 application. You can do it online, but if you prefer, we can fill it out together on paper, and you can take it to the city office. In the application, you provide your data, address, company name, type of activity—for example, construction services—and a few important choices.

– Such as? – Andrzej interrupted.

– For example, the form of taxation. You have to decide how you will settle your income tax. The options are: general rules, flat tax, or lump sum – Ewa explained, and, seeing Andrzej’s confused look, began to clarify in simpler terms: – General rules means the progressive tax scale of 12% and 32%—you pay 12% of your income, but if you earn a lot, you pay 32% above a certain threshold. The flat tax is a fixed 19% of income, regardless of how much you earn—it is profitable if you plan for high earnings to avoid the 32%. In turn, the lump sum tax on registered income is a tax on revenue, paid at a rate depending on the type of activity, without deducting costs. For construction, the lump sum is around 5.5% of revenue.
Andrzej blinked. So many numbers overwhelmed him.
– I think the 19% flat tax will be the most sensible choice – she stated, assuming the Euro contract might yield significant income.
– A sensible choice – Ewa nodded. – For high earnings abroad, the flat tax is favorable, and the accounting is simpler.

– What next? – Andrzej asked.
– By entering the company into CEIDG, we will immediately register you with the Tax Office and GUS (Central Statistical Office). You will get a NIP (Tax ID) and REGON (Statistical Number), provided you don’t have them already. Do you have a NIP?
Andrzej pondered. Once, a long time ago, he had a NIP as a student working odd jobs, but he couldn’t remember it.
– It’s possible I have one, but I don’t know the number.
– No worries. If you have an assigned NIP, the system will assign it to you, and if not, a new one will be assigned automatically. After registration, the company will also receive a REGON number from the statistical office—usually within a few days. These numbers will be needed on invoices and official documents.

Andrzej nodded, nervously taking notes. Ewa smiled reassuringly.
– Please don’t worry, I will help you. We will fill out the form together. That’s what the screen sharing function on Google Meet is for. Company registration in CEIDG is free of charge and relatively quick. We can even set the start date for the next Monday so you are formally an entrepreneur from that day.

– Sounds good – Andrzej sighed. – Do I have to take care of anything else after registering?
– Yes, ZUS. Once you have the CEIDG entry, you must register with the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) as an entrepreneur within 7 days. This means completing the ZUS ZUA form—the registration for insurance. We must register you for mandatory social and health insurance.

Ewa pulled out another sheet of paper and began sketching a table.
– ZUS contributions are divided into several types: social insurance—retirement, disability, accident, and voluntary sickness—and health insurance. Additionally, there’s the Labour Fund and Solidarity Fund, but you won’t have to worry about those initially, as start-up reliefs won’t cover them.
Andrzej gasped slightly, hearing the litany.
– Start-up reliefs? – he asked, latching onto the positive-sounding word.
– Yes. Since this is your first business and you didn’t run it for a former employer, you are eligible for the so-called Start Relief. For the first 6 months of running the company, you are exempt from paying social insurance contributions—meaning you don’t pay for retirement, disability, accident, or the Labour Fund. You only pay the health contribution to ZUS and nothing else. That’s significant savings – she emphasized.
– That’s great! – Andrzej exclaimed happily. – So, for half a year, half the bureaucracy and costs.
However, Ms. Ewa raised a warning finger:
– Please remember that during this period, you are not covered by retirement or sickness insurance. If you get sick or have an accident, you are not entitled to sickness benefit, because sickness is voluntary and is not paid under the Start Relief. And these savings come with a catch in your case… – she hesitated.

Andrzej frowned. He had already learned that every government “bonus” has a catch.
– What catch? – he asked cautiously.
– It concerns the A1 Certificate you need to work in Germany. The Start Relief means you don’t pay social contributions, and the A1 Certificate confirms that you are subject to the Polish social security system. Do you see the paradox?
Andrzej thought about it. Since he wasn’t paying retirement contributions for half a year, would ZUS consider him „subject to the system”?
– Does that mean that if I use the relief, they might not give me the A1? – he asked anxiously.
– ZUS might object, arguing that since you are not paying full contributions, you are trying to circumvent the system – Ewa explained – The regulations don’t say this explicitly, but from experience, I know it’s better for you to pay at least minimal social contributions from the start to show you are genuinely insured. Otherwise, the officials might think the company was only set up for show. Besides, I always prefer my clients not to have to worry about what they will do in case of illness.

Andrzej sighed heavily. He hadn’t even earned a zloty yet, and he already had to give up the relief and pay ZUS?
– So you are suggesting I don’t use the Start Relief and pay social contributions right away? – he muttered, scratching his head.
– The decision is yours – Ewa replied calmly. – We can try to use the relief to save money, but we risk an A1 delay or refusal. And you don’t have too much time, do you?
Andrzej recalled Karl’s urging tone: „start next month”. He nodded resignedly.
– I have no choice. It’s tough, but I’ll pay that ZUS… – he said, though inwardly he grimly accepted the monthly amount of about a thousand zloty.
– Please don’t worry. You will still pay less for the first two years thanks to preferential contributions – Ewa consoled him. – The Preferential ZUS is another relief—after the 6 months of Start Relief, for the next 24 months, you pay reduced contributions based on a lower assessment basis (only 30% of the minimum wage). That’s about PLN 300–400 per month for social insurance plus the health contribution, instead of the full rates. That’s a relief for new companies. So, in total, you will be on full ZUS after 2 years.

– I understand. So now we register the company, register me for ZUS with the full insurance package right away… what then? – Andrzej tried to organize the plan.

– Then we will finally deal with the A1 Certificate – Ewa stated, giving him a meaningful look. – It’s the key to your departure and perhaps the most insidious element of this puzzle.

Chapter 3 – How long does it take to obtain an A1 certificate from ZUS, and what does the waiting time depend on?

A few days later, the registration formalities were already underway. Andrzej filed the CEIDG-1 application online with Ewa’s help. He entered his company name: “Andrzej Builds,” chose the flat-rate tax, and set the start date of his business for Monday. The City Office confirmed the entry. The very next day, the CEIDG system assigned him a NIP number, and after a few more days he also received his REGON. Mr. Andrzej’s company officially existed. With pride, he collected the certificate of entry in the register from the post office—black on white, his first and last name appeared next to the newly assigned numbers. “Maybe I should get some business cards?” he thought. “Nooo. It’s still too early for that.”

Ewa didn’t waste any time—at the same time, she prepared the registration with ZUS. Andrzej signed the ZUS ZUA form, registering himself as both payer and insured person. He resigned from the start-up relief, so he was immediately covered by full insurance: pension, disability, accident, health, and even voluntary sickness insurance (just in case, she advised him to pay it—if he falls ill, he will be entitled to a sickness benefit).

Everything was going smoothly, but Andrzej knew it was the calm before the storm. The real test was coming: to obtain A1.

They met again via Google Meet to fill in the appropriate application. Ms. Ewa logged in on her computer to the ZUS Electronic Services Platform (PUE ZUS).

– An A1 application can be submitted electronically – she explained. – The forms are marked with the symbols US-1, US-2, US-3, US-4 depending on the situation. In your case, there are two main types of A1 certificate to consider.

Andrzej leaned in, curious.

– The first type, the most typical one, is the US-1 application – it concerns entrepreneurs posted to work abroad. Put simply, if you have been running a business in Poland and now you want, for a certain period, to carry out the same business in another EU country, you file US-1.

– That sounds like my situation – Andrzej noted. – I have a company here and I want to go to Germany to do construction work.

But Ewa raised her hand.

– There is a “but.” ZUS usually requires that the business in Poland has already been operating for some time before it issues A1 on the basis of US-1. In practice they speak of at least 2 months of running the business before departure.

Andrzej frowned.

– Two months? I’ve had the company for a week… The contract starts in three weeks! – he began to feel panic rising. – I can’t wait two months; the contractor won’t keep me that long. Can the issuance of A1 be sped up?

– Exactly. That’s why there is a second type of application – US-2 – Ewa continued in a calm tone. – US-2 is filed when a self-employed person will work alternately in several countries. This is the so-called A1 certificate for work in multiple countries at the same time. Then having the business for 2 months is not required, but… – here she let her voice trail off.

– Another catch? – Andrzej almost groaned.

– …but you have to meet a different condition: during the validity of A1, at least 25% of your professional activity must take place in Poland. In other words, you must earn 25% of your income in the country.

Andrzej wiped his forehead with his hand. Numbers! Numbers again!

– So if over a year I earn, say, 100 thousand zlotys, then 25 thousand I have to earn in Poland?

– Exactly – Ewa confirmed. – It’s an EU requirement, so that a significant part of the activity is recognized as being in the country of residence. Then ZUS can issue A1 for work in several countries.

– Hm, but I’m supposed to work mainly in Germany; this contract will be 100% of my time… – Andrzej began to calculate. – I won’t have time to earn 25% in Poland.

– You can provide some services in Poland in parallel, for example remotely. Or have a smaller client here. Otherwise, formally, it will be hard to fit it under the requirement of working in Poland – Ewa stated. – We’ll have to convince ZUS that you have real activity here, not just “on paper.”

Andrzej bit his lip. It sounded like yet another obstacle: where is he supposed to suddenly get Polish income from?

– Let’s try the simpler route first, through US-1. Let’s submit the A1 application as a posting – he suddenly suggested, though he wasn’t sure it was a good idea. – Maybe if they see the contract from Germany, they’ll agree, even though the company is new?

Ewa looked at him carefully.

– We can try, but I’m warning you – the chances are small. ZUS is quite strict. All right, at worst they’ll refuse, and then we’ll file US-2.

The decision was made. They filled out the US-1 application electronically. Ewa entered Andrzej’s details—his NIP, REGON, and the date he started his business. She attached a copy of the contract from BauHaus GmbH, which Andrzej had received by email from Karl—as proof that a year of work in Germany was waiting for him. In the “posting period” field, she entered: 12 months (as a standard rule, A1 for the self-employed can be issued for a maximum of 24 months, but they only needed a year anyway).

– Done. I’m sending it – she said, clicking the confirmation. – Now we wait for ZUS’s decision.

– How long can it take? – Andrzej asked, hoping to hear “a few days.”

– It varies… From a few days to a few weeks. We’ll try to monitor it. Please check your PUE ZUS account—you’ll receive the response there.

The next few days passed for Andrzej as if in suspension. Every morning he logged into his ZUS online profile to check the status of the application. In the meantime, Karl from Germany got in touch: “Andrzej, alles klar? When can you come? My boss is asking about the paperwork.”

Andrzej clumsily explained in German that he was waiting on the Polish authorities. Karl didn’t understand. “Here it would take one day—why is it taking so long?” the contractor wondered. The pressure to start work quickly was becoming more and more palpable.

A week passed. On Friday afternoon, just before the office closed, Andrzej received a notification in the ZUS system. A decision regarding the US-1 application. His heart thumped hard as he clicked to read the letter. Unfortunately, the very first sentences cooled his hopes: „The Social Insurance Institution refuses to issue the A1 certificate. Justification: failure to demonstrate that the business has been conducted in the territory of the Republic of Poland for the required period prior to posting.

– Damn it! – Andrzej blurted out as soon as he finished reading. Furious, he grabbed his phone and called Ewa.

– Ms. Ewa, they refused. You said… you were right – he said in a trembling voice. – What am I going to do now? Karl will kill me, I’ll lose this contract…

– Calm down, Mr. Andrzej – Ewa tried to reassure him. – This is exactly what we expected. It’s not over yet. Now we implement plan B. We file the US-2 application.

Andrzej took a few breaths, trying to regain control of himself. He thought of the harsh words that were rising to his lips about ZUS: “Bureaucratic leeches! I have a contract, I want to pay taxes and contributions in Poland, and they’re making it difficult for me!” He felt his frustration growing, but he knew he had to keep a cool head. Exactly like the hero of a thriller novel who has to come up with a contingency plan yet again. Andrzej quickly realized that the answer to the question “how long does it actually take to get an A1 certificate?” is not straightforward—officials often make you wait as long as 8 weeks, and a wrong document can send everything back to square one.

Chapter 4 – Plan B: Alternating Work

On Monday morning, Mr. Andrzej appeared on Ms. Ewa’s computer screen once again. This time, the atmosphere felt like a staff briefing before a decisive operation. Ewa brewed herself a strong coffee and suggested to Andrzej: “Make yourself the same one.” Then she laid a blank form out in front of her.

– All right, now the US-2 application. We have to demonstrate that you will be working simultaneously in Poland and abroad. In other words, that your business has an international character, but Poland remains a significant base for your business.

Andrzej nodded, even though emotions were still boiling inside him.

– We’ll put in the application that the period for which you want the certificate is, say, 12 months, starting next month. We’ll indicate that the work will be carried out in two countries: Poland and Germany. – Ewa spoke as she filled in successive fields. – We’ll need to attach documents confirming activity in both countries. From Germany we have that contract with BauHaus GmbH. And what will we show for Poland? Do you already have any income, any job in Poland?

Andrzej’s face fell.

– No… I only just set up the business; I focused on that German assignment. I didn’t have time to look for anything here.

Ewa thought for a moment, tapping her pen on the table.

– Hmmm… Maybe you could do some small job here, in the country, even a symbolic one, just to issue an invoice? – she suggested. – ZUS will definitely ask about invoices or contracts from the last months to check actual business activity.

– Easy to say… Where am I supposed to get a client immediately? – Andrzej groaned. – Construction services aren’t something you sell overnight.

Suddenly, Ewa smiled mysteriously.

– You know what? I happen to be looking for a tradesman to renovate the garage at my house on my plot. It was supposed to wait until summer, but… why not now? I’d commission it to you.

Andrzej looked at her in disbelief, not knowing whether Ewa was joking. But she continued:

– We would draw up a contract with your company for the renovation, and you would issue me an invoice – say, for a few thousand zlotys. You’d get the money anyway – and at the same time you’d have official income from Poland.

Relief mixed with amusement appeared on Andrzej’s face. The situation was absurd—he was fighting the administrative system by renovating his accountant’s garage to prove his business actually operates. But isn’t that how the best anecdotes are born?

– If it’s not a problem… I’ll happily renovate your garage – he replied with gratitude. – I’ll even issue an advance invoice today, as long as we have a document.

– Great. – Ewa hit the computer keys with new energy. – We’ll attach a contract with Precyzja Accounting Office for the renovation as well as the advance invoice. It also wouldn’t hurt to add, for example, a printout of an advertisement showing that you offer services in Poland—let them see you’re looking for clients. Do you have a website or at least a Facebook profile for your company?

Andrzej shook his head.

– Not yet, I haven’t had time…

– Then please set up at least a simple website or a profile and post an offer of your services. You’re a company, so act like a company. Then we’ll take a screenshot as evidence. ZUS sometimes requires proof of so-called actual business activity—advertising, flyers, contracts with contractors, bills for a business phone, office rent, and so on. – Ewa listed it all off like a seasoned strategist planning a sabotage operation. – The point is to prove that your company is a real business, not an empty shell set up only to avoid paying contributions abroad. Besides—damn it—she got a bit worked up—You’re an entrepreneur now. You have to think and act like an entrepreneur. Which means you have to look for new clients. Because the one from Germany is here today and gone tomorrow!

Andrzej nodded, absorbing the advice. Over the next two days he worked like a man possessed: during the day he painted and plastered Ewa’s garage; in the evening he set up the website andrzejbuduje.pl with an offer of renovation services in the Mazowieckie Voivodeship. He also issued two invoices: one for the Precyzja office for the renovation (Ewa insisted he do it officially), and another small one—for fixing a fence for a neighbor whom he persuaded to use his services. The neighbor readily agreed when he heard it was to “save a special mission against bureaucracy.” Andrzej paused for a moment, thinking: “Maybe finding clients isn’t that scary?”

Soon, the US-2 application was ready to be sent. Ewa attached: the German contract, the commission contract for renovating the garage, invoices documenting income in Poland, and a printout from the website. She signed the whole substantial package of electronic documents with a qualified electronic signature and sent it via the ZUS portal.

– Now all that’s left is to wait – she announced, though she herself seemed slightly nervous. – We’ll monitor the case.

Chapter 5 – Waiting for a Miracle in PUE ZUS

Waiting for A1 became a real test of patience for Andrzej. Every morning he woke up and instinctively reached for his laptop to check the status. Days went by, and in the PUE ZUS system the same laconic message still showed: “application under review.” Karl was calling almost every day. Sometimes all Andrzej had left was humor and sarcasm to explain it to Karl somehow:

– “Andrzej, are you coming or not? My boss is angry.”

– Karl, Poland is not for impatient people – Andrzej would reply half jokingly, half seriously. – “Here everything must swoje odczekać – how to say – wait its due time. Paperwork first, work later.” (Karl, Poland is not a country for impatient people. Here everything has to swoje odczekać—how do you say it—wait for its time. First paperwork, then work.)

Karl would only sigh in resignation: “Das ist Wahnsinn… That is madness.”

Andrzej felt like the hero of a thriller trapped in a bureaucratic quagmire—the tension rose every day without any action. He recalled scenes from Vincent V. Severski’s spy novels, where agents waited for the signal to act, hidden, helpless against the passage of time. He, too, was waiting for a signal from headquarters—only instead of a secret order from an agency, he was waiting for an ordinary administrative “Yes, we are issuing the A1 certificate.”

When two weeks had passed and there was still no decision, Andrzej began to worry for real. The contract was supposed to start any day now. Dark scenarios swarmed in his head: “Maybe ZUS will come up with something again? Maybe these documents won’t be enough for them?” He imagined an anonymous official examining his application under a magnifying glass, looking for a hole in everything. Every ring of the phone sent a shiver through him—he was afraid it was Karl calling with news that the contract had been canceled.

Finally, one Wednesday morning, when Andrzej logged into his ZUS profile almost mechanically, a new entry appeared before his eyes: “A1 certificate – issued.” For a moment he couldn’t believe it, reading the words twice. It sounded like… success! He opened the details and saw a digitally signed PDF file—his A1 certificate. It had been issued for a period of 12 months, with the note that it concerned work in Poland and Germany at the same time. In the remarks field there was even a reminder about the need to meet the requirement of 25% of income from Poland. But Andrzej was simply overjoyed now—like a child.

He grabbed his phone and called everyone: first Ms. Ewa—to thank her and share the good news—and then Karl right after.

– “I have it! I got the A1 certificate! I’m coming next week!” – he was almost shouting into the phone, standing in the middle of the sidewalk in front of his apartment. Passers-by looked at him in amazement, as if they were seeing a madman. But he was simply celebrating a battle won against bureaucracy.

Karl exhaled with relief on the other end: “Gut, gut! Finally! We start on Monday, ok? But why so late, what happened?” – he pressed.

Andrzej smiled to himself.

– It’s a long story—I’ll tell you over a beer. I’ll just say that Polish administration is an adventure almost as extreme as climbing scaffolding – he joked.

– “Hehe, I can imagine. Burokratie ist überall schlimm, aber chyba Poland wins,” Karl laughed, mixing languages. – “See you Monday. Gratuliere, Herr Andrzej!”

Chapter 6 – Epilogue

A few days later, Mr. Andrzej was already on his way to Munich. In his suitcase, next to his hard hat and documents, he had a printed A1 certificate—his precious “insurance passport,” as Ms. Ewa called it. Thanks to this document, in the event of an inspection on a construction site in Germany he would show that he pays contributions in Poland and does not have to be insured in the German system. He would also avoid paying contributions and taxes twice. On the way, he stopped by the Precyzja office one more time for final guidance. Ewa congratulated him on his perseverance:

– We did it, Mr. Andrzej. I’m truly happy. Please remember about that 25% of income in Poland—we have to account for it. I’ll keep an eye on it on an ongoing basis so that you also issue invoices here. You have to pick up jobs in Poland and remember that this is where your tax residency is. Otherwise, with the next A1 application, they may ask whether you met the conditions.

Andrzej nodded with a smile.

– Sure. I’ll remember. If anything, I can always paint your second garage – he joked.

They both laughed.

As they said goodbye, Ewa shook his hand.

– Good luck on the contract. Please be careful… and with German beer too—apparently it’s stronger than our ZUS! – she winked.

– After what I’ve been through with Polish bureaucracy, nothing scares me anymore – Andrzej replied proudly. – Thank you for everything. Without you, I would have gotten stuck in this labyrinth of regulations for good.

As Andrzej drove away from the office, he felt a surge of satisfaction. Here he was—Andrzej, a freshly minted entrepreneur—had beaten the system like the hero of a thriller. This story had action, tension, plot twists, and even humor straight out of a bitter comedy. He didn’t have to chase anyone or decipher secret codes—it was enough to make it through CEIDG, ZUS, NIP, REGON, US-1, US-2… The whole alphabet of Polish bureaucracy.

Outside the bus window, the last Polish towns before the border flickered past. Andrzej looked at them with tenderness and irony at the same time. “Poland is a beautiful country,” he thought, “though sometimes more sensational than many a thriller. Especially when you’re trying to get something done at an office.” He smiled to himself, ready for new challenges. This adventure taught him one thing: when dealing with bureaucracy, it’s worth having allies like Ms. Ewa, a sense of humor, and plan A, B, and even C. Thanks to that, even the longest procedure ends someday—and then you can move forward, toward the next chapters of your own story.