Register employees for social security

As an employer, you are obligated to register your employees for social security.

When hiring new employees, you must register these workers with social security.

This reporting obligation applies to all your employees. Therefore, you must not only include your employees subject to social security contributions, but, for example, also

• marginally or short-term employees,
• Trainees,
• Female interns, male interns,
• Werkstudentinnen oder -studenten oder
• register employed pensioners for social security.  

The registration procedure is the same for all employees, with the exception of mini-jobs in private households. For mini-jobs in private households, you must use the household check procedure provided by the Mini-Job Central.

You must submit social security notifications electronically. If you use a system-tested payroll accounting program in your business, you transmit the notifications using this program. This is done largely in an automated manner. Alternatively, you can transmit the data to the social security agency using a system-tested completion aid, for example with the SV reporting portal.

System-tested payroll accounting programs and completion aids also contain the necessary modules for all other electronic notifications to the social security authorities that you are obligated to submit as an employer. In addition to the registration, the monthly contribution statement and the annual report are particularly important. In some industries, you must also submit an immediate notification in addition to the registration.

To register employees, you must provide the following information, among other things:

• Personal data details
• Social Security number

The competent collection agency is generally the statutory health insurance fund of the employee; for marginal employees, it is the Minijob-Zentrale (Minijob Central Agency). To prepare the registration, you can use the "Information Portal for Employers" provided by the Information Technology Service Center of the Statutory Health Insurance (ITSG). This information portal helps you classify the employment relationship under social security law and compile all necessary data.

Depending on whether you handle payroll in-house or have outsourced it, you can prepare the registration yourself or have it prepared by your external service provider, such as a tax consultancy, a payroll office, or a service computing center.

• If you use a system-tested payroll software, you can submit the registration from this program with the registration reason "10". 
• If you do not use a system-tested payroll software, you can submit the registration using a system-tested completion aid such as the SV reporting portal.
• If you use the SV-Meldeportal, proceed as follows:
  • Go to the SV-Meldeportal website.
  • If you do not yet have a user account, please register for the first time.
  • Log in with your credentials, your ELSTER organization certificate, and your company number.
  • Under "Forms", select the "SV Notification" tile and within it the "Registration" form. Select the element "10 Beginning of employment".
  • Fill out the form. All fields have help texts. A manual is also available.
  • You can find messages and feedback in your inbox there.
  • Save all relevant documents electronically or print them out for safekeeping and add them to your payroll records.

You must register your employees for social security with the next payroll, but no later than 6 weeks after the start of employment.

The immediate notification must be submitted no later than the start of employment.

The service is generally free of charge. If you use the SV-Meldeportal, the following usage fees will apply:

A three-year use of the SV reporting portal costs:

• 36.00 EUR without VAT if you are reporting for your own establishment number,
• 99.00 EUR excluding VAT if you report for multiple company numbers.

Appeal: If you receive a fine notice because you failed to comply with the registration requirement, you can file an appeal within 2 weeks.