Immediate notification – Combating illegal employment and undeclared work in Germany
Employers in certain sectors are required to submit immediate notifications and report the start date of employment no later than the commencement of the employment relationship.
Example: If work begins at 6:00 a.m., the notification must be submitted by 6:00 a.m. (including Sundays and public holidays).
The notification cannot be submitted later during the day.
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Which sectors are affected?
The immediate notification is a tool to improve the fight against undeclared work and illegal employment. Notifications must be submitted in the following sectors:
- Construction industry
- Catering and accommodation industry
- Passenger transport industry
- Freight forwarding, transport, and related logistics industry
- Fairground/showmen industry
- Building cleaning industry
- Companies involved in the set-up and dismantling of trade fairs and exhibitions
- Prostitution industry
- Guarding and security industry
- Meat industry that does not meet the requirements of § 2 (2) GSA Meat (new since 2026)
- Hairdressing industry (new since 2026)
- Cosmetics industry (new since 2026)
- Platform-based delivery services (new since 2026)
If there is uncertainty about the immediate notification requirement, the responsible collection agency (health insurance fund) decides on a case-by-case basis whether the obligation applies.
Proper submission of immediate notifications is monitored by customs. Failure to comply may result in significant fines of up to 25,000€.
Information required for an immediate notification:
- Surname, first name, and address
- Employee’s health insurance provider
- Pension insurance number (or alternatively date of birth, place of birth, and birth name)
- Start date of employment
- Type of employment (social security-contributory, mini-job, or short-term)
The immediate notification does not replace social security registration. This must still be submitted no later than six weeks after the start of employment.
