# Can I live in Germany but work elsewhere in EU?



## Savvy_ (Nov 9, 2013)

Hello All,

I'm in a bit weird situation and fail to find the right information online..wondering if anyone can give advise...
I would like to settle permanently in Germany where my partner lives (German national). However, I am employed by a company in another EU member state. My employer would like to still keep me as a remote employee on a civil contract. Is it possible to live in Germany but get my income from another EU country without registering myself as a contractor and without issuing invoices? My employer wants me as a remote employee, not as an external contractor...Thanks in advance for your help!


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## ALKB (Jan 20, 2012)

Savvy_ said:


> Hello All,
> 
> I'm in a bit weird situation and fail to find the right information online..wondering if anyone can give advise...
> I would like to settle permanently in Germany where my partner lives (German national). However, I am employed by a company in another EU member state. My employer would like to still keep me as a remote employee on a civil contract. Is it possible to live in Germany but get my income from another EU country without registering myself as a contractor and without issuing invoices? My employer wants me as a remote employee, not as an external contractor...Thanks in advance for your help!


You can but it could be quite expensive for either your employer or yourself.

In general, your employer can pay you your gross salary, you inform the local Department of Finance in Germany about the situation and they take income tax directly from your account by direct debit.

The more complicated matter is health insurance and other mandatory insurances such as unemployment and pension.

I used to work for an Embassy, so I was not working in Germany at the time, since Embassies are not considered German territory. I informed my German health insurance and they even had a special department for people like me. The health insurance then took both the fees for my health insurance and all other insurances directly from my account and passed it on to the relevant government agencies.

The problem there and possibly with your employer, too, was, that in Germany, German employers pay half of the fees for these insurances, which the Embassy was neither obliged nor willing to do. I imagine that an EEA employer outside of Germany would be the same but do check!

The bottom line was, that with me having to pay all the associated costs of my employment myself, there was not much left over for me to take home in the end.

The work was fantastic but I had to leave in the end because I work to make a living, not because I am bored and need a day-filling hobby.


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## Savvy_ (Nov 9, 2013)

Hi ALKB!

Thanks so much for your post! It is the best information I've received so far. Probably I'll have it a bit more complicated, since I'm not a German national but what you told me is great help!

Thanks again!!


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