File the application with the Clearingstelle
The decision is taken by Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund on application by the parties. Timing matters more than wording: the first month after work begins changes the consequences entirely.
✓ Verified: 11/08/2026
WHAT TO DO
Deutsche Rentenversicherung (DRV)
Public bodyPension, account clarification and rehabilitation all run through the Deutsche Rentenversicherung — with in-person advice and online services (eService).
› Details and tips
Alongside the contract, attach a short account of one working day: who assigns tasks, whose equipment is used, who is liable to the end customer. Details like these carry the overall appraisal.
The calendar outweighs the wording: applying in the first month opens the rule under which insurance starts only on the day of the decision. Six months later that door is closed.
Useful Tools
- BMAS — Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales legal-info
Federal Ministry of Labour: official guidance on employment law, leave and working time.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Who may file the application? ▾
The parties, meaning contractor and client, in writing or electronically. Where the work is performed for a third party and there are indicators of integration into that party organisation, the third party may apply as well.
Can a decision be obtained before the work begins? ▾
Yes. On application the DRV decides even before work starts, based on the written agreements and the intended circumstances of performance. If anything changes up to one month after the start, it must be reported without delay.
What is the notice of the intended decision? ▾
Before deciding, the DRV states what it intends to decide and which facts it relies on, and gives the parties an opportunity to comment. This is skipped only where both parties filed matching applications.
What does the procedure cost? ▾
The Clearingstelle procedure itself carries no fees. Costs arise only for advice or representation if you bring someone in.
What if the health fund is already investigating? ▾
Then an application under Section 7a is excluded: the statute rules it out where, at the time of application, a procedure to establish compulsory insurance had already been opened.