Intra-corporate employee transfer , Date: 2024.08.26, format: Article, area: Migration and residence

If you are working as a manager, specialist or trainee in an undertaking that is headquartered outside the EU, and are to be deployed in one or more units within the EU, an intra-corporate transfer (ICT – Intra-Corporate Transfer) can be considered for you. This means that you are issued with an ICT Card in the EU Member State in which you will be working for your undertaking for the longest period.

The following requirements need to be satisfied for this:

• You are employed by an undertaking or group of undertakings that is headquartered outside the EU, and are temporarily seconded to its unit in Germany, i.e. your previous work contract continues to be valid.
• you work as a manager, specialist or trainee employee in the host entity in Germany, and provide evidence that you possess the requisite professional qualifications (other than with trainee employees),
• you have been employed by the undertaking or group of undertakings for at least six months, and belong to the undertaking uninterruptedly for the period of the transfer,
• the intra-corporate transfer is to last longer than 90 days,
• you are able to present a work contract and, if necessary, an assignment letter valid for the duration of the intra-corporate transfer,
• the work contract and/or the assignment letter state that you will continue to be employed by your previous employer subsequently to the transfer, and
• at least six months have elapsed between your most recent stay as part of an intra-corporate transfer and the present one.

If you satisfy these preconditions, you have a legal entitlement to have an ICT Card issued to you. The ICT Card is issued for the duration of the transfer, up to a maximum of three years; Cards for trainee employees are valid for a maximum of one year.

You can also use the ICT Card to work for your undertaking on a short-term basis in units in other EU Member States (with the exception of Ireland and Denmark), cf. section on "Mobility: intra-corporate transfer".

If you already hold an ICT Card in another EU Member State and are to be deployed for your undertaking in Germany, you will find more information in the section on "Mobility: intra-corporate transfer".