Guide to registering new employees in DATEV Personal. Online personnel questionnaire, onboarding process, immediate registration (Section 28a(4) of Book IV of the Social Code) and required documents.

Introduction

There are several steps involved in hiring a new employee. In DATEV Personal, you ask the new employee to complete the online HR questionnaire, make the necessary documents available via the personnel file and – in certain sectors – trigger the immediate registration. We then take care of registering them for social security.

A few clarifications first, as there are often misunderstandings regarding the onboarding process:

The new employee completes the personnel questionnaire themselves – you do not enter the data yourself, but invite the person to do so.

The immediate registration is not the same as registering for social security. The immediate registration applies only to certain sectors and must be carried out very early on; we handle the standard social security registration for all employees as part of the payroll process.

This article describes the onboarding process step by step, explains the staff questionnaire and the immediate registration, and sets out what additional documents we require.

The online staff questionnaire

The staff questionnaire collects the personal details we need for registration and payroll processing – name, address, date of birth, social security number, bank details, tax identification number and health insurance details.

What makes this special is that the new employee completes the questionnaire themselves online. The data is transferred directly to the personnel data section and does not need to be retyped, which helps to avoid data entry errors.

The questionnaire is available in German and English. This is helpful if a new employee prefers to enter their personal details in English.

This is how the onboarding process works

1. You invite the new employee to complete the questionnaire

   In DATEV Personal, you initiate the online personnel questionnaire for the new employee. The employee is granted access and fills in their personal details themselves.

2. You check the data entered

   You view the details entered in the personnel data and check them for completeness and plausibility.

3. If necessary, you trigger the immediate registration

   If your business operates in one of the sectors subject to immediate registration, you must trigger the immediate registration no later than when the employee starts work.

4. You prepare the documents

   You upload the employment contract and any other required documents to the personnel file.

5. We register the employee with social security

   Based on the information you provide, we will complete the social security registration and include the employee in the payroll.

Immediate notification

Immediate registration serves to combat undeclared work and illegal employment. Employers in certain sectors must report the start of employment before work commences.

When immediate registration is mandatory

This obligation arises from Section 28a(4) of SGB IV. It applies only to sectors with a heightened risk of undeclared work. These include, amongst others, the construction industry, the hospitality and accommodation sector, the passenger transport sector, the freight forwarding, transport and logistics sector (including platform-based delivery services), the fairground industry, the building cleaning sector, companies involved in the set-up and dismantling of trade fairs, the meat industry, the sex work sector and the security and guarding sector.

The list of sectors was updated with effect from 1 January 2026: the hairdressing and beauty sector has been added, whilst forestry and the butchery trade have been removed.

Deadline and consequences

The immediate notification must be submitted no later than the start of employment – not just by the monthly payroll deadline. It must be submitted electronically to the Pension Insurance Data Centre.

The immediate notification does not replace the standard social security registration. Both are required; we will handle the standard registration for you.

What additional documents we need

In addition to the details from the personnel questionnaire, we require a number of documents, which you should provide via the personnel file.

• [ ] Place of birth and maiden name
• [ ] Employment contract
• [ ] National insurance number or national insurance card
• [ ] Health insurance details
• [ ] Tax identification number
• [ ] If employed in more than one job: details of other employment
• [ ] If required: evidence of previous periods of employment or exemptions

The documents required in each individual case depend on the person and the type of employment. Different requirements may apply in the case of mini-jobs, short-term employment or apprenticeships.

What we take care of

As soon as we have received the data and documents, we will complete the social security registration. This must be submitted to the relevant health insurance fund no later than six weeks after the start of employment – in sectors subject to immediate reporting, the immediate notification must be made even earlier.

We check the details, assign the contribution groups and include the person in the ongoing payroll processing. We will contact you if we have any queries.

Common sources of error

• Incomplete questionnaire: If mandatory details such as the tax identification number are missing, the registration will be delayed or the payroll processing will be inaccurate.
• Immediate registration submitted too late: If the registration is only submitted after the employee has started work, a fine may be imposed. In sectors where immediate registration is mandatory, it must be submitted before the first day of work.
• Immediate registration confused with social security registration: The immediate registration does not replace the standard registration. Both are required.
• Documents provided too late: Without an employment contract and supporting documents, we cannot complete the registration.
• Special cases overlooked: For mini-jobs, short-term employment or apprentices, there are specific requirements that are easily overlooked.

Your and our responsibilities

Your responsibilities:

• Invite new employees to complete the personnel questionnaire
• Check the data entered
• Submit the immediate notification in sectors where this is mandatory, in good time
• Provide the employment contract and supporting documents for the personnel file

Our tasks:

• Register the employee with social security
• Assign contribution groups and include the employee in the payroll
• Provide advice in special cases and in response to enquiries

We’ll work with you to clarify whether your business is subject to the immediate registration requirement and what documents we’ll need on a regular basis – ideally before you hire your first new employee.

Frequently asked questions

Legal notice

This article provides an overview and is not a substitute for individual advice. The obligation to register immediately and the requirements for registration are governed by current social security legislation; the legal situation and the list of sectors may change.

We will clarify on a case-by-case basis whether your business is subject to the immediate registration requirement and which documents are required in each specific instance. Please contact us before taking on a new employee.

As at: June 2026