True HR officeGermany
Hire in Germany: EOR and payroll in Berlin
True HR is an Employer of Record (EOR) for Germany: we employ your Berlin team on compliant German contracts, withhold and remit social insurance and payroll taxes, and administer benefits, while you direct the work. Your first German hire can start in weeks, without you incorporating a German company or registering as an employer.
Berlin offers engineering depth that rivals any city in Europe at salaries well below London or Zurich, which is why Indian product companies keep choosing it for their first European office. German employment law, though, is famously thorough. Employer social insurance adds roughly 20 percent on top of every gross salary, covering pension, health, unemployment and care insurance, with matching employee contributions withheld each month. Contracts must be documented in writing, dismissal protection hardens after six months in most companies, and works councils hold real statutory power once staff elect one. Setting up a GmbH (the German limited company) and registering as an employer means months of paperwork, much of it in German. An EOR removes that barrier: True HR employs your Berlin team on compliant German contracts and runs the entire payroll and benefits machinery, while you run the work from India.
On the map
Berlin on the True HR map
One of four True HR offices outside India. In Berlin we work through our EOR (Employer of Record): we employ your team and you direct the work.
- True HR office
- EOR market, no office
- Dubai, True HR office
- Berlin, True HR office
- London, True HR office
- Florida, True HR office
- SingaporeEOR market, no office
- New YorkEOR market, no office
- Indiafive offices
India, enlarged
The five offices inside the dashed frame on the map above.
Local compliance
What does employing in Germany actually involve?
The German employment reality
German payroll withholds income tax and social insurance for pension, health, unemployment and care, with the employer paying roughly a further 20 percent above gross salary. Works councils, written-contract requirements and strict dismissal protection mean process errors get expensive. Our EOR runs registrations, withholdings and contracts to German standards from day one.
How it works
How EOR works in Germany, in three steps
01
You pick the talent
You interview and choose exactly who joins your team, anywhere in 180+ countries. Compensation and role are your call; we advise on local norms.
02
We employ them locally
Your hire signs a compliant contract with a local legal employer, drafted to that country's employment law. No entity to open, no local directors, no months of setup.
03
We run payroll and benefits
Salary, taxes, social contributions and benefits run and remitted on the local calendar, with statutory registrations and filings owned end to end.
What we do here
Six service lines, available in Berlin
The full True HR stack applies wherever you see us listed: one accountable team from the first offer letter to the last settlement.
Hiring at 5% of CTC
91% internal matching effectiveness
Payroll processing
Salary registers, bank advice, digital payslips
Statutory compliance
Filed before due dates, every cycle
Employee lifecycle
One file per employee, always current
HR policies and advisory
Every letter reviewed by labour law lawyers
Global EOR, 180+ countries
Hire wherever the talent is
Berlin is one of nine True HR locations: Bangalore | Mysuru | Hyderabad | Chennai | Mumbai | Dubai | Berlin | London | Florida
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a German entity to hire in Berlin?
No. True HR's EOR employs your Berlin team on compliant German employment contracts, registers them for social insurance and payroll tax, and administers statutory and supplementary benefits. You direct the work and receive one monthly invoice. A later transfer to your own GmbH is straightforward if you decide to incorporate.
What does an employee really cost in Germany?
Budget the gross salary plus roughly 20 percent for the employer share of social insurance covering pension, health, unemployment and care, plus any agreed benefits. The employee's own contributions and income tax are withheld from gross. We give you a precise per-hire cost sheet before you make the offer.
How strict is German dismissal protection?
Strict. After six months of service in companies above ten employees, dismissal needs statutorily valid grounds, and notice periods grow with tenure. Probation terms, documentation and process determine what is possible later, which is why our German contracts and HR processes are built for compliance from the first day.
Ready to stop worrying about people's money?
Book a 30-minute scoping call. We will map your headcount, states and current setup, and send a firm, slab-wise quote within two working days.
Bangalore | Mysuru | Hyderabad | Chennai | Mumbai | Dubai | Berlin | London | Florida