DECAFF - SECUline

What is DECAFF? — DECAFF (Declaration of Affiliation) is the standardized electronic file format used by employers in Luxembourg to declare employee entries, exits, and modifications to the Joint Social Security Centre (CCSS). This procedure is part of the SECUline system and serves as the mandatory method for affiliating or disaffiliating employees with Luxembourg's social security system, ensuring accurate and timely registration of workforce changes.

Who must use the DECAFF procedure? — All employers in Luxembourg, both private and public sector, must use DECAFF when hiring or terminating employees. This includes companies managing regular employees, certain independent workers with company status, and business managers holding more than twenty-five percent of company shares. Temporary work agencies use a separate procedure called DECINT for interim workers, and households continue using simplified paper procedures.

When should employers submit DECAFF declarations? — Employers must submit DECAFF declarations within eight days following either the employee's entry into service or the end of the employment relationship. To ensure timely affiliation or disaffiliation, companies should process the DECAFF transfer as soon as the employment contract is signed and after recording the employee's valid social security number. These transfers can be submitted daily through the SECUline system.

What types of declarations does DECAFF handle? — DECAFF manages several declaration types through different record formats. Entry declarations register new employees joining the workforce, exit declarations process employment terminations, modification declarations correct errors in previously submitted entry or exit information, and cancellation declarations void entry declarations when an employee never actually started working. Each declaration type requires specific data fields and follows standardized formatting requirements.

What happens if a DECAFF declaration is rejected? — When the CCSS cannot process a DECAFF declaration due to errors in the social security number or coding, the system automatically returns the rejected record to the employer through an AFFRET file. This rejection file contains the original declaration data along with specific refusal codes indicating why the registration failed. Employers must correct the errors and resubmit the declaration to complete the affiliation or disaffiliation process.

What are the prerequisites for using DECAFF? — Before submitting DECAFF declarations, employers must have a valid employer registration number from the CCSS and know the employee's thirteen-digit Luxembourg social security number (matricule). If the employee does not yet have a social security number, employers must first request one through the DEMMAT procedure for EU, EEA, and Swiss nationals, or wait for the Direction Générale de l'Immigration to create one for non-EU nationals during the residence or work permit process.

What penalties apply for late DECAFF submissions? — Luxembourg imposes financial penalties for delayed declarations. When employers submit DECAFF declarations more than thirty days after the legal deadline, the CCSS applies an administrative fine of fifty euros for each month of delay, with a maximum penalty cap of two thousand five hundred euros. These sanctions emphasize the importance of timely compliance with social security registration obligations.

How does DECAFF integrate with other SECUline procedures? — DECAFF functions as part of Luxembourg's comprehensive SECUline ecosystem. It connects with DEMMAT for obtaining social security numbers, CARTID for identity document submission, wage declaration procedures for ongoing payroll reporting, and DEMDET for declaring work activities abroad. This integration ensures seamless data flow between different aspects of employment administration and social security compliance.

Synonyms: Declaration of entry and exit, affiliation declaration, social security registration file, employee status notification