Short answer: anyone who employs a cleaner in a private household in Switzerland must register that person with the cantonal AHV compensation office (Ausgleichskasse) from the very first franc paid, and must insure them against accidents. There is no minimum threshold. Employer social security contributions come to 5.3 % AHV/IV/EO plus 1.1 % ALV, with FAK contributions and the UVG premium on top. Since 1 January 2026 the minimum wage under the NAV Hauswirtschaft has been CHF 20.35 per hour for unskilled staff.
This guide explains step by step what your obligations as a private employer are, what a properly registered engagement really costs, and how to cut the administrative work down to a few minutes.
Do I have to register my cleaner in Switzerland?
Yes. In a private household every paid activity is subject to AHV contributions, regardless of how much is paid. If you employ and pay a cleaner, domestic help, nanny or carer in your own home, you automatically become an employer and must register with the cantonal compensation office.
This applies even if someone cleans for you only three hours a week. The usual de minimis threshold of CHF 2’500 per calendar year, below which contributions are levied only on request, explicitly does not apply in private households. Leaflet 2.06 «Contributions on domestic work» (as at 1 January 2026) states that contributions in private households are payable in every case.
There is exactly one exception: so-called pocket-money jobs. Young domestic employees are exempt from contributions until 31 December of the year in which they turn 25 — provided their pay does not exceed CHF 750 per calendar year and per employer.
Who counts as a domestic employee?
Under leaflet 2.06, domestic work for AHV purposes covers the following activities in a private household:
- Cleaner (domestic cleaning staff of any gender)
- Domestic help
- Au pair
- Babysitter and childcare
- Homework tutoring
- Care of elderly people
- Helpers for work in or around the house, such as paid gardening
Not included: caretaker duties in apartment buildings outside the individual flats, and work on commercially used properties.
From what wage does the duty to register apply? (2026 overview)
| Situation | Duty to register with the compensation office | Legal basis |
| Cleaner born 2008 or earlier, any wage | Yes, from CHF 1 | Leaflet 2.06, sec. 1 |
| Cleaner born 2001–2008, wage up to CHF 750/year | No (pocket-money job) | Leaflet 2.06, sec. 5 |
| Cleaner born 2001–2008, wage above CHF 750/year | Yes | Leaflet 2.06, sec. 5 |
| Cleaner born 2009 or later | No | Leaflet 2.06, sec. 1 |
| Cleaner at AHV reference age | Yes, with an allowance of CHF 16’800/year; no ALV | Leaflet 2.06, sec. 5 |
A common misconception: many households believe their cleaner is «self-employed» and handles their own contributions. That is only true if the compensation office has expressly recognised the person as self-employed and they show you the corresponding confirmation. Without that proof you count as the employer under social insurance law — with all the consequences that follow.
Which insurances are mandatory for a cleaner?
Four areas are relevant for domestic help in Switzerland. Three of them are generally compulsory.
| Insurance | Mandatory? | 2026 contribution rate | Who pays |
| AHV / IV / EO (old-age, disability, loss of earnings) | Always, from CHF 1 | 5.3 % employer + 5.3 % employee | split equally |
| ALV (unemployment insurance) | Yes, up to CHF 148’200 annual wage | 1.1 % + 1.1 % | split equally |
| UVG occupational accidents | Always | premium depends on insurer | employer |
| UVG non-occupational accidents | From 8 hrs/week | premium depends on insurer | employee |
| FAK (family allowance fund) | Yes | varies by fund | employer |
| BVG (occupational pension) | Only above CHF 22’680 annual or CHF 1’890 monthly wage | depends on pension fund | employer at least half |
An important point on accident insurance: Suva is not responsible for domestic work. You must take out the policy with another authorised accident insurer — or use the simplified accounting procedure Plus (VAVplus), under which accident insurance has been settled directly through the compensation office since 2025.
If your cleaner works fewer than eight hours a week, cover against occupational accidents is sufficient. From eight hours a week, non-occupational accident insurance is added.
Minimum wage for cleaners in Switzerland 2026
Since 1 January 2026 the Federal Council’s standard employment contract for domestic work (NAV Hauswirtschaft) has set the following minimum hourly wages:
| Category | Minimum wage per hour |
| Unskilled | CHF 20.35 |
| Unskilled with 4 years’ experience in domestic work | CHF 22.30 |
| Qualified with EBA or 2-year vocational training | CHF 22.30 |
| Qualified with EFZ or 3-year vocational training | CHF 24.55 |
The NAV Hauswirtschaft applies throughout Switzerland with the exception of the canton of Geneva. These figures are gross minimum wages — the holiday supplement comes on top.
Note: several cantons have their own, higher statutory minimum wages, which take precedence over the NAV. Always check the rules in your canton of residence as well.
Market reality: the NAV minimum is the floor, not the going rate. A gross hourly wage of CHF 28 to CHF 34 is realistic in urban areas such as Zurich if you want to keep a reliable cleaner long term.
What does a properly registered cleaner really cost?
Budget for roughly 10 to 15 % on top of the agreed gross hourly wage, plus an 8.33 % holiday supplement. Here is a full worked example.
Worked example: 2.5 hours every two weeks at CHF 28 gross
This example is based on the following assumptions:
- 2.5 hours per visit, every two weeks
- 4 weeks per year with no appointments (household holidays, public holidays, absences)
- 6 weeks of paid holiday for the cleaner
- KTG daily sickness benefits insurance with a minimum premium of CHF 250 per year
- UVG accident insurance with a minimum premium of CHF 100 per year
| Item | Amount |
| Base hourly wage | CHF 28.00 |
| Holiday supplement 13.04 % (6 weeks’ holiday) | CHF 3.65 |
| = Gross wage per hour | CHF 31.65 |
| Visits per year (52 − 4 appointment-free weeks ÷ 2) | 24 visits |
| Paid hours per year (24 × 2.5 hrs) | 60 hrs |
| Gross wage per year | CHF 1’899.00 |
| + AHV/IV/EO employer share 5.3 % | CHF 100.65 |
| + ALV employer share 1.1 % | CHF 20.90 |
| + FAK and administrative costs (approx. 2 %, varies by fund) | approx. CHF 38.00 |
| + UVG premium (minimum premium, depends on insurer) | CHF 100.00 |
| + KTG premium (minimum premium, depends on insurer) | CHF 250.00 |
| = Total employer cost per year | approx. CHF 2’409 |
| Total cost per month (average) | approx. CHF 201 |
| Cost per visit (2.5 hrs) | approx. CHF 100.35 |
| Effective cost rate per hour | approx. CHF 40.15 |
The decisive factor: the minimum premiums. Together, UVG and KTG cost CHF 350 per year — regardless of whether your cleaner works 60 or 600 hours. At 60 hours a year, those two fixed costs alone amount to around CHF 5.85 per hour. Calculated as a percentage, it would be only about CHF 0.60. That is precisely why a small workload is considerably more expensive per hour than a large one.
From the gross wage you also deduct the employee share (5.3 % AHV/IV/EO + 1.1 % ALV) and pass it on. Under the simplified procedure, a flat withholding tax (Quellensteuer) of 5 % is added on the employee side. Of CHF 31.65 gross, the cleaner is therefore left with around CHF 28.05 net per hour worked.
Direct comparison: employing directly vs. SUUBER at CHF 28 net
This allows a clean comparison of the two routes. In both cases the cleaner receives CHF 28.00 net per hour — but your costs as the client differ noticeably. The calculation below is based on a typical household with 24 visits of 2.5 hours per year, i.e. 60 hours. The KTG cover chosen has a 60-day waiting period.
Note that the starting point here is not the base wage but the net wage: CHF 28.00 net implies a base hourly wage of CHF 25.67, to which the holiday and public holiday supplements are added. That produces the gross wage of CHF 29.94, on which all contributions are calculated.
| Criterion | Employing directly (registered yourself) | SUUBER |
| Net wage for the cleaner | CHF 28.00 | CHF 28.00 |
| Base hourly wage | CHF 25.67 | CHF 25.67 |
| + Holiday supplement 13.04 % (6 weeks’ holiday) | CHF 3.35 | CHF 3.35 |
| + Public holiday supplement 3.59 % | CHF 0.92 | CHF 0.92 |
| = Gross wage per hour | CHF 29.94 | CHF 29.94 |
| AHV/IV/EO (10.6 %) | CHF 3.18 | CHF 3.18 |
| Unemployment insurance (2.20 %) | CHF 0.66 | CHF 0.66 |
| Family allowance fund (SVA Zurich) | CHF 0.36 | CHF 0.36 |
| Compensation office administrative costs | CHF 0.16 | CHF 0.16 |
| Accident insurance (UVG) | CHF 5.83 – minimum premiums of around CHF 350 per year for UVG and KTG, regardless of workload | CHF 0.60 |
| Daily sickness benefits (KTG, 60-day waiting period) | included in the CHF 5.83 | CHF 0.75 (14-day waiting period: CHF 1.40 · full cover: CHF 3.50) |
| Liability for property damage | CHF 1.50 – to be arranged separately, approx. CHF 90 per year | CHF 0.75 – included, from CHF 500 of damage |
| SUUBER service fee | — | CHF 1.40 |
| Effective cost per hour | approx. CHF 39.70 | CHF 35.85 (14-day waiting period: CHF 36.50 · full cover: CHF 38.60) |
| Cost per visit (2.5 hrs) | approx. CHF 99.25 | CHF 89.65 |
| Cost per month (average) | approx. CHF 199 | CHF 179 |
| Cost per year (60 hrs) | approx. CHF 2’382 | CHF 2’151 |
| One-off fee | — | CHF 39 for contract and insurances |
| Saving in the first year | — | approx. CHF 192 |
| Saving from the second year | — | approx. CHF 231 |
| Appointment-free weeks | insurance premiums keep running | you pay only for hours worked |
| Registration and contracts | registration with the compensation office, employment contract, UVG and KTG policies | entirely through the platform |
| Monthly payslip | you prepare it yourself | automatic |
| Year-end | you prepare the salary statement and annual AHV declaration yourself | automatic |
| If the cleaner becomes unemployed | you complete the employer’s certificate, compile all wage records and submit everything to the unemployment fund | all certificates are generated automatically |
| If the cleaner claims social assistance | you issue fresh wage records to the social services office every month, on an ongoing basis and on time | the cleaner downloads contract, payslips and certificates in the app whenever needed |
| In case of illness | continued pay out of your own pocket unless KTG cover exists | covered by daily sickness benefits from day 61 (14-day waiting period: from day 15 · full cover: from day one) |
| In case of an accident | covered by UVG, provided a policy exists | covered by UVG |
| Liability for property damage | you personally, unless a separate policy exists | through the platform’s insurance |
| Withholding tax | you check and declare it yourself | calculated and remitted automatically |
At the same net wage for the cleaner, SUUBER saves you around CHF 3.85 per hour, or roughly CHF 231 per year — without your having to prepare a single payslip. In the first year, after deducting the one-off fee of CHF 39, the saving is about CHF 192. The reason is not that the cleaner is paid less, but that SUUBER spreads the insurance premiums across thousands of households. What is a CHF 350 minimum premium for you as a single household is distributed by the platform across the hours actually worked.
The smaller your workload, the bigger this effect. It is most pronounced at 24 visits of 2.5 hours per year — from around two hours a week the pure costs converge, and the advantage then lies mainly in the administrative work you avoid and in the cover provided.
For comparison: conventional cleaning companies in Switzerland often charge CHF 45 to CHF 65 per hour including VAT — while paying the person doing the cleaning a considerably lower net wage.
The simplified accounting procedure (VAV and VAVplus)
The simplified accounting procedure is a federal scheme under the Act on Combating Undeclared Work (BGSA) that lets private households settle social security contributions and withholding tax in a single annual step — instead of ongoing quarterly statements.
Conditions (all must be met)
- The individual annual wage does not exceed CHF 22’680 (the BVG entry threshold).
- The household’s total annual wage bill does not exceed CHF 60’480 (twice the maximum AHV retirement pension).
- All wages paid by the household are settled under the simplified procedure.
What the procedure covers
- AHV / IV / EO and ALV
- Family allowances (FAK)
- Withholding tax, a flat 5 % (4.5 % canton and municipality, 0.5 % direct federal tax)
- Under VAVplus, compulsory accident insurance under the UVG as well
The big advantage: you report the gross wages paid once a year, receive a single invoice, and do not have to issue your cleaner with a salary statement. The wages are definitively taxed by the flat-rate tax.
The procedure is not available to corporations, nor in certain cantons for cross-border commuters resident in France.
Registering a cleaner: a 6-step guide
Here is how to register domestic help in Switzerland correctly — time required the first time: around 60 to 90 minutes.
Step 1 — Check identity and work permit
When the job starts, ask for the AHV card or the health insurance card. Note down the AHV number (it begins with 756.), surname, first name and date of birth. For foreign nationals, also check whether a work permit is required.
Step 2 — Draw up a written employment contract
Legally, an employment contract under the Code of Obligations also arises verbally. In writing, however, it is provable. SECO provides a free model employment contract for domestic staff. Cover at least: hourly wage, working hours, holiday entitlement, notice period and scope of duties.
Step 3 — Register with the cantonal compensation office
The competent office is the compensation office where your household is located. Most cantons now offer an online form for domestic employers. This is where you decide whether to use the ordinary or the simplified procedure.
Step 4 — Take out accident insurance
Choose an authorised UVG insurer (not Suva) — or settle accident insurance directly through the compensation office under VAVplus. Without UVG cover you are committing an offence.
Step 5 — Clarify BVG affiliation if needed
If you pay more than CHF 22’680 in annual wages or more than CHF 1’890 monthly, you are obliged to affiliate with a pension institution. The BVG Substitute Occupational Benefit Institution is legally required to accept you.
Step 6 — Document wages and declare them annually
Keep a record of the hours worked and the gross wages paid. At the end of the year, declare the actual gross wages to the compensation office.
Holidays, continued pay and termination
Cleaners are entitled to at least four weeks of paid holiday per year — even at three working hours a week.
- Holiday supplement on the hourly wage: 8.33 % for four weeks’ holiday, 10.64 % for five weeks, 13.04 % for six weeks.
- A contractual clause stating that holiday pay is «already included» in the normal hourly wage is not permitted. The supplement must be shown and paid out separately.
- Notice periods: one month in the first year of service, two months from the second to the ninth year, three months thereafter — in each case to the end of a month. These can be shortened by contract, but never to less than one month.
- Protection against dismissal applies during illness, pregnancy, maternity, parental leave, adoption leave and military service.
- Where incapacity for work is due to pregnancy or maternity, there is an entitlement to continued pay.
What happens if I pay my cleaner cash in hand?
Paying a cleaner in cash without registering them is undeclared work. The financial consequences almost always fall on the employer — not on the person doing the cleaning.
- Back payment of all social security contributions, retroactively for up to five years — including the employee share, which you usually can no longer recover afterwards, plus default interest.
- Criminal sanctions under Art. 87 and 88 AHVG. Failing to register is not a trivial matter; Art. 87 AHVG provides for monetary penalties.
- Substitute premiums from the UVG substitute fund. If an uninsured domestic helper has an accident, the substitute fund does provide the statutory benefits — but then claims a substitute premium from you, retroactively for up to five years.
- Personal liability in the event of a claim. Without UVG cover, treatment costs, daily benefits and, in the worst case, a disability pension can fall back on you.
- Breach of immigration law if the person has no work permit — with additional fines and monetary penalties.
Undeclared work in private households is rarely uncovered by active inspections. It almost always comes to light when something happens: an accident while cleaning windows, a longer illness, a dispute over unpaid hours, or the cleaner registering with the unemployment insurance.
The second, often overlooked harm: without registration, your cleaner builds up no AHV contribution years. Decades later that means a reduced pension — and it cannot be repaired retroactively.
Three routes compared: employ directly, cleaning company or platform
| Criterion | Employ directly | Cleaning company | Platform (SUUBER) |
| Typical cost per hour | approx. CHF 33–38 (all in) | approx. CHF 45–65 incl. VAT | from CHF 26.50 |
| Administrative effort | high: registration, contract, UVG, annual declaration | none | none |
| AHV, contract, insurance | you are responsible | the company is the employer | the platform handles everything |
| Choice of person | you decide | usually assigned | you decide |
| Wage for the cleaner | you set it | often at the industry minimum | transparent, fair |
| Continuity of staff | high | variable | high |
When each route makes sense:
- Employing directly is worthwhile if you already know and trust someone and do not mind the administrative work.
- A cleaning company makes sense for irregular needs, specialist cleaning or end-of-tenancy cleaning with a handover guarantee.
- A platform is the middle way: you choose the person yourself as you would when employing directly, but the contract, AHV registration and accident insurance are automated.
SUUBER was built by PersonalApp AG in Zurich for exactly this situation. You create a listing, receive applications from vetted cleaners in your region and choose for yourself — and the legal side is taken care of. Cleaners start from CHF 26.50 per hour. Over 5’000 households use the service, with an average rating of 4.9 out of 5.
Find a cleaner now — registration included
Create a listing, receive applications from vetted cleaners in your region, choose for yourself. The employment contract, AHV registration, accident and daily sickness benefits insurance and withholding tax all run automatically through SUUBER.
Frequently asked questions about registering a cleaner
Yes. No de minimis threshold applies in private households. Even at two hours a week you are obliged to register your cleaner with the cantonal compensation office and account for AHV/IV/EO contributions.
From the first franc. The general threshold of CHF 2’500 per year, below which contributions are levied only on request, explicitly does not apply in private households. The only exemption is wages of up to CHF 750 per year paid to people who have not yet turned 25.
AHV/IV/EO comes to 5.3 % on the employer side and 5.3 % on the employee side, 10.6 % of the gross wage in total. On top of that come 1.1 % ALV each up to an annual income of CHF 148’200, plus FAK and administrative cost contributions that vary by fund.
Yes, always. Accident insurance under the UVG is compulsory for all employees working in Switzerland. Below eight hours a week, occupational accident insurance is sufficient; from eight hours a week non-occupational accident insurance is added. Suva is not responsible for domestic work.
Since 1 January 2026 the NAV Hauswirtschaft has prescribed CHF 20.35 per hour for unskilled staff, CHF 22.30 with four years’ experience or an EBA, and CHF 24.55 with an EFZ. The NAV applies across Switzerland except in the canton of Geneva; individual cantons have higher statutory minimum wages.
Only if the annual wage exceeds CHF 22’680 or the monthly wage CHF 1’890. At the few hours a week typical of private households, the BVG obligation is generally not reached.
That depends on your canton and your circumstances. Childcare costs are deductible in most cantons, pure cleaning services usually are not. Deductions may be possible for care in old age or during illness. Clarify this with your cantonal tax administration — and note that without registration no deduction is possible in any case.
Budget for the agreed gross hourly wage plus the holiday supplement plus around 9 to 11 % in employer contributions. On top come the minimum premiums for UVG and KTG, which apply regardless of workload and weigh heavily at small workloads. At a base wage of CHF 28 and 2.5 hours every two weeks, the effective cost works out at around CHF 40 per hour.
Report the end of the employment relationship to the compensation office and declare the gross wage paid up to that point. Also cancel the accident insurance policy. Observe the statutory notice periods of one to three months depending on years of service.
Each household is an employer in its own right and accounts separately for the wage it pays. At the end of the year the compensation office consolidates the income in the person’s individual account.
Only if the compensation office has expressly recognised them as self-employed and they show you that confirmation. Issuing their own invoice, having a business card or working for several clients is not sufficient proof. Without recognition, you count as the employer.
The online form takes around 15 minutes to complete if you have the AHV number and date of birth to hand. Allow 60 to 90 minutes in total for the contract, registration and accident insurance.
Sources and further information
- AHV/IV Information Centre, leaflet 2.06 Contributions on domestic work, as at 1 January 2026 — ahv-iv.ch
- AHV/IV Information Centre, leaflet 2.07 Simplified accounting procedures for employers, as at 1 January 2026 — ahv-iv.ch
- SECO, standard employment contract for domestic work (NAV) and model employment contract — seco.admin.ch
- Federal Act on Combating Undeclared Work (BGSA), SR 822.41 — fedlex.admin.ch
- Federal Act on Old-Age and Survivors’ Insurance (AHVG), SR 831.10, Art. 87 and 88 — fedlex.admin.ch
This article provides a general overview and does not replace legal advice. Individual cases are governed exclusively by the statutory provisions and the information provided by your cantonal compensation office.