Au pair or nanny?
How hours, cost and your legal duties differ.
Four questions, then you see which model fits legally.
1 of 4How many hours of care do you need a week?
An au pair works at most 30 hours a week, lives with you and receives pocket money: at CHF 800 it costs you about CHF 942 a month in cash, plus room and board, which count as CHF 990 for AHV. A nanny is an ordinary employee with a minimum wage of CHF 20.35 an hour (NAV household work 2026): for the same 30 hours that is about CHF 3,116 a month. If a single au pair criterion is missing, the nanny wage applies.
Au pair and nanny compared
Example canton of Zurich, 30 hours a week, au pair on CHF 800 pocket money, computed with the same rates as the Clino payslip. Which amount is usual, and what it costs you gross, is set out in the guide to au pair pocket money.
| - | Au pair | Nanny |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per month | CHF 942 in cash (CHF 800 pocket money plus contributions), plus room and board | CHF 3,116 (CHF 2,866 wage plus employer contributions) |
| Hours | At most 30 a week, everything included, one whole day off | Freely agreed |
| Housing | With you, in a room of their own | With you or elsewhere |
| Duration | Third country: at most 12 months, no extension, permit before entry. EU/EFTA: at most 24 months, in Zurich 1 year plus 1 extension | Open-ended |
| Who | EU/EFTA: aged 18 to 30 (Zurich). Third country: aged 18 to 25, only through a licensed agency | Anyone with a work permit |
| Minimum wage | No minimum wage while all criteria are met (ZH, TI, BS, NE; TI/NE: minimum amounts in the NAV). Geneva: CHF 24.59 an hour | CHF 20.35 an hour (NAV), higher in some cantons |
| AHV and accident insurance | Yes, on pocket money plus room and board: CHF 1,790 a month | Yes; above CHF 22,680 a year the standard procedure with BVG |
When an au pair is legally a nanny
The au pair exemption from the minimum wage is not a discount, it is a classification. The Zurich Tripartite Commission's information sheet lists the criteria: at most 30 hours a week, lives with the family in a room of their own, a language course, childcare and light housework, and a parent is at home for at least half of the working time. Families where both parents work full time often miss that last point: for them the real choice is between daycare, a nanny and a childminder.
If a criterion is missing, the NAV household work applies: CHF 20.35 an hour, at 30 hours about CHF 2,866 gross a month instead of CHF 800 pocket money, and the difference can be claimed back. In Geneva au pairs have their own minimum wage anyway: CHF 24.59 an hour («CTT-TPMaj»).
Frequently asked questions
May an au pair work full time?
No. At most 30 hours a week, evening care and housework included, with at least one whole day off (Art. 48 VZAE for third countries, Zurich Tripartite Commission information sheet). If you need more care, you hire a nanny.
What does an au pair really cost?
Pocket money (customary CHF 500 to 800; Pro Filia recommends CHF 600 to 700 net depending on the canton), employer contributions of about CHF 142 a month at CHF 800 pocket money, the language course, at least half the health insurance premium, and room and board. Contributions are calculated on CHF 1,790 because room and board count as wage in kind. For an au pair from a third country the family also pays travel costs, according to Pro Filia. The guide to hiring an au pair works out your case with your pocket money.
Do I need a contract and a registration for a nanny?
Yes. A written employment contract, registration with the compensation office, accident insurance from the first working day and a payslip every month. Above CHF 22,680 a year the standard procedure with BVG applies. The same holds for an au pair, only on the lower wage. How it works with the compensation office: registering a nanny step by step.
Can I switch from an au pair to a nanny later?
Yes, as a new job with a wage under the NAV and a new contract. If the person holds a third-country au pair permit, it only covers the au pair stay; a nanny job needs a new permit from the canton. You can draw up the new contract with the contract template for nannies.
Sources: Art. 48 VZAE (SR 142.201); Zurich Tripartite Commission information sheet Au-Pair / Nanny / Haushaltshilfe; NAV household work (SECO, as of 1.1.2026); AHVV Art. 11 (wage in kind); Geneva «CTT-TPMaj», Art. 9; Pro Filia, au pairs from the EU and from third countries. Overview, not legal advice.