Hiring a Caregiver in Switzerland - The Complete Guide 2026
Privately employing a caregiver for your parents or a relative is legal in Switzerland and often the most personal solution - but you become an employer with all the obligations. AHV from the first franc, accident insurance, employment contract, on-call time, board & lodging: this guide explains everything step by step.
⏳ 10 min read · 🔄 Updated for 2026
Key Takeaways
- 1Privately hiring a caregiver makes you an employer - AHV registration from the first franc of wages, with no de-minimis threshold in private households.
- 2A privately employed caregiver may provide care, companionship and housekeeping - medical nursing remains the domain of Spitex and licensed nurses.
- 3For live-in care, board and lodging count as payment in kind: CHF 33 per day or CHF 990 per month (official AHV rates).
- 4Clino handles AHV registration, employment contract, payroll and insurance for CHF 19.90/month.
The Fundamental Choice: Spitex, Care Agency or Private Employment?
Before hiring a caregiver, an honest comparison of the three routes is worth it. All three have their place - and often the best solution is a combination: a privately employed caregiver for daily life and companionship, plus Spitex for medical nursing.
Here is how the three models differ:
Spitex vs. Agency vs. Private Employment
| Criterion | Spitex | Care Agency | Private Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost level | Hourly tariffs; nursing services partly covered by health insurance, pure companionship care usually not | High - full service with margin and administration, significantly more expensive than private employment | Wages + social contributions; usually the most economical for the same workload |
| Who is the employer? | The Spitex organisation | Depending on the model, the agency (staff leasing) - with pure placement it is you | You - with all employer obligations |
| Continuity & key person | Changing staff, short visits | Usually a fixed caregiver, with rotation | One fixed person of trust, chosen by you |
| Control & flexibility | Fixed schedule set by the organisation | Medium - arrangements run through the agency | Maximum - you choose the person, hours and tasks |
| Medical nursing | Yes - core competence, billable via health insurance when prescribed | Only if qualified nursing staff is provided | No - care and household; nursing complemented via Spitex |
Agency all-in packages: significantly more expensive
Care vs. Nursing - What a Private Caregiver May Do
The most important professional boundary: care is not nursing. A privately employed caregiver without a nursing licence may ease daily life, provide companionship and run the household. Medical and nursing services in the strict sense require a licence and belong in the hands of Spitex or qualified nurses.
Drawing this line honestly protects everyone involved - the person being cared for, the caregiver and you as the employer:
Requires Spitex / licensed nurse
- •Medical nursing: wound care, injections, preparing and administering medication
- •Treatment care on doctor's orders
- •Basic nursing care for dependent persons (e.g. body care) - licence requirements vary by canton
- •Anything that is to be billed through health insurance
The private caregiver may do
- •Care & companionship: conversation, walks, activation, daily structure
- •Household: cooking, shopping, laundry, cleaning
- •Accompaniment: doctor's appointments, authorities, visits, errands
- •Everyday help: medication reminders, simple assistance in daily life
The combined model is everyday practice
Step by Step: How to Hire a Caregiver Correctly
The path from search to first payslip - in seven steps:
Find the right person
Recommendations, ads or platforms. Check references, arrange a trial day - and involve the person being cared for: the chemistry has to work for them.
Sign an employment contract
In writing, covering tasks, workload, salary, probation, holidays - and for live-in arrangements, mandatory clauses on on-call time and board & lodging.
Register with AHV - from the first franc
There is no de-minimis threshold in private households: every wage is subject to AHV and must be settled with the compensation office of your canton of residence.
Take out accident insurance (UVG)
Occupational accident cover (BU) is always mandatory. From 8 hours per week, non-occupational cover (NBU) as well - virtually always the case with a caregiver.
Monthly payroll + salary certificate
Settle AHV/IV/EO 5.3%, ALV 1.1% (each for employer and employee side), UVG-BU 0.505% and FAK (cantonal) correctly. At year-end the caregiver needs a salary certificate (Lohnausweis).
Check withholding tax
Caregivers without a C permit and without a Swiss passport are subject to withholding tax - you deduct it from the wage and remit it to the canton.
Check BVG (pension fund)
Mandatory from CHF 22,680 annual salary and age 25+. With a live-in caregiver the threshold is virtually always exceeded.
Simplified procedure? Usually not.
Create a caregiver employment contract
First message to a carer
Hofer
online
Hello Mrs Hofer, I saw your ad. For my mother (82, still mobile on her own, but needs companionship and help with daily life) we're looking for a caregiver for about 20 hours a week. Everything will be properly registered with AHV. Would you have time to meet?
09:12Hello! Yes, gladly. I already have experience in senior care. Would Wednesday afternoon work?
09:40Wednesday at 3pm would be perfect. I'll send you the address. Thank you very much!
09:4424h Live-in Care: On-call Time, Board & Lodging and the Rotation Model
When the caregiver lives with the person being cared for (live-in), special rules apply. SECO provides a model standard employment contract (Modell-NAV) for 24-hour care in private households - it covers working and on-call time in particular. The cantonal standard employment contracts (NAV) for domestic work with their minimum wages remain binding alongside it.
If the caregiver lives and eats at your home, accommodation and meals count as - they are part of the -relevant wage. The official AHV rates:
Board & Lodging in Kind (official AHV rates)
| Item | Rate per day |
|---|---|
| Breakfast | CHF 3.50 |
| Lunch | CHF 10.00 |
| Dinner | CHF 8.00 |
| Lodging (room) | CHF 11.50 |
| Total per day | CHF 33.00 |
| Total per month | CHF 990 |
The payment in kind is added to the cash wage, and social insurance contributions are settled on the total - it also appears on the salary certificate.
"24h care" does not mean one person works 24 hours
Example: A live-in caregiver's daily schedule
| 07:00 - 12:00 | Active care: getting up, breakfast, personal care, household tasks |
| 12:00 - 14:00 | Caregiver's midday break (rest time, no duty to work) |
| 14:00 - 19:00 | Active care: walk, appointments, preparing dinner |
| 19:00 - 22:00 | On-call presence: caregiver is in the home but not continuously required |
| 22:00 - 07:00 | Night presence on call: caregiver's rest time, with availability for emergencies - this time must be compensated separately |
Illustrative example - the actual split is set individually in the employment contract and must comply with the rest-time and on-call-time rules of the SECO model contract.
On-call time must be compensated
Time during which the caregiver must be available on call (e.g. at night) is not free time. It must be compensated - at a rate agreed in the contract or as a lump sum, as outlined by the SECO model contract.
Cantonal minimum wages apply
The NAV for domestic work prescribes binding minimum wages depending on the canton (from CHF 20.35/h for unskilled workers). Even in live-in models, pay - including payment in kind - must not fall below them.
Rest time and days off
A live-in caregiver also needs daily rest periods, days off each week and holidays. Promising uninterrupted round-the-clock care cannot legally be covered by a single person.
The rotation model (2 caregivers)
In practice, two caregivers often alternate in shifts (e.g. every 2-4 weeks). Important: both are your employees - both need a contract, AHV registration and payroll.
Good 24h care does not stand or fall with the model - but with on-call time, rest time and pay being properly regulated from day one.
What a Private Caregiver Really Costs
Two realistic worked examples - hourly care and live-in. On the employer side, roughly 6.9% in social contributions (AHV/IV/EO 5.3% + ALV 1.1% + UVG-BU 0.505%) plus the cantonal FAK are added to the gross wage:
Example A: Hourly care, 10h/week at CHF 30
| Gross wage (10h/week, approx. 43h/month) | CHF 1,407/Mt. |
| Employer social contributions (~7%, plus cantonal FAK) | CHF 97/Mt. |
| Total employer cost | CHF 1,504/Mt. |
Example A2: Mid-range workload, 25h/week at CHF 30, not live-in
| Gross wage (25h/week, approx. 108h/month) | CHF 3,518/Mt. |
| Employer social contributions (~7%, plus cantonal FAK) | CHF 243/Mt. |
| Total employer cost | CHF 3,761/Mt. |
No payment in kind, since the caregiver does not live in the household. The annual wage (approx. CHF 39,000) exceeds the BVG threshold of CHF 22,680 - from age 25, the pension fund becomes mandatory.
The gross wage includes the 8.33% holiday supplement (at 4 weeks of holiday), which is owed on top of the hourly rate.
Example B: Live-in care, full-time
| Cash wage | CHF 4,200/mo. |
| Board & lodging in kind | CHF 990/Mt. |
| AHV-relevant gross wage | CHF 5,190/Mt. |
| Employer social contributions (~7%, plus cantonal FAK) | CHF 358/Mt. |
| BVG contributions (annual wage above CHF 22,680) | additional, plan-dependent |
| Total employer cost | CHF 5,548/Mt. |
The exact amounts depend on canton (FAK), age (BVG rate), withholding tax and contract details. Instead of planning with flat estimates, calculate your specific case:
Open the caregiver salary calculator
What your caregiver really costs
Hourly care or live-in with board & lodging? This calculator shows the honest employer cost - including payment in kind (CHF 990/month) and BVG where mandatory.
Caregiver details
Caregiver takes home (cash)
2026CHF 1'297
per month • AHV-relevant gross wage: CHF 1'407 (incl. 8.33% holiday supplement)
Caregiver's deductions
Your employer costs
Gross wage (incl. in kind) + all employer contributions
Below the BVG threshold
Annual wage below CHF 22,680 or age under 25 - BVG is not mandatory. With live-in care the threshold is virtually always exceeded.
Indicative figure excluding withholding tax and 13th salary. Effective amounts depend on canton, pension plan and personal situation - Clino handles the exact payroll.
Clino handles AHV, UVG, in-kind settlement and the salary certificate - for CHF 19.90/month.
Register your caregiver with ClinoFinancing: The Support That Is Available
Private care is a significant financial burden - three instruments can ease it noticeably:
AHV helplessness allowance
Anyone who permanently depends on help with everyday activities is entitled to a helplessness allowance (Hilflosenentschädigung) - regardless of income and assets. Apply at the compensation office; the amount depends on the degree of helplessness.
Supplementary benefits (EL)
If pension and income are insufficient, supplementary benefits may apply. Illness and disability costs - which can include care costs - are partly reimbursed in addition. The details are regulated by canton.
Tax deduction for care costs
Disability-related costs and, depending on the canton, further care and illness costs can be deducted in the tax return. Proper payslips and the salary certificate serve as evidence.
Hiring a Caregiver: The Complete Checklist
20 items, 4 categories - tick off what you have already completed.
Caregiver Hiring Checklist
20 items in 4 categories
Hire a Caregiver - Without Paperwork
Clino handles AHV registration, employment contract, monthly payroll, salary certificate and accident insurance. You look after your relative, we handle the bureaucracy. CHF 19.90/month, everything included.
Register Your Caregiver NowFree Checklist: Hire Household Help Correctly
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to register a private caregiver with AHV?
What may a caregiver without nursing training do?
What does private 24h care cost?
How are board and lodging settled?
Does on-call time have to be paid?
Can I use the simplified settlement procedure?
What about withholding tax for foreign caregivers?
Does the pension fund (BVG) also apply to caregivers?
What do I risk if I do not register the caregiver?
Sources & Legal References
- Swiss Code of Obligations (OR), Art. 319-362
- SECO - Model standard employment contract for 24-hour elderly care in private households
- NAV Domestic Work - cantonal standard employment contracts with minimum wages
- AHV/IV leaflets (ahv-iv.ch): domestic work, rates for payment in kind, helplessness allowance, supplementary benefits
- AHVG Art. 88 - penal provisions for violations of the contribution obligation
