Childcare Guide

Registering Your Nanny for OASI (AHV): Step-by-Step (2026)

Hiring a nanny privately is perfectly legal in Switzerland - but the moment you pay her a regular wage, you have to register her with the cantonal compensation office (Ausgleichskasse). Here's the short answer, three possible routes, and exactly what to do in each canton.

Reading time: 7 min · Last updated: July 2026

Answer in 30 seconds

Yes: for an adult nanny you owe OASI from the very first franc - in a private household there is no small-wage threshold. Only for under-25s are wages up to CHF 750 per year and per employer exempt. You register with the compensation office of your canton of residence.

Up to CHF 22,680/year: Simplified Procedure; above that, standard registration - or Clino
The competent office is the one of your canton of residence - not your nanny's
Not registering: up to 5 years of back contributions, fines and accident liability

When do you have to register a nanny?

For an adult nanny you are liable for OASI from the very first franc paid. The small-wage threshold that normally applies to tiny wages is expressly excluded for private households (Art. 34d para. 2 AHVV). With a regular nanny - say CHF 28/hour, 12 hours a week - you therefore contribute from the first wage on.

The Müller family in Zurich (two children, ages 4 and 7) pays their nanny Sara CHF 32/hour for 15 hours a week. That's CHF 1,920/month or CHF 23,040/year. Even if Sara only covered the summer holidays, the Müllers would still have to register her - for an adult nanny every franc counts.

Important: the CHF 750 limit for young nannies applies per employer, not per person. If an under-25 nanny works for several families, each family has its own CHF 750 limit. An adult nanny, by contrast, must be registered by each family from the first franc - or you use the Simplified Settlement Procedure together.

Special rule: young nannies

For people up to the end of the year of their 25th birthday there is an exception: wages up to CHF 750 per year and per employer are OASI-exempt (Art. 34d para. 2 AHVV). Classic case: a 22-year-old student working as a weekend nanny - if you only pay her a few hundred francs a year, you do not have to register her. Only once you go past CHF 750 does her entire annual wage become liable. For anyone 25 or older this limit does not exist - the first franc already counts.

3 ways to register your nanny

Which route is right for you depends mostly on the annual wage. Here's the overview:

1. Simplified Settlement Procedure (vereinfachtes Verfahren)

•Wage ceiling: up to CHF 22,680 per year and employer (as of 2026)
•Flat 5% withholding tax - no separate tax return needed for the nanny
•OASI, ALV and FAK handled in a single step via the compensation office
•Pro: minimal paperwork. Con: nanny receives no occupational pension (BVG) contributions, daily sickness benefit (KTG) usually not included.

Good for: nannies working under 15 hrs/week or occasional helpers.

2. Standard procedure

•Register as an employer with your cantonal compensation office
•Monthly payslip with gross/net, social deductions, salary certificate at year-end
•Withholding tax handled separately via the cantonal tax office (for B/L permit holders)
•You'll need: occupational pension (BVG) affiliation (from CHF 22,680/year), daily sickness benefit insurance (KTG) recommended, accident insurance (UVG) separately

Good for: full-time nannies or wages above CHF 22,680/year.

3. Clino handles it for you

•Registration with OASI/compensation office done within 48h
•Accident insurance (UVG) via VAVplus (opt in when you register)
•Monthly payslip, salary certificate, all forms generated automatically
•CHF 19.90/month, whether for a cleaner or a nanny

Good for: families who want to set it up once and stop dealing with paperwork every month.

Which route fits you?

Both routes work with Clino - we set up the correct procedure automatically.

AK finder: your cantonal compensation office

AHV registration runs through the compensation office of your canton of residence. Pick your canton - you get the right office, its online portal and the registration form.

Your canton of residence

Zürich

SVA Zürich

Online portal: AHVeasyFAK contribution (employer): 1.025%

Open registration form Guide for Zürich

Office website+41 44 448 50 00

Source: official data from the cantonal compensation offices.

Which compensation office by canton

You register with the compensation office of your canton of residence, not your nanny's. The main ones:

Canton	Compensation office	Online registration
Zurich	SVA Zürich	svazurich.ch
Bern	Ausgleichskasse Bern	akbern.ch
Basel-Stadt	Ausgleichskasse Basel-Stadt	ak-bs.ch
Geneva	OCAS / Caisse cantonale genevoise	ocas.ch
Vaud	Caisse cantonale vaudoise	caisseavsvaud.ch
Zug	Ausgleichskasse Zug	akzug.ch
Aargau	SVA Aargau	sva-ag.ch
Lucerne	Ausgleichskasse Luzern	ahvluzern.ch

Other cantons can be found via zas.admin.ch or ahv-iv.ch. If you are self-employed, your industry compensation office may also be relevant - but for private households it's always the cantonal one.

What happens if you don't register?

Hiring nannies off the books is no minor matter - especially in childcare, the authorities look closely, because children's safety is at stake. Three realistic risks:

Back contributions for up to 5 years

The compensation office can claim OASI, ALV and FAK contributions retroactively for up to 5 years - both employer and employee shares. For a nanny earning CHF 30k/year, that quickly adds up to CHF 8,000-10,000 in back payments.

Fines & criminal proceedings

Undeclared work under BGSA: up to CHF 5,000 fine per case, criminal proceedings on repeat offences. SECO and cantonal inspectors run random checks.

Personal liability in case of accident

If your nanny is injured without accident insurance (UVG) - for example, falling down the stairs - you bear the costs personally. Hospital, disability insurance and a lifelong pension can easily exceed CHF 100,000.

Which documents do you need?

To register your nanny, you need:

✓Your nanny's OASI number (on her health insurance card)
✓Residence permit (B, L, C, or G for cross-border commuters) - not needed for Swiss nationals
✓Nanny's date of birth and address
✓Agreed gross wage (per hour or per month)
✓Start date and expected weekly hours
✓Your own OASI employer account statement (you get this after the first registration)

💡 Tip: keep a copy of the residence permit in your records - the migration office can request it during an inspection.

Keep reading

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Registered in 48 hours - without the form-filling stress

Clino registers your nanny with OASI, takes out the accident insurance and produces the monthly payslip. You look after the children, we handle the bureaucracy. CHF 19.90/month.

Frequently asked questions

Can I register my nanny retroactively if I haven't done so yet?

Yes - and it's strongly recommended. Compensation offices usually accept voluntary disclosures without criminal proceedings, as long as you come forward before an inspection finds you. You'll pay back contributions (up to 5 years) but no additional fines. The Schmid family in Bern employed their nanny off the books for 18 months - voluntary disclosure cost them CHF 4,200 in back payments, but no criminal case.

What if the nanny herself says she's self-employed?

That doesn't protect you. The compensation office looks at the actual circumstances: who works in your home, following your instructions, on your schedule? That is dependent employment - regardless of whether she sends you an invoice. More on this in our article on bogus self-employment.

Do I have to register if my sister looks after our children?

No - as long as there's no regular wage. Close family members may help unpaid or for symbolic amounts. But once it becomes a genuine employment relationship with a regular wage, the usual rule applies: from the first franc for adults, from CHF 750 per year for under-25s - even within the family.

How long does the OASI registration take?

Online registration with most cantonal compensation offices: 15-minute form, then 5-10 days processing. You receive an employer number. With Clino it takes 48 hours including the UVG accident insurance setup.

What about withholding tax for my foreign nanny?

With a B or L permit you have to deduct withholding tax (Quellensteuer). Under the Simplified Procedure it's a flat 5%; under the standard procedure you follow the cantonal table. C permit holders and Swiss nationals are not subject to withholding tax - they file their own tax return.

Will my nanny get a salary certificate?

Yes, at year-end - for her tax return (unless taxed at source under the Simplified Procedure) and for her future OASI pension. It's also in the nanny's interest: OASI contributions mean future pension entitlements.

Sources

Federal Social Insurance Office, leaflet 2.06 'Contributions for domestic employees' (as of 2026): bsv.admin.ch
Simplified Settlement Procedure - AHV-IV information office: ahv-iv.ch/de/Merkblätter/Beiträge-AHV-IV-EO-ALV/2.07-Vereinfachtes-Abrechnungsverfahren
Federal Act against Undeclared Work (BGSA): admin.ch/SR 822.41
Cantonal compensation offices: zas.admin.ch (Central Compensation Office)

All figures as of 2026. Wage thresholds are adjusted every 2 years.