Working as a cleaner in Switzerland: yes with an EU/EFTA passport, otherwise your permit decides
Can you work in Switzerland?
Yeswith an EU or EFTA passport: you get an L or B permit easily with a job contract. With any other passport your permit decides: pick your case above.
Free for you
First steps and routes without an EU passport ↓
With an EU/EFTA passport, an employment contract is enough: you register with your commune and receive an L or B permit. With any other passport, your permit counts, not the job. Below: where to find families, what you keep and what you are owed.
Who may work as a cleaner in Switzerland?
With an EU/EFTA passport, free movement applies: for a longer job you easily get an L or B permit with the employment contract; for a job of at most 3 months per calendar year the employer notifies you online and no permit is needed. With any other passport your permit decides: C and, as a rule, B allow work, F and S once the job is notified to the canton, N and L only with limits, a tourist visa never.
Your first steps after you arrive
- 1Register at your commune within 14 days.
- 2Make sure each family registers you with social insurance (AHV/OASI): that's their duty, not yours.
- 3Open a Swiss bank account for your salary.
- 4Take out health insurance within 3 months (it's mandatory).
Language: You'll work in the household's language: German, French or Italian. A few words go a long way in building trust. Learn German for the household job.
Without an EU passport: the honest answer
Switzerland grants work permits to non-EU citizens almost only for specialists, under strict quotas. Domestic and cleaning work does not qualify. There is no application, no waiting list, and no agency that can change this.
- 1Often the most direct route: an EU passport through a parent or grandparent. Many Argentinians and other Latin Americans are entitled to an Italian or Spanish passport, which gives full freedom of movement.
- 2Other paths: family reunification (your partner lives in Switzerland), or a status you already hold (study, asylum).
- 3Never pay an «agency» for a visa.
Every permit and exception in detail →Why working without a permit is dangerous
Finding cleaning jobs: where families look
There are three doors into cleaning work in Switzerland – and you can open all three at the same time. Working directly for families pays the most. Platforms are the fastest legal start but pay noticeably less. Cleaning companies and Spitex offer stable hours at collective-agreement wages.
Door 1: Directly for families
CHF 27–35/h gross
2–6 weeks to build up
Door 2: Platforms that employ you
CHF 21–25/h gross
1–3 weeks to your first job
Door 3: Cleaning companies & Spitex
CBA, German-speaking Switzerland: from CHF 21.40/h + 13th salary
Apply like for any job
what you earn as a caregiver →Your 7-day plan to the first enquiry
Every channel above works, but only if you actually open it this week. Equipment, pricing and paperwork for your start are covered in a separate guide. A realistic first week looks like this:
- 1
Get your materials ready
Three sentences about you (experience, free days, region), references, target rate (direct: CHF 27–35/h). Build a professional CV in 10 minutes with our free CV builder.
- 2
Post free ads
tutti.ch and/or anibis.ch: with photo, region, free days, languages and the sentence «AHV registration expected» – it signals to families that you work professionally.
- 3
Create free profiles
Fill out Homeservice24 and Care.com completely – complete profiles get contacted first. Romandie: also Yoopies. Your profile on Domestyca is free too, and an optional identity check adds a trust badge. On tili.ch families post part-time jobs, and searching is free.
- 4
Join Facebook groups
3–5 groups: your city plus your language community. Introduce yourself briefly (region, days, rate, references, phone number) and reply fast to new requests. Re-post at most every 1–2 weeks.
- 5
Become visible offline
A6 card with tear-off phone strips on 5–10 Migros/Coop pinboards (free, stays up ~14 days). Check whether your commune is on Crossiety. And tell your community's mission or church – the network after the service is a classic job exchange.
- 6
Set up a safety net
Apply to Helpling or Batmaid and to 2–3 cleaning companies or your local Spitex – even if you'd rather work directly: this gives you income from week 2–3.
- 7
Activate your network
Tell everyone you have free capacity. Talk to caretakers and property managers – one agency manages dozens of households and is constantly asked for cleaners. Ask each existing client for one referral.
Save or share the plan
How to introduce yourself to a family
Schneider
online
Hello Mrs Schneider, Mrs Keller told me you're looking for a cleaner. I've been cleaning private homes in Zurich for five years, I work reliably and carefully and I have good references. I'm still free on Thursday and Friday mornings. May I introduce myself briefly?
16:20Hello! Yes, that sounds good. Could you come by on Thursday at 10am?
16:52Gladly, Thursday at 10am works for me. See you then and thank you!
16:55Which channels fit your situation?
Permit, canton, languages, goal – our free tool shows you your personal channels, your minimum wage and the next steps in 2 minutes.
Build my personal channel planThe honest agency check: Batmaid, Helpling & Co.
Platforms employ you legally – that's real value when you're starting out. But you should know the numbers and conditions before you sign. We analysed price breakdowns, employee reviews and press investigations (as of July 2026).
Where does the cleaning hour go?
Platform: the client pays CHF 43.90
Your base wage: CHF 21–23/h gross (CHF 25–28 including holiday supplements and 13th salary)
Employed directly by the family
Average wage CHF 33/h gross (quitt, Schweizer Haushaltshilfen-Report 2026, 2025 data; CHF 27–35 depending on the canton)
Numbers: Batmaid's own price breakdown (batmaid.ch, Geneva example: base wage CHF 22.81 of CHF 43.90; Zurich and Vaud lower) and quitt's wage statistics for direct employment. The difference is the platform layer: operations, marketing, VAT, margin.
Our honest verdict
- 1Good as a springboard: fast, legal, insured – ideal for starting out, first references, and if you don't speak much German or French yet.
- 2Working directly for families you earn around 43–57% more per hour (avg. CHF 33 vs CHF 21–23 base) – but always insist on AHV registration.
- 3The proven path of many pros: start via the agency, build up your own families on the side with the channels above, and switch once your week is full.
What cleaners report
The positives (from reviews)
- Legally employed from day one: permanent contract under the collective agreement, AHV, accident and sick-pay insurance (Batmaid says it pays the first 30 sick days, insured up to 720 days).
- Flexibility is the most praised point in positive reviews: you choose workload and times, the app handles scheduling and payments.
- Collect references and experience – the classic entry route, especially without the local language.
- Helpling publishes CHF 24.75/h gross – more transparent and higher than Batmaid's base wage in most regions.
The criticism (from reviews and investigations)
- Only a few guaranteed hours (typically 4 h/week). In 2024 the WOZ documented monthly incomes swinging between CHF 800 and 1,600.
- Unions (Unia, Allpura) criticise that travel time between jobs is not paid as working time – at cleaning companies under the collective agreement it would be.
- Last-minute client cancellations can make booked hours vanish unpaid.
- Recurring in employee reviews: late or incorrect wage payments and support that is hard to reach.
- If you're only deployed 12–15 h/week you often stay below the pension-fund entry threshold (CHF 22,680/year) – no second-pillar pension builds up.
Batmaid customer reviews on Trustpilot: 3.0 out of 5 from 1'822 reviews (1 October 2026; has replied to about 20% of negative reviews). Employees rate Batmaid around 3 out of 5 on Indeed and Glassdoor – with the pay sub-score clearly lower on both.
By the way: according to its own footer, putzfrau.ch is operated by Batmaid SA – same group, different sign.
Compare all 8 platforms with a net calculator: Open the big platform comparison
Sources: batmaid.ch/about-us (price breakdown, retrieved 4 Jul 2026) · Trustpilot batmaid.ch (4 Jul 2026) · helpling.ch/apply · employee reviews on Indeed and Glassdoor · WOZ no. 7/2024 «Arbeit auf Abruf» · Work/Unia (May 2024) · quitt, Schweizer Haushaltshilfen-Report 2026 (2025 data) · cleaning-sector collective agreement 2026.
Your pay in brief
The legal minimum is CHF 20.35 an hour once you work at least 5 hours a week for the same household. It is higher in Neuchâtel (CHF 21.35), the city of Lucerne (CHF 22.75) and Geneva (CHF 24.59). Most families pay more: the Swiss average is CHF 33 an hour (quitt, Schweizer Haushaltshilfen-Report 2026, 2025 data). Every canton is in our overview of the hourly wage of a cleaner.
More: what a cleaner earns per month and year · whether your hourly wage is right
Which canton is worth it? Language, pay and living costs
Where you work decides three things: the language (you work in the household's language), the average wage and the cost of living. Tap a canton on the map.
Map of Switzerland: pay & living costs
Avg gross wage CHF/h
Important: a high wage in Geneva or Zurich often goes straight to rent. In cantons like Valais, Jura or Solothurn you earn a little less, but rent and health insurance are lower - so more can be left at the end of the month.
Your Rights as a Domestic Worker in Switzerland
As an employee in a private household, you are protected by the Swiss Code of Obligations (OR). This applies regardless of whether you work full-time or just a few hours per week.
Written Employment Contract
Within one month of your start, your employer must give you your wage, weekly working hours, duties and start date in writing (Art. 330b OR). Best put everything, notice periods included, in a written contract. Use the Clino Contract Check to review your contract. Template to forward to the household (free).
Holiday Entitlement
4 weeks of paid holiday
You are entitled to at least 4 weeks of paid holiday per year (under 20: 5 weeks). For hourly wages, a holiday supplement of 8.33% (4 weeks) or 10.64% (5 weeks) is added to the gross salary.
Sick Pay
In case of illness, you are entitled to continued pay once the job has lasted more than 3 months or was agreed for more than 3 months. In the first year of employment, this is at least 3 weeks, then graduated by years of service (Bern, Basel, or Zurich scale depending on the region).
Maternity Leave
14 weeks
After giving birth, you are entitled to 14 weeks of maternity leave at 80% pay (through the income replacement scheme EO). Requirement: you were OASI-insured in the 9 months before the birth and worked at least 5 months during that time.
Protection Against Dismissal
During illness, pregnancy, and military service, dismissal is prohibited. The notice period is 1 month in the first year of service, then 2-3 months depending on the contract.
Accident Insurance (UVG)
Your employer must insure you against occupational accidents. From 8 hours per week with the same employer, non-occupational accidents are also covered.
For a detailed breakdown of pay, holidays, sickness and protection against dismissal, see our overview of your rights as a cleaner.
Before you say yes: warning signs
Most families mean well. You still turn these offers down, or renegotiate them first.
Never work cash-in-hand
Cash in hand means gaps in your AHV, and for unemployment benefit you have to prove the work and the wage yourself. Both sides risk back-payments. Insist on being declared.
'Self-employed' is a grey zone here
Platforms like Helpling treat you as self-employed. AHV usually rejects that for cleaning (you count as the household's employee). Insurance and back-payment risk then fall on you.
No money up front for a job
A temp agency may not charge you anything (Art. 19 AVG). A placement agency may ask a registration fee, but its commission only once you have an employment contract (Art. 9 AVG). Anyone who wants money first for a job or a permit is not legitimate.
Beware 'permit brokers'
No one can 'arrange' a permit for a cleaner/carer from abroad for a normal family. Never pay for it; verify everything on sem.admin.ch.
On platform leads, the family declares you
Only registration puts you into the AHV, from the first franc. You are covered for accidents even without it: then the UVG substitute fund pays and recovers the money from the household. Ask to see the compensation office's confirmation.
Get everything in writing, keep your own record of hours, and insist on being registered. Anyone who refuses has a reason. Your rights in a household job.
Your employer says you're 'self-employed' and must register yourself? In most cases, that's not true. Anyone who regularly cleans in a household is legally considered an employee. More about bogus self-employment →
To forward to your family: Register Your Cleaner - How It Works in 5 Steps
Working legally: what the deductions buy you
Social insurance contributions are deducted from your gross salary. These contributions protect you in old age, in case of disability, and in case of unemployment. Your employer pays the same amount on top.
What a proper payslip looks like
Every month, in writing. The deductions are not a loss - each line buys you something. Follow the numbers:
Maria Gonzalez, cleaner
- 1
Check this against the hours you actually worked. Keep your own record.
- 2
Your 4 weeks of holiday, paid out with every payslip on irregular hourly pay instead of later.
- 3
The basis for everything below - and the number that belongs in your contract.
- 4
Your pension. Your employer pays the same amount again on top, you are not carrying it alone.
- 5
Unemployment insurance: daily benefit if the job disappears.
- 6
Accident cover for your free time. The premium for accidents at work is paid by your employer, from hour one.
- 7
In the simplified procedure this settles your tax. This income is not taxed again.
- 8
What lands in your account. Cash with no payslip is a warning sign.
No AHV line means you are not registered
Then it is undeclared work, however kindly it is meant. Without registration you have no pension credit and no proof you ever worked. And that proof is the first thing you need for unemployment benefit or after an accident.
Example: 10 h/week at CHF 33.00/h in Zurich, simplified procedure (wages up to CHF 22'680/year). In the ordinary procedure BVG is added and tax is assessed normally.
For a more detailed calculation with cantonal taxes and occupational pension, use our comprehensive Gross-to-Net Calculator Switzerland 2026.
Cleaning & Household
The classic: rights, safety and pro techniques for cleaners.
- ~40 min
- in your language
- PDF certificate with QR code
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work as a cleaner without a work permit?
No. To work in Switzerland, you need a valid residence permit with work authorisation (B, C or L permit; with an F permit you may work once the employer has notified the job to the canton in advance). EU/EFTA citizens benefit from the free movement agreement: with an employment contract they easily get an L or B permit; only for jobs of up to 3 months per calendar year is the notification procedure enough. Without a valid permit, work is illegal and can lead to fines and deportation proceedings. Planning to come to Switzerland from abroad to work as a cleaner? Our guide for cleaners from abroad explains all steps from permit to registration. No EU/EFTA passport? Our in-depth guide covers permit B/C/F/N/S, au pair rules and every exception in detail.
What can I do if my employer does not register me?
Talk to your employer directly first and point out the legal obligation. Recommend a simple solution like the simplified procedure. If the employer does not respond, you can contact the cantonal labour inspectorate or a union office. Your rights exist even without registration - but enforcement is harder. The Undeclared Work Check shows you the specific risks.
How much holiday am I entitled to?
At least 4 weeks per year (Art. 329a OR). Under 20: 5 weeks. For hourly wages, the holiday entitlement is added as a supplement to the gross salary (8.33% for 4 weeks, 10.64% for 5 weeks). The holiday supplement must be shown separately on the payslip. Calculate your exact salary with the Clino Calculator.
Can I work for multiple employers at the same time?
Yes, this is allowed and very common in the household sector. Each employer must register you separately with OASI and pay social insurance contributions. You build up OASI contributions with several employers this way. Important: occupational accident insurance applies from the first hour with every employer; each employer must also check whether non-occupational accident insurance (NBU) applies with them (from 8 hours/week with that employer).
What happens if I get injured at work?
If you are properly registered, accident insurance (UVG) covers medical costs and pays daily allowance of 80% of your salary. Report the accident to your employer immediately. If you are not registered, the Ersatzkasse UVG still pays the statutory benefits. But you first have to prove you worked there, and without a contract or payslips that is a long and uncertain process. Another reason why proper registration is so important.
How do I find cleaning work in Switzerland?
Through three doors, ideally all at once: directly with families (free ads on tutti.ch or anibis.ch, profiles on household job portals, Facebook groups for your town, notices at Migros or Coop, referrals), through platforms that employ you themselves (the fastest legal start, but lower pay), or with cleaning companies and Spitex (fixed hours at collective-agreement wages). Working directly for families pays the most. You may only work with an EU/EFTA passport or a permit that allows employment.
How much do cleaning jobs pay in Switzerland?
In 2026, private households pay CHF 27 to 35 an hour gross on cantonal average (quitt, Schweizer Haushaltshilfen-Report 2026, 2025 data). German-speaking Switzerland pays most (CHF 31-35), French-speaking Switzerland (CHF 28-31) and Ticino (CHF 27) less. Office and commercial cleaning on a regular contract is typically CHF 24-28/hour.
Working without a contract?
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Disclaimer: This article serves as a general guide and does not replace legal advice. The salary values and contribution rates reflect the 2026 status. For your individual situation, we recommend contacting the relevant OASI compensation office or a legal advice centre.
Last updated: October 2026 | All information without guarantee
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