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Childcare in Switzerland · 2026

Which childcare suits your family?

There is no single best option. Only the one that fits your week, your children and your budget. This page helps you find it, without the jargon.

Find out in 4 questionsCompare costs

To be honest: Clino helps families who employ a nanny, an au pair or a babysitter. For many families, daycare or a childminder is still the better choice, and we say so here too.

A carer arrives at the family's home in the morning, the child holding her hand
There is no wrong choice. Just one that fits your everyday life better.

The short answer

What families usually choose

And often it is a mix: three days of daycare and two days with a nanny, or daycare plus a babysitter for the evenings.

The five options

Who they are, and who they suit

Nanny

Someone you trust, who comes to your home.

A good fit if

  • you have two or more children
  • your days start early, end late or change often
  • you want your child looked after at home, even when ill

Less so if

  • you have one child and a tight budget
  • you want your child to be in a group every day
Cost
about CHF 5'000 a month, for all the children together
Paperwork
You employ her: AHV, accident insurance, payslips.Clino prepares everything
Employing a nanny: the guide

Childminder

A small family setting close to where you live.

A good fit if

  • you work part-time
  • you like a family setting with a few other children
  • you want a reasonable price, often with subsidies

Less so if

  • your working hours change often
  • you need a solution for sick days
Cost
CHF 8–12 per hour per child, about CHF 1'900 a month full-time
Paperwork
One invoice, if she works through a childminding organisation.
Private childminder: the rules

Au pair

A young person who lives with you for a year and learns your language.

A good fit if

  • your children are at school and you mainly need lunchtimes and afternoons covered
  • you have a spare room
  • one parent is often at home

Less so if

  • you both work full-time: one parent has to be at home for at least half of the au pair's working hours
  • you need more than 30 hours a week
Cost
about CHF 1'800 a month, board and lodging included
Paperwork
You employ her: AHV, accident insurance, payslips.Clino prepares everything
Registering an au pair

Daycare

A place made for little ones, with trained staff and lots of other children.

A good fit if

  • you want your child to grow up in a group
  • your working hours are regular
  • you have a child of daycare age

Less so if

  • you start early or get home late
  • every sick day puts you in a bind
Cost
about CHF 2'800 a month per child, often much less with subsidies
Paperwork
One invoice a month. Nothing else.
Daycare, nanny or childminder in detail

Babysitter

Someone for the evenings, the weekends and the unexpected.

A good fit if

  • you need a few hours, not a daily solution
  • you want to top up daycare or a childminder

Less so if

  • you are looking for regular care for the whole day
Cost
CHF 15–25 per hour
Paperwork
Even for a few evenings, you are an employer: AHV from the first franc.Clino prepares everything
Registering a babysitter: how it works
Still unsure?Four questions about your week, and you know where to start.Take the 4 questions

Side by side

What really matters day to day

Seven questions parents ask themselves. The dots show how well each option answers them.

a great fitit dependsnot its strength

Where is your child?

  • NannyAt your home
  • ChildminderAt her home, with a few other children
  • Au pairAt your home
  • DaycareAt daycare, in a group
  • BabysitterAt your home

Early mornings, late evenings

  • NannyWhatever you agree
  • ChildminderOften flexible
  • Au pairWithin 30 hours a week
  • DaycareOnly during opening hours
  • BabysitterExactly what they are there for

Your child is ill

  • NannyShe comes anyway
  • ChildminderYour child usually stays at home
  • Au pairShe is there
  • DaycareYour child stays at home
  • BabysitterIf they are free

With other children

  • NannySiblings, plus playgroup
  • ChildminderSmall group, mixed ages
  • Au pairMostly siblings
  • DaycareEvery day, in a group
  • BabysitterRarely

One steady person

  • NannyThe same person, often for years
  • ChildminderThe same person
  • Au pairOne person, for a year
  • DaycareA team that can change
  • BabysitterWhoever is free

Cost per month1 child, full-time

  • Nanny≈ CHF 5'000
  • Childminder≈ CHF 1'900
  • Au pair≈ CHF 1'800 and a room
  • Daycare≈ CHF 2'800 before subsidies
  • BabysitterCHF 15–25 per hour

Paperwork for you

  • NannyYou employ themClino prepares everything
  • ChildminderOne invoice
  • Au pairYou employ themClino prepares everything
  • DaycareOne invoice
  • BabysitterYou employ themClino prepares everything

Still unsure?

4 questions, one honest recommendation

The same questions we go through with families. It takes half a minute.

Question 1 of 4

How many hours of childcare do you need a week?

What it really costs

Full-time, per month, by number of children

Guide figures for about 40 hours a week, before subsidies and the tax deduction.

Number of children

  • Daycare

    before subsidies

    CHF 5'600 per month

    CHF 2'800 per child

  • Nanny

    one salary for all the children

    CHF 5'000 per month

    CHF 2'500 per child

  • Childminder

    before subsidies

    CHF 3'800 per month

    CHF 1'900 per child

  • Au pair

    at most 30 hrs a week

    CHF 1'800 per month

    CHF 900 per child

Babysitter: not meant for every day. CHF 15–25 per hour, so an evening of 4 hours costs about CHF 60–100.

Based on: nanny CHF 4'500 gross plus about 12% employer contributions. Childminder CHF 11 per hour. Au pair CHF 800 pocket money plus CHF 990 board and lodging. Daycare CHF 140 per day, 48 weeks a year.

SubsidiesFor daycare and childminders, many municipalities pay part of the cost depending on your income. Ask about their rates: they often change the numbers a lot.Subsidies by municipality Tax deductionAll of these options are deductible: for federal tax up to CHF 25'800 per child per year, for children under 14, with an invoice or a salary certificate (Lohnausweis).Work out the tax deduction Au pairOn top of that come the agency, the language course and insurance. And an au pair covers at most 30 hours a week.Au pair pocket money and costs

Five families, five weeks

What it looks like day to day

Typical situations, the kind we see often. The names are made up.

The Berger family

Zug

Both full-time · 2 children, aged 3 and 5

Two children, one salary. And nobody has to rush to daycare in the evening.

The Rossi family

Lugano

100% and 60% · 1 child, aged 3

Three days at the childminder's, with two other little ones. The organisation sends the invoice, there is nothing to register.

The Müller family

Zurich

Both full-time · 1 child, aged 4

The group mattered to them, and the hours fit. The Wednesday babysitter is their evening for two.

The Schmid family

Bern

100% and 50% · 2 children, aged 6 and 8

School in the morning, the au pair from lunchtime. One parent is at home most afternoons, as the au pair rules require. And a year of Spanish at the kitchen table.

The Keller family

Aargau

100% and 80% · 3 children, aged 1, 4 and 7

Three daycare places would have cost more than the nanny. She takes the older two to school and helps with homework.

The paperwork, without the panic

Pay an invoice, or become an employer

This is the real difference between the five. It sounds like a lot, but it is quickly done.

You get an invoice

Daycare · childminder through an organisation

Pay it, keep the invoice, deduct it from your taxes. That's it.

You become an employer

Nanny · au pair · babysitter, even for a few evenings

  1. 1Register with the AHV compensation office, from the first franc of salary
  2. 2Take out accident insurance (UVG)
  3. 3A payslip every month, a salary certificate (Lohnausweis) at the end of the year
With Clino: about 20 minutes to get started, then roughly 2 minutes a month. Clino prepares, you sign. CHF 19.90 a month.
How Clino works

The registration checklist for your canton

AHV compensation office, steps and links to register your nanny or babysitter properly. By email, free.

No spam. Unsubscribe any time.

Frequently asked questions

What parents ask us most

Which is cheaper: a nanny or daycare?
With one child, daycare is usually cheaper: about CHF 2'800 a month at full price, often less with subsidies, compared with about CHF 5'000 for a nanny. From two children the maths flips: two daycare places cost about CHF 5'600, while the nanny is still one salary. Then there is what is hard to put a price on: the nanny is there even when your child is ill.Work out a nanny's salary and cost
Can you combine daycare and a nanny?
Yes, and many families do exactly that. For example three days of daycare for the group and two days with a nanny for the long days. Both costs are deductible, for federal tax together up to CHF 25'800 per child per year.Daycare, nanny or childminder: the comparison
Can an au pair replace a nanny?
Not really. An au pair works at most 30 hours a week, attends a language course and usually stays for a year. And one parent has to be at home for at least half of her working hours. If both parents work full-time, she is legally a nanny, with a minimum wage.Au pair or nanny: the differences
How do I recognise a reliable childminder?
Anyone who regularly looks after children under 12 in their own home for payment has to report it to the authorities (PAVO), and some cantons also require a licence. The easiest route is a childminding organisation: it checks the families, trains them and arranges cover. And visit her beforehand, with your child.Private childminder: the rules
Do I have to register a babysitter for a few evenings?
Yes. In a private household AHV is due from the first franc, and the CHF 2'500 threshold does not apply here. Exceptions: teenagers up to the end of the year in which they turn 17 pay no contributions, and if they are 25 or younger and earn at most CHF 750 a year with you, contributions are only due if they ask for them. Up to an annual salary of CHF 22'680, it all goes through the simplified procedure, with a single statement a year.Registering a babysitter: how it works
What can I deduct from my taxes?
The cost of daycare, a childminder, a nanny, an au pair or a babysitter, if you need childcare because of your work or training and the child is under 14. For federal tax up to CHF 25'800 per child per year, and the cantons have their own caps. You need proof: an invoice or a salary certificate (Lohnausweis). Childcare paid cash in hand cannot be deducted.Work out the childcare tax deduction
Our nanny is from abroad. Does she need a permit?
If she is from Switzerland, the EU or EFTA, you don't need to apply for a work permit: she registers with her municipality like everyone else. For people from other countries, a work permit for a job in a private household is almost never granted.Work permits in a private household
And if the nanny is ill or on holiday?
She is entitled to at least 4 weeks of paid holiday, 5 weeks up to age 20. Ideally, line it up with your own holidays as far as you can. If she is ill, her salary continues for a limited time (Art. 324a OR). So keep a plan B ready: grandparents, a babysitter you trust, an emergency place at a daycare.Nanny contract: holidays and sick pay covered

More on employing a nanny

Concrete tools and templates

Employing a nanny: the hub

The main page, with pay calculator, step-by-step guide and price.

Gross/net calculator

What does the nanny take home? What does she really cost you?

Tax deduction calculator

Up to CHF 25'800 per child in federal tax: what do you actually save?

Employment contract template

A Swiss nanny contract as a PDF, NAV-compliant.

Special private extract

Criminal record extract with the ban on working with minors: step by step.

Au pair vs nanny

A deeper comparison with its own quiz.

Daycare vs nanny vs childminder

A family finder with three profiles.

Registering a babysitter or nanny

AHV registration step by step.

Cost of childcare in Switzerland

Every model side by side, with a subsidy map.

Going with a nanny, an au pair or a babysitter?

Then the hardest part is done. Clino prepares the AHV registration, the contract and the payslips, you sign. CHF 19.90 a month, no power of attorney, no commission.

Start with Clino

Nothing charged before day 30. Cancel any time.

Learn more

Daycare, Nanny or Childminder? Honest ComparisonRead article
Childcare Costs Switzerland 2026Read article
Au pair or nanny: difference, costs and rules 2026Read article
Register a Babysitter, Nanny or Au Pair - 2026 GuideRead article

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