All 26 cantons · 2026 ratesHire a caregiver in Switzerland. Legal and insured.
You've already found the right caregiver, hourly or live-in. Clino prepares the rest, for CHF 19.90 a month: contract, payslip and AHV registration. You check and send.
What does your caregiver really cost?
60 households in 12 cantons employ with Clino.
Figures straight from our database. Nothing invented, nothing rounded.
- 60
- Households
- 68
- Employees
- 12
- Cantons
- R. G.ZH
- J. B.AG
- S. D.ZH
- L. P.ZH
- B. B.AG
- M. D.ZH
- K. K.ZH
- D. R.SZ
- L. L.BS
- B. G.ZH
Registering in Switzerland
Registering a caregiver with the AHV: four steps.
318.147
Employer registration
- 1
Find your fund
The compensation fund of your home canton. Your postcode is enough.
- 2
Fill in the form
Usually the federal form 318.147. Under «Employment for», pick «Domestic service».
- 3
Choose the procedure
Up to CHF 22'680 per person and 60'480 in total a year, the simplified procedure applies.
- 4
Add the caregiver
With AHV number (756.…) and first working day, within one month.
Accident insurance never happens by itself. You tick it when you register, or you take out a policy.
Deadline: within 30 days of the start of employment. The confirmation then comes by post.
Rather do it yourself?
The guide without Clino →Clino walks you through every step and fills in the wage fields from your payslip.
Try 30 days freeWages in Switzerland
The minimum wage in Switzerland.
Three tiers under the NAV, by training. 2 cantons require more. Below 5 hours a week the NAV does not apply, but a cantonal or city minimum wage does where one exists: for example in Basel-Stadt (CHF 22.20) and the city of Lucerne (CHF 22.75). Night presence is not free time and is paid separately.
The NAV minimum applies from 5 hours a week with the same household.
Register at CHF 30.00/h →Live-in
If she lives with you, two things are added.
- 990CHF per month for board and lodgingIn-kind wage (AHV)
Board and lodging count as wages.
If your caregiver lives and eats with you, the AHV adds CHF 33 per day to the cash wage. Contributions are owed on that too.
Frequently asked questionsWhat it means for you
With live-in care, CHF 990 per month go on the payslip.
- 22'680CHF annual wagePension fund (BVG)
Live-in almost always means a pension fund.
Above CHF 22'680 annual wage, the occupational pension is mandatory. A live-in caregiver is practically always above it.
Frequently asked questionsWhat it means for you
You join a pension fund, for example the BVG substitute institution.
Financing
Money you are entitled to
Many families pay for care entirely themselves, although part of it would be covered.
AHV helplessness allowance
Up to CHF 1'008 a month, regardless of income and assets
- Entitlement once the person has depended on help for 6 months without a break.
- The AHV pays back at most 12 months. Applying late costs money.
Per month at home, by degree
- MildCHF 252
- ModerateCHF 630
- SevereCHF 1'008
With an application pack: cover letter to the IV office, help sheet and help diary.
Before pension age the IV pays more: CHF 504, 1'260 or 2'016 a month.
Supplementary benefits (EL)
If pension and savings do not cover living costs, the EL also refund costs of help, nursing and care at home, under the canton's rules. The invoices must be submitted within 15 months.
Tax deduction
With a helplessness allowance, nursing and care count as disability-related costs: deductible as far as the allowance does not cover them, and for federal tax without the 5 % threshold for illness costs.
Care credits
If you care for a relative with a helplessness allowance (any degree) who lives nearby, you can get AHV credits towards your own future pension. Apply again every year with form 318.270 at the cantonal compensation office.
Free, no account
The free kit.
Contract and payslip as a PDF right away, the checklist by email.
Clino · Switzerland
Caregiver employment contract
With presence time, board and lodging. As a PDF, free.
Clino · Switzerland
Payslip
With the 2026 contribution rates for all 26 cantons.
Clino · Switzerland
Registration checklist
The 6-point checklist by email
Contract, AHV, accident insurance, wages: what to do and when.
To
A new payslip every month? Clino makes it for you, free for the first 30 days. Try 30 days free →
Compensation Office
Employer audit
Keller family
Employer audit of your household
- ✕No contract: in a dispute, only what you both remember counts
- ✕Accident: the substitute fund pays, you owe 5 years of premiums
- ✕AHV: up to 5 years of back contributions (7 after an offence), plus a possible criminal penalty (Art. 87 AHVG)
Employment contract
PDFbetween Keller family · Maria Silva
- ✓NAV contract: holidays, notice and sick pay settled
- ✓Accident cover from the very first hour
- ✓AHV years for her, payslips for you
«Schwarzarbeit: Haushaltshilfen fehlt oft jede Absicherung», Blick, 25.07.2026, based on Clino studies. The updated study: one inspection every 2'092 years →Good to know
Before you hire.
Care is not nursingA privately employed caregiver handles everyday life. Medical nursing stays with the Spitex. Many families combine both.Show details
Honestly
What the caregiver may do
- Company, conversation, daily structure
- Cooking, housekeeping, laundry
- Shopping and errands
- Accompaniment to doctor, hairdresser
- Walks and activation
- Night presence and reassurance
What belongs to the Spitex
- Preparing and administering medication
- Wound care and dressing changes
- Injections and medical measurements
- Basic nursing under KVG (doctor-prescribed)
If you are looking for a nursing service or 24-hour care rather than employing someone directly, you will find providers in your region in the PflegeNetz24 directory.
What the law requiresShow details
Anyone employing a caregiver in their own private household, even for a relative, is an employer under the AHVA and must register them with the cantonal compensation office from the very first franc of wages. The NAV minimum wages apply; for live-in care, presence time and in-kind wages (board & lodging) must be recorded correctly.
Unregistered employment counts as undeclared work (BGSA, AHVA Art. 87/88). An inspection means back-payment of all social-insurance contributions, as a rule for the last 5 years, plus default interest and a fine and if an accident happens without insurance, the Ersatzkasse UVG charges you substitute premiums (Art. 95 UVG).
Sources: CO, AHVA, BGSA, UVG, NAV domestic work (SECO)
Already employing someone?
Take the 60-second check: contract, AHV, accident insurance. You see right away if something is missing and what it can cost.
Start the free checkFrequently asked questions: registering a caregiver
May my caregiver administer medication or treat wounds?
No. Medical services (preparing and administering medication, wound care, injections, basic nursing under the KVG) belong to the Spitex or an approved nursing service. A privately employed caregiver handles companionship, housekeeping, accompaniment and everyday help. The two combine well.
Do I have to register the caregiver if she only comes a few hours?
Yes. In a private household there is no minimum threshold. AHV contributions are owed from the first franc of wages. Not registering risks back-payment of all contributions, as a rule for up to 5 years, plus default interest and a fine.
Can I use the simplified procedure?
Usually not. The simplified procedure only applies up to CHF 22'680 of annual wages per person. A caregiver with a regular workload, especially live-in, is almost always above. Then the ordinary procedure applies. Clino handles both and picks the right one automatically.
How is night presence compensated in 24-hour care?
Presence time, the caregiver sleeps in the home and gets up when needed, is not free time and must be compensated. SECO provides a model NAV for 24-hour care: working time, presence time and free time must be clearly defined and separately paid in the contract.
How are board and lodging counted?
If the caregiver lives and eats with you, it counts as in-kind wages subject to AHV. Official rates: breakfast CHF 3.50, lunch CHF 10, dinner CHF 8, lodging CHF 11.50. Total CHF 33 per day, i.e. CHF 990 per month. This amount is added to the cash wage and appears on the payslip.
Does my caregiver need an occupational pension (BVG)?
Above CHF 22'680 annual wage, the occupational pension is mandatory: risk cover from age 18, retirement savings from 25. Practically always the case for a live-in caregiver. As the employer you affiliate with a pension fund (e.g. the BVG substitute occupational benefit institution). Clino shows you when the obligation applies and accounts for the contributions.
My caregiver comes from abroad: what applies?
EU/EFTA nationals may work with registration in Switzerland; without a C permit the wage is taxed at source. Clino calculates the withholding tax automatically. From non-EU/EFTA countries you cannot hire a caregiver directly from abroad: permits are only granted to qualified specialists. If she already lives in Switzerland with a permit, employment may be possible depending on that permit; your cantonal migration office can tell you. Even a rotating caregiver must be correctly registered from the first working day.
Is there financial support for care at home?
Yes. The AHV helplessness allowance pays CHF 252, 630 or 1'008 a month at home, depending on the degree and regardless of income and assets. The entitlement starts once the person has depended on help for 6 months without a break. The AHV pays back at most 12 months, so apply early. If pension and savings do not cover living costs, supplementary benefits also refund costs of help and care at home (submit the invoices within 15 months). With a helplessness allowance, care costs are tax-deductible as disability-related costs, as far as the allowance does not cover them. And relatives who provide the care can apply every year for AHV care credits towards their own pension.
What does Clino cost?
CHF 19.90 per month. Flat, whether hourly care or 24-hour employment, regardless of how many employees. Includes AHV/IV/EO/ALV settlement, payslips, wage certificate, withholding tax, BVG in the statement, contract templates and deadline reminders. Nothing is charged before day 30, cancel anytime.
Founded in Zürich, for all of Switzerland
Goodbye, paperwork.
All 26 cantons, every registration route, all 2026 contribution rates. Fixed price CHF 19.90 a month.
Try 30 days freeNothing charged before day 30. Cancel anytime.
2026 rates for all 26 cantons checked against official sources, as of · Sources and methodology
Register other household help
Same procedure, same price. Whoever works in your home.
