Domestic staff blog
Practical guides, legal essentials and tips for hiring and managing household staff in Spain with peace of mind.
Blog
Why summer is the best time to hire a housekeeper in Spain (what many families discover too late)
Summer is when the domestic-staff market moves the most. More available candidates, calmer selection and a home that is already organised when September arrives.
Health and safety for domestic workers in Spain: a guide for employer families and the new official tools
Families employing domestic workers in Spain now have health and safety obligations. We explain the new official tools, the free training course and how to comply step by step.
Updating Your Housekeeper's Salary in Spain (2026)
An up-to-date guide to raising your housekeeper's salary with Social Security after the 2026 minimum wage increase — step by step in Import@ss, with deadlines and back pay to settle.
Domestic Worker Overtime: Pay and Limits in Spain
How much an hour of overtime costs for a domestic worker in 2026 (a minimum of 9.55 €, with no automatic premium), the 80-hour annual cap and how to offset it with equivalent rest taken within the following four months.
How to Register a Domestic Worker with Social Security 2026
A practical 2026 guide to registering a domestic worker with Spain's Social Security through Import@ss: deadlines, cost, hiring a foreign worker and the full step-by-step process.
How to Hire a Housekeeper in Spain for the First Time
Everything you need to know before hiring domestic staff in Spain for the first time: working hours, pay, Social Security registration, contracts and rights.
How to Calculate a Domestic Worker's Final Settlement
Learn how to calculate a domestic worker's final settlement using the 2026 Spanish minimum wage: salary owed, bonus payments pro-rated by half-year, and untaken holiday — step by step and with a real example.
Housekeeper without a contract: risks and fines 2026
Employing a housekeeper without a contract is illegal in Spain and exposes you to fines of 3,750 to 12,000 € for failing to register them, while leaving the worker with no social protection. Here are all the risks in 2026 and how to put things right.
How Many Hours Can a Housekeeper Work in Spain?
How many hours can a housekeeper work in Spain? A clear guide to the maximum working week, rest periods and overtime for live-in, live-out and hourly staff.
Hiring an Undocumented Domestic Worker in Spain: Fines
Fines of up to 100,000 €, back-dated contributions and inspections: what an employer risks by hiring a domestic worker without papers or a contract, and how to avoid it in 2026.
Regularising Your Domestic Worker in Spain: Arraigo Social
How to help your domestic worker regularise her status through arraigo social in 2026: the requirements after Royal Decree 1155/2024, the employer's role and the timelines.
Do You Deduct Income Tax (IRPF) from a Housekeeper?
Private employers in Spain are not required to deduct income tax (IRPF) from a domestic worker's payslip, but the worker must still file a tax return if their earnings exceed certain thresholds. Here is the rule in force for 2026.
2026 Employment Law Changes for Domestic Workers in Spain
A round-up of every 2026 employment law change affecting domestic workers in Spain: minimum wage, social security contributions, unemployment, risk prevention and regularisation, with links to each detailed guide.
How Much a Housekeeper Earns in Spain in 2026
How much a housekeeper earns in Spain in 2026 and what they really cost you: the minimum wage, pay by type of role and Social Security contributions.
How Much Does Social Security Cost for a Housekeeper?
Contributing to Social Security for a full-time housekeeper on the 2026 Spanish minimum wage costs the employer around 317 €/month after rebates. Here is how the contribution bands, rates and your exact monthly amount work.
Live-in Housekeeper in Spain: Rights and Obligations
Everything you need to know about employing a live-in housekeeper in Spain: working hours, rest periods, holidays, salary, board and lodging, and the rights and duties on both sides.
Domestic worker payslip: is it required by law?
Yes - Spanish law requires you to give your domestic worker a payslip. Here is what it must include, a worked 2026 minimum-wage example, special cases and the fines for getting it wrong.
Sick leave for a domestic worker: pay and who covers it
What a domestic worker is paid while on sick leave in Spain, who covers it, and how it is claimed through the Social Security system.
How to Dismiss a Domestic Worker in Spain (2026)
Since the 2022 reform, dismissing a domestic worker in Spain requires fair, written grounds. Here are the grounds, notice periods and severance that apply in 2026.
How to Do a Payslip for a Domestic Worker in Spain
A step-by-step guide to preparing a domestic worker's payslip in Spain: earnings, deductions and a downloadable template.
Domestic Worker Holiday in Spain: 30 Days a Year
30 calendar days a year (2.5 per month): how a domestic worker's holiday accrues in Spain, who chooses the dates, how much is paid and what happens if they work by the hour.
Domestic Worker Contract Template: How to Fill It In
Learn how to fill in a domestic worker contract in Spain step by step in 2026: party details, working hours, the minimum wage (SMI), the trial period and Social Security registration.
Arraigo Sociolaboral for Domestic Workers: 2026 Guide
The arraigo sociolaboral route lets you legalise a non-EU domestic worker on contracts of at least 20 hours a week at the Spanish minimum wage. Since Royal Decree 316/2026, she can start working as soon as the application is admitted for processing.
Extra Payments for a Domestic Worker in Spain (2026)
Two extra payments a year: when they fall due, how much they must be to meet Spain's 2026 minimum wage, and why they are compulsory for domestic workers.
Housekeeper: Hiring Directly vs Through an Agency
We compare hiring a housekeeper directly versus through an agency in Spain: the real cost, time, legal risk and peace of mind, so you can choose wisely in 2026.
7 Common Mistakes When Hiring a Housekeeper in Spain
The 7 most common mistakes employers make when hiring a housekeeper in Spain, and how to avoid them so you get the selection right and stay compliant with the law in 2026.
Hiring a Domestic Worker in Spain as a Non-Resident
Live abroad but own a home in Spain? Here's how a non-resident can legally hire and register a domestic worker in 2026, what it costs and what alternatives you have.
Domestic Worker Health & Safety in Spain: RD 893/2024
Since 14 November 2025, every household that employs a domestic worker in Spain must comply with Royal Decree 893/2024 on health and safety. Here is a step-by-step guide for 2026: risk assessment, free eFundae training, PPE and health surveillance.
Hiring a Foreign Domestic Worker in Spain: 2026 Guide
A complete 2026 guide to hiring a foreign domestic worker in Spain: EU versus non-EU nationals, the arraigo sociolaboral route (Royal Decree 1155/2024), the extraordinary 2026 regularisation, the pre-contract, Social Security registration, the real cost and the risks of doing it off the books.
Can a Housekeeper Resign by WhatsApp in Spain?
A housekeeper can resign by WhatsApp, but an employer should not dismiss this way. Here is what Spanish law says in 2026 and how to do it properly.
Housekeeper Pre-Contract: What to Include & Arraigo
What a housekeeper pre-employment contract is, what it must contain and how to use it for the arraigo sociolaboral route under Spain's 2026 rules.
Pay in lieu of holiday for a housekeeper: is it legal?
Can you pay a domestic worker for holiday they never took? Find out when financial compensation is legal in Spain and how it is calculated in the final settlement.
Grants to Hire a Domestic Worker in Madrid 2026
In 2026, the Comunidad de Madrid is keeping a direct grant of up to 4,000 € for families who hire a domestic worker to care for children or dependent relatives. Here are the updated requirements, amounts and deadlines.
How Many Days Off Can a Domestic Worker Take in Spain?
Every type of paid leave a domestic worker in Spain is entitled to, and how many days each one covers.