Extra Payments for a Domestic Worker in Spain (2026)

Extra payments for a domestic worker work the same way as for any other employee: they are entitled to two extraordinary payments a year, known in Spain as the 'pagas extras'. These additional payments are added to their usual monthly salary and can be received twice a year, in June and December, or pro rata, meaning they are paid proportionally as part of each month's salary.

How they are paid must be set out in the employment contract, and the amount of each extra payment will depend on what was agreed when the worker was hired.

When are the extra payments due?

When they are not paid pro rata, the two extraordinary payments are made at two specific points in the year: the summer payment is usually paid at the end of June and the Christmas payment at the end of December. They do not have to fall exactly in those months (the contract can set other dates), but June and December are the customary dates and the easiest to justify in the event of an inspection.

Each payment builds up, or accrues, over a six-month period. Under the most widely used half-yearly calculation, the summer payment corresponds to the period from January to June and the Christmas payment to the period from July to December. This matters above all when the contract starts or ends mid-year: the worker is only entitled to the share proportional to the time worked within that half-year, and it is that share that is settled in the payslip or in the final settlement (finiquito).

How much should each extra payment be?

Every worker, whether full-time or part-time, is entitled to two extraordinary payments of an amount agreed by both parties. The amount of these payments must be enough to guarantee the minimum wage earned over the year, in proportion to their working hours.

For example, if a worker earns the minimum wage and works full-time each month, receiving 1,221 €/month in 2026, the extraordinary payments must be the same amount, that is 1,221 €, to guarantee they receive 17,094 €/year, which is the annual minimum wage in 2026. So, as long as the annual minimum wage is guaranteed, the amount of each extraordinary payment is subject to agreement between the parties involved.

Paying in 12 or 14 instalments: how it affects the amount

When paying a domestic worker, the employer can choose to pay the salary in twelve or more instalments. This choice can also be applied to the extraordinary payments or to holiday pay. Paying these extras in one or two lump sums a year can give the worker a significant amount of money at once, useful in times of financial need. Spreading the payments across the year, on the other hand, provides a more stable source of income. If the extra payments are spread pro rata over 12 monthly instalments, the full-time minimum wage becomes 1,424.50 €/month in 2026, so the annual total still comes to 17,094 €/year; with 14 instalments, the minimum monthly figure is 1,221 €/month. In domestic employment, moreover, income tax (IRPF) is not withheld automatically, so spreading the extra payments out does not reduce tax or Social Security (Seguridad Social) contributions: it only changes how the pay is distributed over the year.

It is worth not confusing what the worker receives with what it costs the family. The salary is only one part: on top of a full-time job paid at the SMI, you have to add the Social Security (Seguridad Social) contributions paid by the employer (including the MEI, at 0.90% in 2026), so the total cost to the family comes to around 1,801 €/month. Registration with Social Security is compulsory from the very first hour of work, including for workers employed by the hour.

Ultimately, the decision to pay the extraordinary payments as a single sum or in instalments will depend on a range of factors, such as the financial needs of both the employer and the worker. It is important for the employer to weigh these factors carefully before deciding, as it can have a significant impact on the financial wellbeing of both parties.

Part-time and by-the-hour workers

When the working day is part-time, the extra payments are reduced in the same proportion. A worker who works half-time and is paid in 14 instalments would have a minimum monthly salary of 610.50 € (half of 1,221 €) and two extra payments of 610.50 € each, adding up to 8,547 €/year. In the case of workers employed by the hour on an occasional basis, the minimum wage of 9.55 €/hour in 2026 already includes the proportional part of the extraordinary payments and of the holiday entitlement, so these are not paid separately afterwards: if they were paid separately, the worker would be paid twice for the same thing.

Extra payments in the final settlement (finiquito)

If the working relationship ends before a full payment has been received, the employer must pay, as part of the final settlement (finiquito), the proportional part that has accrued but not yet been paid. Imagine a full-time worker on the SMI, paid in 14 instalments, whose contract ends on 30 September: they have already received the summer payment (which covered January to June), but the Christmas payment accrues from July to December. By 30 September they have completed 3 of those 6 months, so they are owed 1,221 € × 3/6 = 610.50 € of pro rata extra pay in the final settlement, on top of any holiday not taken. If the extra payments had already been paid pro rata month by month, there would be no arrears on this account, because they would have been paid in each payslip.

Legal obligation and the consequences of not paying

It is important to bear in mind that paying the extra payment is a legal requirement, and failing to provide it can lead to legal penalties for employers. Domestic workers are also entitled to other benefits, such as paid holiday and sick leave, as well as Social Security (Seguridad Social) cover and healthcare.

Failing to pay the extraordinary payments creates a salary debt that the worker can claim, with interest. On top of this comes a greater risk: failing to register the worker with Social Security (Seguridad Social) from day one is a serious infringement which, under the Spanish Act on Infringements and Penalties in the Social Order (Ley sobre Infracciones y Sanciones en el Orden Social, LISOS), can be penalised with fines of between 3,750 € and 12,000 € per worker. Complying with registration, the minimum wage and the extra payments is not only a matter of fairness, but the way to avoid penalties that far exceed any saving from not doing so.

Overall, paying the extras is crucial to ensuring fairness and financial security for domestic workers in Spain, recognising their valuable contribution to households and families.