Looking for cleaning, childcare or household-support work in Switzerland? Compare where to look, the tasks and schedule, the gross wage, and the employment records and permission you need before starting.
This guide answers all of that. It is written for Helpers (the people doing the work) and grounded in the 2026 Swiss rules for domestic work.
If you would rather skip the job-board grind and start on your own terms, you can create your free Helper profile, set your services, rate, working area and real availability.
Before moving on, check the final pay and documents from your current job so you can identify anything missing.
Where the work is: your options in 2026
There are four common ways to find cleaning and childcare work in Switzerland, each with trade-offs:
- Word of mouth and referrals. Ask for introductions, then check the employer, agreed wage, declarations and required cover. A recommendation does not establish the employment terms.
- Classifieds and job boards. Sites listing cleaning and nanny jobs give you volume, but you compete with many applicants, you have to vet each household yourself, and many listings are informal or cash-in-hand.
- Cleaning and placement agencies. Check who employs you, the gross wage and deductions, the schedule and which administration the agency handles. The arrangement depends on the provider.
- Profile-based platforms. You create a profile and specify services, area and availability. On Helpore, households then send requests through Flex.
The right choice depends on how much control you want over your rate and schedule, and how much you value being properly declared and insured.
How to get hired: a simple step-by-step
Whether you use a platform, an agency or referrals, a clear description of your services and availability helps people assess whether the work fits.
- Decide what you offer. Cleaning, ironing, deep cleans, childcare, elderly support, cooking, pet care? List your services clearly. Specialising (e.g. experienced nanny with first-aid) can earn more than "everything for everyone".
- Set your area and availability. Households book the people who fit their schedule. Be specific about the regions and days you can work.
- Write a clear, honest profile. A short introduction, your experience, languages you speak, and what makes you reliable. Swiss households value punctuality, discretion and consistency above all.
- Gather references. Even one or two previous families willing to vouch for you make a big difference. Ask permission to list them.
- Be reachable and responsive. Fast, polite replies win bookings. Confirm details in writing.
- Check the employment records. Agree who completes the applicable declarations and arranges the required accident cover. A platform profile does not itself declare or insure work.
A clear record of earlier household work can support an application. See how to request and review an employment reference.
What to charge
The federal domestic-work minimum applies within its scope, generally from an average of five hours a week with the same employer. Geneva has its own domestic-work contract, other cantonal or local rules may be higher, and work mainly involving childcare is excluded from the federal contract. Check the applicable task, canton and contract. Within federal scope, the 2026 gross floors are:
- Unskilled: CHF 20.35/hour
- Unskilled with 4+ years' domestic experience, or an EBA: CHF 22.30/hour
- Trained with an EFZ: CHF 24.55/hour
Paid leave is the principle; an hourly holiday payout is allowed only under the narrow legal exception. Federal wage scope and any higher cantonal or local floor must be checked for the actual work. The ranges in the companion guide are planning orientation, not verified current market averages.
For planning rate illustrations and a four-step method to set your own number, read our companion guide: How much should you charge as a cleaner or nanny in Switzerland?
Working declared: AHV, insurance and a contract
Cash wages can be correctly declared. Whichever payment method is used, check the employment terms, applicable declarations and insurance.
- AHV/AVS social contributions. AHV liability starts on 1 January after the seventeenth birthday. In domestic work, the low-pay exception lasts through 31 December of the year the worker turns 25: pay of CHF 750 or less per calendar year and household is exempt unless the worker requests contributions. Above CHF 750, contributions apply to the full liable wage. Older working-age domestic staff are generally liable from the first franc; reference-age rules differ. Applicable employee deductions reduce gross pay; they are not a platform fee.
- Accident insurance (UVG). The household must arrange the accident cover that applies. Check the actual policy and the cover required for your weekly hours.
- A written contract. A clear agreement on tasks, hours, rate, notice and holiday pay protects both sides.
Before starting with a household, agree the hours and how schedule changes will be recorded. The guide to pay when an agreed shift is cancelled explains the practical steps.
Before you need it, read the sick pay guide for cleaners and nannies so you know what to tell each household and which contract, payslip and insurance details to keep.
Sorting this out yourself for each household is a lot of paperwork. Platforms exist precisely to handle it. For the full legal picture, see our legal hiring guide for Switzerland.
Do you need a permit?
- EU/EFTA citizens benefit from freedom of movement and can take domestic work, registering with their commune if they live and work in Switzerland beyond three months.
- Third-country (non-EU/EFTA) nationals generally need a valid residence and work permit before starting a job. Permits for unskilled domestic work are limited, so check your status with the cantonal migration office first.
Never start work on the assumption a permit will "sort itself out": being declared and being authorised to work are both essential.
How to spot a job scam
The vast majority of households are genuine, but scams exist. Walk away from any offer that:
- Asks you to pay a fee to get hired, or to "unlock" or "release" your first wage.
- Requests your bank or card details before any work is agreed.
- Pays only in untraceable cash and refuses a contract.
- Pressures you to start immediately without confirming who you are working for.
- Sounds too good to be true: far above market rates for vague, "no questions asked" work.
Check who employs you, the agreed wage and duties, the applicable declarations and accident cover. An oral contract can be binding, but a clear written record helps both sides. Read cash payment and undeclared work.
Prepare your Helper profile for Flex requests
Prepare your services, gross wage, working area and availability on Helpore. Households can book through Flex, but joining does not guarantee work.
- You set your own rate and choose your own availability and working areas.
- No Helpore fee from your gross wage. Applicable employee social contributions, tax, pension and insurance deductions remain. Household service fees are separate.
- The admin is handled for you. Your employer is the household you work for, and where the household chooses Helpore Admin, Helpore fills in the employment contract template that you and the household sign and prepares the AHV/AVS registration, the accident cover in the household's name and the payroll, so every hour can be declared.
- Stay ready for requests. Keep your services, area, documents and availability current. Joining does not guarantee work.
- Joining is free for Helpers. Creating a profile costs you nothing.
Helpore accepts Helper profiles across Switzerland. Once onboarding and verification are complete, your profile can be published; keeping your availability and work area current makes the profile useful to nearby households.
Create a profile that households can act on
- Choose only the services you genuinely provide.
- Set a gross hourly rate and a realistic travel area.
- Keep your availability current and your required documents valid.
If you clean, care for children, support older people or help in the home, now is the moment to claim your spot.
- Create your free Helper profile
- Learn more about working as a Helper
- See how much to charge as a cleaner or nanny
Frequently asked questions
How do I find cleaning work in Switzerland in 2026?
Use referrals, job listings, agencies or profile-based platforms, and check the employer, permission to work and declared employment terms. You can prepare a free Helpore profile now; households book through Flex. Helpore takes no fee from your gross wage.
Do I need a permit to work as a cleaner or nanny in Switzerland?
EU/EFTA citizens can work in domestic roles under freedom of movement, registering with the commune if they stay and work beyond three months. Non-EU/EFTA nationals generally need a valid residence and work permit before starting; permits for unskilled domestic work are limited, so check with the cantonal migration office first.
What is the minimum wage for cleaners and nannies in Switzerland in 2026?
The federal domestic-work minimum applies within its scope, generally from an average of five hours a week with the same employer. Geneva has its own domestic-work contract, other cantonal or local rules may be higher, and work mainly involving childcare is excluded from the federal contract. Check the applicable task, canton and contract. Within federal scope, the 2026 gross floors are CHF 20.35 for unskilled work, CHF 22.30 for the experience/EBA category and CHF 24.55 for EFZ. The companion rate ranges are planning illustrations, not current market averages.
How can I spot a cleaning or nanny job scam?
Be cautious of any offer that asks you to pay an upfront fee, requests money to release your wage, wants bank details before work is agreed, pays only in untraceable cash, or pressures you to start without a contract. Check the employer, agreed wage and duties, applicable declarations and accident cover. An oral contract can be binding; a clear written record helps both sides.
Does Helpore charge Helpers to find work?
No. Creating a Helper profile is free and Helpore takes no fee from the gross wage. Employee deductions remain. Households can book through Flex, but joining does not guarantee work.
Official sources
- Federal standard employment contracts (NAV) overview: seco.admin.ch
- Federal Council communication on the NAV Hauswirtschaft wage update (effective 1 January 2026): admin.ch media release
- AHV/AVS domestic work leaflet 2.06 (2026): ahv-iv.ch/p/2.06.e
- Working in Switzerland and permits (EU/EFTA and third-country): ch.ch/en/work