Domestic work in Spain: frequently asked questions

A domestic worker's salary depends on several factors: the number of hours worked, whether the position is live-in or live-out, the city where the service is provided, the responsibilities of the role and the professional's experience.

Spain has a statutory minimum wage (SMI) that sets the legal minimum pay for a full-time position: in 2026 it is €1,221 gross a month across 14 payments — €17,094 a year — and €9.55 per hour worked for those paid hourly, an amount that already includes holidays and the proportional part of the extra payments. No job may pay below that minimum.

That said, many of our jobs pay above the legal minimum, particularly when the role calls for additional duties such as cooking, childcare, elderly care, languages or availability to travel.

Live-in workers also receive accommodation and board on working days, although these do not replace the salary agreed in the contract.

Almost all of our jobs state the salary before you apply, so you know the financial terms of the position from the outset.

Yes. Pay can be negotiated before the contract is signed.

Factors such as experience, references, languages, availability to travel, cooking, caring for several people or additional duties can all influence the salary offered.

At Maids & Co. we aim for families and candidates to reach balanced agreements that match the responsibilities of the position.

Yes. Anyone working in a private household is entitled to an employment contract and to be registered with Social Security from the moment the employment relationship begins.

The contract should set out the working hours, the salary, the duties, the rest periods and the holidays. Although the law allows certain contracts to be agreed verbally, it is always advisable to put the terms in writing so that both the family and the worker have greater certainty. Where there is no written agreement, the law presumes the contract to be permanent and full-time, and either party may require it to be put in writing at any time (article 5 of Royal Decree 1620/2011, which governs this special employment relationship).

Paying Social Security contributions gives access to a range of benefits, including healthcare, temporary incapacity leave, a pension and — since the reform of the system — unemployment protection where the established requirements are met.

Working with a contract and contributions also makes it easier to evidence your professional experience for future jobs.

Working hours depend on what is agreed in the contract, always within the limits set by law. For full-time contracts, ordinary hours run up to 40 hours a week of actual work.

In some cases, particularly in live-in positions, there may also be on-call time: hours when the worker is available to attend to occasional needs but is not continuously performing actual work. On-call time must be agreed in writing and compensated either financially or with time off, as agreed.

Distinguishing between actual working hours, on-call time and rest periods matters, because it is what keeps working conditions fair.

Actual work is the time during which the worker performs the duties of the role, such as cleaning, cooking, ironing, childcare or caring for older people.

On-call time refers to periods when the worker remains available in the family home without carrying out tasks continuously. For example, a family may ask the worker to stay in the house while the children sleep, or during certain hours in case something comes up.

The difference matters because the two are regulated differently and must not be conflated when calculating working hours. On-call time must be agreed in the contract and compensated with pay or equivalent rest.

It cannot be used to extend the working day indefinitely.

Live-in workers are entitled to enough rest to safeguard their wellbeing.

As a general rule, weekly rest is 36 consecutive hours, usually covering Saturday afternoon or Monday morning plus the whole of Sunday, although it can be arranged differently if both parties agree.

In addition, every day must allow enough time for a night's rest and for meals.

Respecting rest periods is essential to a healthy, long-lasting working relationship.

A live-in worker lives in the family home on working days and has their own room and board. This type of position tends to suit families who need continuous attention or greater availability.

A live-out worker, by contrast, works set hours and returns to their own home at the end of the day.

Both types of employment come with a contract, Social Security contributions, holidays and every other employment right. The main difference lies in how the working day is organised and how the service is provided.

Live-in positions generally require more flexibility with hours and tend to offer higher pay because of the availability they involve.

When a job includes caring for children, the duties must be clearly defined from the outset.

Depending on the children's ages, tasks may include taking them to school, preparing meals, helping with homework, organising activities or attending to their daily needs.

Many families also value first-aid knowledge, languages or previous experience as a nanny.

In every case, the responsibilities must be reasonable and consistent with the salary and hours agreed.

Yes. The family that employs you must give you a monthly salary receipt — the nómina — showing what you earned, what was deducted for Social Security and the net amount you receive (RD 1620/2011, art. 8.6, which refers to art. 29 of the Workers' Statute).

In domestic employment the employer is not required to withhold income tax, because household employers are not among those obliged to withhold (Personal Income Tax Regulation, art. 76.1), which is why the payslip normally shows IRPF at 0. Not having tax withheld does not exempt you from filing a return if your income is above the threshold. What is always deducted is 6.40% of the contribution base (4.70% common contingencies, 1.55% unemployment and 0.15% MEI).

Keep every payslip and proof of payment. They are your evidence of what you were paid if you ever have to claim a final settlement or apply for unemployment benefit.

The finiquito is the settlement of everything you are owed when the contract ends, whatever the reason — even if you are the one leaving. It is always paid.

It has three parts: the days you worked in your last month; the proportional share of the extra payment for the current half-year, which accrues by half-years and not by calendar year (RD 1620/2011, art. 8.4); and any holiday you accrued and did not take (art. 9.7).

Severance is a separate thing and is added on top when the family is the one ending the contract. Signing the finiquito does not waive your right to claim. Watch the two deadlines: to challenge a dismissal it is 20 working days from the end date and it lapses for good (Workers' Statute, art. 59.3); to claim money — settlement, unpaid severance or wages — you have one year from the end of the contract (art. 59.1).

It depends on why the contract ends. If the family ends it for a justified cause — a drop in their income or a rise in their expenses, a substantial change in their needs, or a reasonable loss of trust — it is 12 days of salary per year worked, capped at 6 months' pay (RD 1620/2011, art. 11.2). They must tell you in writing, state the cause, and make the money available to you at that same moment.

If there is no letter stating the cause, or the severance is not made available, the law presumes it is a dismissal (art. 11.3). A dismissal that does not hold up is unfair, and that means 33 days of salary per year, capped at 24 months' pay (Workers' Statute, art. 56).

When a fixed-term contract ends it is 12 days per year (Workers' Statute, art. 49.1.c). If the person who employed you dies, retires or becomes incapacitated, one month of salary (art. 49.1.g); where it is a death, it is paid out of the estate. If you resign, there is no severance.

The calculation uses your daily salary with the extra payments included: annual gross divided by 365. On the 2026 minimum wage (€17,094 a year) that is €46.83 a day, so three years worked come to €1,685.88 for a justified cause and €4,636.17 for an unfair dismissal.

You need 360 contribution days in the last six years and the termination has to count as legal unemployment (General Social Security Act, arts. 266 to 270).

Ending for a justified cause, a dismissal, the end of a fixed-term contract and the employer's death, retirement or incapacity all count (General Social Security Act, art. 267.1.a). Resigning does not: if you leave of your own accord, there is no benefit.

Always ask for the certificado de empresa with your dates and contribution bases: it is the document the SEPE will ask you for. Each household you work for contributes separately, and every day you are registered counts, however few the hours.

It is paid in the finiquito. You accrue 30 calendar days a year, which works out at 2.5 days for every month worked (RD 1620/2011, art. 9.7), and when the job ends the days accrued this year and not taken are settled in proportion to the time worked.

Contributions are paid on that holiday separately, as if you had stayed registered for those days: it shows up in your Social Security record and counts towards unemployment benefit.

If you took more days than you had accrued, there is no rule that settles the point expressly. The usual view is that those days are not deducted from the finiquito unless you agreed otherwise. If they are deducted and you are unsure, get advice before signing.