Employing domestic help, nannies, or carers from other countries

A nanny from the USA, a carer from Poland – if you are a private employer hiring help from another EU country or a third country, there are several aspects to consider and prepare. quitt has summarized all the important requirements with the help of the statutory health insurance BARMER.

BARMER Checklist: What do I need to prepare as an employee from abroad for employment in a German private household?

1. Work and residence permit: Employees from countries outside the EU require a visa with a work permit in Germany. People from EU countries automatically have a work and residence permit.
2. Registration office: As soon as you have found your place of residence, the first step is to register at the registration office (at the town hall or citizens’ office). Here you will receive a confirmation of registration.
3. Tax ID: If you do not yet have a tax ID, this is usually issued and sent to you after registration. If you do not receive the tax ID automatically, you must apply for it at the tax office. A tax ID is a prerequisite for working in Germany and is valid for life.
4. Health insurance: Another requirement for working in Germany is a health insurance. Registration is very straightforward and can be done online or via quitt ([email protected]). One of the largest statutory health insurance companies is BARMER, which offers multilingual support.
5. Social security number: This can be applied for directly via the statutory health insurance company or when registering for employment. Birthday, place and name are required.
6. Bank account: The last step is to open a bank account with a German IBAN address. 
7. Employer obligations: Of course, all other employer obligations—such as paying the minimum wage or providing a proper employment contract—must be complied with.

Everything done – how can I register my domestic help, nanny or carer?

Once all the preparations have been made, all you need to do is ask your future domestic help or nanny for the collected data and register with quitt.

Where can I register my employee in a statutory health insurance? You can find the link to register with Barmer here. The quitt Support team would also be happy to handle this for you.

What information do I need to register the employment relationship? You can find a list here.

This post was created in collaboration with BARMER Health Insurance.