Here’s the deal
- Yes. As soon as someone works regularly for pay in your household, you are an employer and must register the employment, from the first euro. There is no lower threshold, and whether you pay cash or by transfer makes no difference.
- If you don't register, it's undeclared work. That can mean a fine of up to 5,000 €, back payment of all contributions and your liability if something happens.
- Exempt are genuine favours (occasional, unpaid) and self-employed service providers who work on an invoice.
- Once registered, your helper is covered by accident insurance and you get 20 % of the cost back through tax.
Many people assume that small jobs or paying in cash are unofficially fine. They're not. The registration requirement doesn't depend on the size of the wage or how you pay. According to the quitt Household Help Report 2026, over 91% of domestic helpers in Germany are unregistered regardless. Here is what the requirement actually means, when it applies, and what is at stake.
When do I have to register my domestic helper?
As soon as they work regularly for pay, from the very first euro. There is no lower limit below which you are exempt from registration. Whether it is a cleaner, nanny, or gardener: once the work is regular and paid, you become the employer and must register the employment.
This expressly includes mini-jobs. A mini-job (up to €603 per month) is fully subject to registration; the procedure is simply easier than for a larger job. The common belief that a small job below a certain threshold is exempt can get expensive if things go wrong. Whether you have a mini-job or a job subject to social security depends on the wage, which we explain under Mini-job or midi-job. How registration works is set out under How do I employ my domestic helper?.
Are there exceptions to the registration requirement?
Yes, but very few. In these cases, you are not the employer and do not have to register anything:
- A genuine favour. If a neighbour helps out now and then, unpaid or for a small token of appreciation, no employment relationship arises. What matters is that it happens occasionally and not on a permanent basis for a fixed wage.
- Self-employed service providers. If you hire a cleaning company or a self-employed cleaner with a registered business, they invoice you and handle their own registration with the authorities. You are then a customer, not an employer.
A word of caution on the second case: if the person works only for you, at times you set, and following your instructions, they are effectively employed, even if they provide an invoice. That is bogus self-employment, and the registration requirement applies after all. To see where the line is drawn, check Self-employed domestic helper.
What happens if I don't register my domestic helper?
Then it's undeclared work, and that can get expensive. The Minijob-Zentrale spells out the consequences:
- A fine of up to €5,000. Failing to register is a regulatory offence. Anyone who knowingly evades social security contributions even commits a criminal offence.
- Back payments, retroactively. If the employment comes to light, social security contributions can be reclaimed retroactively.
- No accident cover, full liability. If your helper is injured at work and wasn't registered, the accident insurer can bill the household for the treatment costs. You are personally liable.
On the flip side, registering pays off financially, too. Once registered, your helper is covered by statutory accident insurance, including on the way to work, and you get 20% of the cost back through the tax rebate under § 35a, up to €510 a year for a mini-job. To be honest, being registered means slightly less net pay for your helper, because contributions are deducted. But in return, she is covered, and so are you.
How do I register my domestic helper?
Through one of two procedures, depending on the wage. Up to €603 a month, registration as a mini-job is handled via the Haushaltsscheck at the Minijob-Zentrale, which is just a single form. If your helper earns more, you register her through her health insurance provider.
We walk through both routes step by step under How do I employ my domestic helper?. For a mini-job, the effort is minimal; for the social security-liable route, which requires monthly reporting, it is more involved.
What does quitt handle for me?
quitt is an app-based service that manages the registration of your domestic helper. You simply enter the key details, and quitt takes care of the registration, payroll, and insurance on an ongoing basis. This ensures your helper is correctly registered and fully covered from day one, without you having to worry about forms or deadlines.
You remain the employer at all times and decide who you hire and what you pay. quitt handles all the administrative work behind the scenes.
Found a household helper? Start the registration and quitt handles the rest. You can see our service costs on the pricing page.
We register your domestic helper
Simply enter the key details, and quitt handles the registration, payroll, and insurance. This ensures your helper is correctly registered from day one.
