How do I employ my domestic helper?

According to the quitt Haushaltshilfen-Report 2026, more than 91 % of domestic helpers in Germany are not registered. At the same time, 67.6 % of households would register if it were simpler. So the barrier is the effort, not the intention. Which route applies to you comes down to the wage alone. We'll walk through both here, from the first step to the duties that run afterwards.

Do I even have to register my domestic helper?

Yes. As soon as someone works regularly for pay in your household, you are an employer and must register the employment. That applies to a cleaner just as much as to a nanny or the person who cares for your parents.

Anyone who doesn't register is employing someone off the books. That means not only a fine (up to 5,000 €), but above all: your helper has no accident insurance. If she falls off the ladder at your place, you are personally liable. For more on when exactly the obligation kicks in, see Registration requirement for domestic helpers.

Mini-job or subject to social security, which route applies to me?

The monthly wage decides. Up to 603 € a month the job is a mini-job; from 603.01 € it becomes subject to social security. The threshold is tied to the minimum wage and rises each year.

• Up to 603 €/month: mini-job. Registration via the Haushaltsscheck, low contributions, little effort.
• 603.01 € to 2,000 €/month: a midi-job subject to social security in the transition range (Übergangsbereich). Your helper pays a reduced employee share, and you register via the health insurer.
• Above 2,000 €/month: regular part-time or full-time employment, full employee share.

For the difference and what it means for the net wage, see Mini-job or midi-job in detail. Here are the two registration routes.

Route A: register your domestic helper as a mini-job

For a mini-job, registration runs through the Haushaltsscheck, a single form at the Minijob-Zentrale. Five steps and you're through:

1. Set the wage and hours. The minimum wage in 2026 is 13.90 €/hour, that's the floor. On average, households pay 18.32 €/hour for a domestic helper, according to the report. At 18.32 €, up to around 33 hours a month are possible as a mini-job before you cross the 603 € threshold.
2. Sign an employment contract. Not mandatory, but sensible: it sets out wage, hours, holiday and notice periods. You'll find a template under Employment contract for a domestic helper.
3. Betriebsnummer (employer number). You need it as an employer for the report. With the Haushaltsscheck, the Minijob-Zentrale obtains it automatically, so you don't have to do anything. More under What is the Betriebsnummer?
4. Fill in the Haushaltsscheck and set up the SEPA direct debit. You enter your details, your helper's details and the wage, online or on paper. The contributions are debited, you don't transfer anything yourself. Here's how the procedure works in detail: What is the Haushaltsscheck?
5. Done. The Minijob-Zentrale calculates the contributions and collects them twice a year (31 July and 31 January). Once a year you receive a certificate for your tax return.

Route B: register your domestic helper subject to social security

If your helper earns more than 603 € a month, registration runs through the health insurer rather than the Haushaltsscheck. This route has more steps:

1. Apply for the Betriebsnummer yourself. Unlike with a mini-job, you obtain the number yourself here, online at the Betriebsnummern-Service of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit. In most cases you have it within minutes.
2. Sign an employment contract. All the more important with a larger job, because it's about holiday, continued pay and notice.
3. Register with the health insurer. Your helper's health insurer (Krankenkasse) is the collection office. That's where you register the employment and state the wage and working hours.
4. Run payroll monthly and pay contributions. Every month you produce a payslip, report the contributions and pay them to the health insurer. That's the big difference from the mini-job, where everything runs half-yearly and at a flat rate.
5. Annual report. At the turn of the year, an annual report goes to the health insurer.

The employer's share here is around 21 % of the wage, versus 14.6 % for a mini-job. In return, your helper is fully insured, that is covered for pension, health and unemployment. The current contribution rates and the transition range are published by the Verband der Ersatzkassen.

Which documents and details do I need?

For both routes you need essentially the same information. Have it ready before you register and the rest goes quickly:

• your domestic helper's name, address and date of birth
• her social security number (on the social insurance card)
• her tax identification number (Steuer-ID)
• the agreed wage and the weekly working hours
• your IBAN for the direct debit

If the social security number is missing, your helper can request it from her health insurer. The tax ID is on every tax assessment, and can otherwise be requested again from the Bundeszentralamt für Steuern.

What does it cost to employ a domestic helper?

On top of the wage come the employer contributions: around 14.6 % for a mini-job, around 21 % for employment subject to social security. Two worked examples with the average wage of 18.32 €/hour:

Mini-job, around 8 hours a week (about 590 €/month):

• Wage: 590 €
• Employer contributions (14.6 %): about 86 €
• Total cost: about 676 €/month, so about 8,112 € a year

Subject to social security, around 12 hours a week (about 950 €/month):

• Wage: 950 €
• Employer's share (around 21 %): about 200 €
• Total cost: about 1,150 €/month, so about 13,800 € a year

You get part of these costs back through tax (see next paragraph). For how the hourly wage differs by region and task, see What does a cleaner cost?. You can work out your own costs with the wage cost calculator.

By the way: the tax office deducts 20 % of your costs directly from your tax bill, under § 35a EStG. For a mini-job that's up to 510 € a year, for employment subject to social security up to 4,000 €. The condition: you transfer the wage, so you don't pay cash. Details under Tax rebate for domestic helpers.

What happens after registration?

Registration isn't the end of it, afterwards the job continues as an employment relationship. Many people underestimate this. What to expect:

• Wage and contributions. For a mini-job the contributions are debited half-yearly. For employment subject to social security you run payroll every month and pay the contributions. More under Payroll for a domestic helper.
• Reporting changes. If the wage or working hours change, or the job ends, you have to report it.
• Illness. If your helper falls ill, you continue paying the wage for up to six weeks. For a mini-job you get most of it back through the U1 levy. See Domestic helper off sick.
• Holiday. A domestic helper is also entitled to paid holiday, pro rata to the working hours. See A domestic helper's holiday entitlement.
• Pregnancy and maternity protection. If your helper becomes pregnant, maternity protection periods apply, during which she may not work. You get the employer's supplement to maternity pay back through the U2 levy. See Domestic helper pregnant.
• Accident insurance. It's mandatory on both routes and covered through the registration, including on the way to work. See Insuring a domestic helper.
• Ending it. If you or your helper give notice, notice periods apply, and the employment has to be deregistered. See Giving notice to a domestic helper.

Register yourself or have quitt take it over?

You can do every one of these steps yourself, that's your right. For a mini-job the effort is manageable. For the route subject to social security, with the Betriebsnummer, health insurer registration and monthly reports, it quickly adds up, especially once illness or a wage change comes on top. Anyone who doesn't want to carry that effort themselves can hand it over.

What does quitt take care of for me?

quitt is an app-based service that handles employing your domestic helper for you, whether it's a mini-job or subject to social security. You enter the key details, and quitt takes care of registration, payroll, contributions and insurance, on an ongoing basis, not just once at the start. No form for you to fill in, no monthly report for you to keep track of.

You remain the employer throughout and decide whom you hire and what you pay. quitt does the work behind it.

Found a household helper? Start the registration and quitt handles the rest. You can see what the service costs on the pricing page.