Domestic staff in Andalusia: what employers must know in 2026 — SPECTRUM DOMUS

A practical guide for families and villa owners who look for cleaners, nannies, carers and other domestic workers on their own.

Finding a suitable domestic worker is an important task for any family. Beyond experience, references and personal compatibility, the requirements of Spanish labour law must be taken into account.

In 2026 employers in Andalusia need to pay attention to the minimum wage, the official formalisation of the employment relationship, safety at work and respect for employees' rights.

Spectrum Domus is an online platform for finding domestic staff independently. Employers can review verified candidate profiles, compare experience and choose the person who matches their family's needs.

In this article we explain what an employer needs to know before hiring domestic staff and which legal requirements are important in 2026.

Summary: what matters to the employer

Minimum wage: check whether the pay meets the minimum established for 2026.
Official formalisation: comply with the requirements for the employment contract and Social Security registration.
Safety: assess occupational risks and provide the necessary protective measures.
Working time: comply with the established rules on pay, rest and schedule.
Hiring conditions: agree duties, salary and schedule clearly.
Independent choice: review candidate profiles on Spectrum Domus and decide for yourself.

1. The minimum wage in 2026

According to Royal Decree 126/2026, the minimum wage in Spain is:

1,221 € a month when paid in 14 instalments.
17,094 € a year for full-time work.
9.55 € per hour actually worked for domestic staff working hourly on an external basis.

If the two extra payments are included in the monthly salary, the equivalent of the minimum annual amount is 1,424.50 € a month.

These amounts apply from 1 January 2026. The employer must check whether the actual salary meets the established minimum, taking into account working time and the applicable calculation rules.

In hourly pay at 9.55 €, the statutory proportional amounts are taken into account, including extra payments and holidays where applicable.

Important: accommodation and meals provided to the worker cannot be used to reduce the cash payment below the statutory minimum. For part-time work the calculation takes into account working time and the applicable rules.

Official source: Royal Decree 126/2026 — minimum wage.

2. Employment contract and Social Security

If you hire someone to clean the house regularly, look after children, prepare meals or help an elderly relative, it is important to formalise the employment relationship correctly.

It should not be assumed that a few hours of work a week automatically release the employer from formalisation.

Before starting work it is necessary to check:

whether a written employment contract is required given the specific hiring conditions;
whether the worker's registration in the Social Security system has been completed;
whether salary, working time and duties are correctly defined;
whether the conditions for accommodation and meals have been agreed, if the worker lives in the house;
whether extra payments and holidays are provided for.

When hiring domestic staff, the employer is usually a private individual or the family for whom the work is performed. Registration and social contribution matters must be handled according to the rules applicable to the specific situation.

If the employee works in several homes, formalisation obligations must be assessed separately for each employer.

Official source: Royal Decree 1620/2011 — special employment regime for domestic staff.

3. Safety at work: what the employer must provide

Royal Decree 893/2024 established a special occupational safety system for workers employed in the household. In 2026 the INSST published a technical guide to help apply these requirements in practice.

The employer is obliged to assess the risks related to the work and to take the necessary measures to eliminate or reduce them.

For example, risks may arise when:

using cleaning products and household chemicals;
moving heavy objects;
cleaning stairs and hard-to-reach surfaces;
caring for people with limited mobility;
cooking and using household appliances;
performing repetitive physical actions.

If dangerous conditions are found, the employer must take the necessary measures and document them in the prescribed manner. The worker must be provided with the relevant information and protective equipment where required for safe performance of the work.

The cost of occupational safety measures cannot be passed on to the employee.

Official sources:

4. Protection from violence and harassment

Working in a private home does not remove the employee's right to respectful and safe treatment.

Domestic workers have the right to protection from violence and harassment, including sexual harassment and persecution on discriminatory grounds.

The employer should:

maintain professional relations;
not allow threats, humiliation or coercion;
respect the employee's personal boundaries;
take measures when a dangerous situation arises;
familiarise themselves with the official protocol for action on violence and harassment.

In 2026 the INSST published a special protocol and a guide for its application. These materials help employers better understand how to act when such situations arise.

5. Working time and rest

Special rules governing working time and rest periods apply to domestic staff.

The usual duration of effective working time for full-time work must not exceed 40 hours a week.

It is important for the employer to distinguish:

time actually worked;
agreed time of presence;
rest periods;
overtime and how it is compensated, where the law permits it.

Special rest rules apply to live-in workers. Daily and weekly rest must be observed in the established manner.

A live-in worker is not obliged to be available around the clock simply because they live in the employer's house.

If the employee cares for an elderly person at night or performs additional duties outside the usual schedule, such conditions must be agreed in advance and checked for compliance with the law.

It is recommended to record the work schedule, duties and the procedure for agreeing changes in writing.

6. New rules on informing workers from October 2026

Royal Decree 723/2026 was published in the BOE on 15 September 2026 and entered into force on 5 October 2026. It concerns the transparency and predictability of working conditions and provides for expanding the information the employer must provide to the worker in the cases established by law.

The new rules affect information on the essential conditions of work and information on changes to those conditions.

However, domestic staff fall under a special employment regime. It is therefore necessary to take into account the scope of the specific provisions of the decree and the special rules governing domestic work.

Employers are advised to check that the hiring conditions are stated clearly and do not contradict the law. The documents should clearly define:

the nature of the work and the main duties;
the duration and schedule of work;
the salary amount and payment procedure;
accommodation and meals conditions, where provided;
the procedure for agreeing changes to the hiring conditions.

When the schedule, duties or pay change, the changes must be formalised in the proper manner where the law requires it.

Official source: Royal Decree 723/2026 — transparent and predictable working conditions.

7. Are there separate rules for Andalusia?

The main rules governing the work of domestic workers are established at the level of Spain. Therefore Marbella, Málaga, Seville, Granada and other Andalusian cities apply the same basic state rules on minimum wage, formalisation of the employment relationship, social security and occupational safety.

Regional support programmes, administrative procedures and certain employment measures may have their own conditions. They should be checked separately.

Employers should not rely exclusively on old contract templates or the advice of acquaintances. Requirements may change and the conditions of a particular hire may differ from other cases.

8. Employer's checklist for 2026

Before starting cooperation and when reviewing existing hiring conditions, check the following.

The salary meets the minimum requirements taking working time into account.
The employment relationship is formalised in the proper manner.
The necessary actions with Social Security have been completed.
The employee's duties and the work schedule are clearly defined.
The rules on rest and remuneration are observed.
The risks related to the work performed have been assessed.
The employee is informed of the necessary safety measures.
Protection from violence and harassment is ensured.
Changes to the hiring conditions are formalised in the proper manner.

If you are unsure about the correct formalisation, contact a gestoría or a labour law specialist with experience in domestic staff in Spain.

How Spectrum Domus helps employers find staff

Spectrum Domus is an online platform that gives employers the opportunity to search for domestic staff independently among candidates with verified profiles.

Instead of reviewing scattered advertisements, you can study profiles on a single platform, compare experience and choose candidates in accordance with your family's needs.

You decide on the choice of employee yourself. The platform provides access to profiles but does not act as the candidates' employer and does not guarantee the result of their future work.

Before hiring, we recommend talking to the candidate in person, clarifying experience, checking references and the necessary documents, and agreeing duties, schedule and pay in advance.

Visit Spectrum Domus to review the profiles and choose domestic staff for your home independently.

Conclusion

Hiring domestic staff correctly is not only about finding the right person, but also about creating clear, safe and lawful conditions of cooperation.

It is important for the employer to define duties in advance, agree the schedule and pay, formalise the necessary documents and ensure respect for labour rights.

Spectrum Domus helps make independent searching for domestic staff more organised and convenient thanks to a platform with verified candidate profiles. Study the profiles, compare experience and choose the person who suits your family specifically.

This material is informative and does not replace individual legal advice. Before making legally significant decisions, check the current wording of the regulations and, where necessary, consult a labour law specialist.