Live-In Nanny in Madrid for International Families

Finding a live-in nanny in Madrid is one of the most important decisions an international family makes after moving to the city. The person you choose will live in your home, learn your routine and look after your children, so trust matters as much as experience.

Mimucama is a placement agency authorised by the Spanish Public Employment Service (SEPE, no. 1300000335). We have been selecting domestic staff since 2010, and our office is at Avda. Guadalix, 7, 28120 Santo Domingo, Madrid. We select live-in housekeepers and nannies, live-out housekeepers who work full time, married couples and live-in carers for older people. Many of our candidates are Filipino and have experience working in Spain. We interview every candidate and check her references with former employers.

This page explains what expatriate families usually ask us for, when a live-in nanny in Madrid is the better choice, when a live-out housekeeper suits you more, and how to hire legally in Spain. It also sets out our fees and our 12-month guarantee.

What international families ask for when looking for a live-in nanny in Madrid

Our clients come from many countries: Americans, British, French, Germans, Italians and families from many Asian countries. They do not settle in one single area, but many choose the Barrio de Salamanca when they take a flat in the centre, and La Moraleja when they prefer a house on the outskirts.

Requests usually fall into two groups. Families with young children ask for a live-in nanny in Madrid who lives in the house, looks after the children and keeps the home running. Families with teenagers more often prefer a full-time live-out housekeeper, who works a full day and goes home in the evening.

Language is rarely a problem, because Filipino staff generally speak good English. What worries families is the paperwork: which contract to use, how to register the employee with social security, and what is reasonable for salary, days off, rest and hours. That is why a large part of this page explains, in plain English, how to hire a live-in nanny in Madrid legally and what it costs in 2026.

Live-in nanny in Madrid for young children, live-out housekeeper for teenagers

When a live-in nanny in Madrid is the right choice

A live-in nanny suits families who need a stable presence at home. It is usually the best option when both parents work full time, travel often or have changing hours, or when there are babies, or several children with different school timetables and activities. Because she lives in, she can cover the early start, the school run and the evening routine.

In practice, a live-in nanny in Madrid also looks after the home. Under Spanish domestic employment rules, caring for the family and doing the household tasks are part of the same employment relationship. What matters is that you agree the tasks at the start, and which ones are regular and which only occasional.

A typical day can include preparing breakfast and meals, getting the children dressed, school drop-off and pick-up, bath time, the park and play, together with the usual cleaning, ironing and cooking. The more precisely you describe it, the easier it is to find the right person. There is more on our page about live-in staff for families with children and babies (in Spanish).

When a live-out housekeeper suits a family with teenagers

Teenagers need less hands-on care, but the house still has to run: cooking, laundry, cleaning and someone at home in the afternoon. For many of our expatriate families with older children, a live-out housekeeper is the natural choice. She works her hours, normally 40 hours of effective work a week, and goes home afterwards.

A live-out housekeeper needs no spare room, and your family keeps its privacy once the working day ends. If what you miss is help with the children after school, we also select live-out housekeepers who combine household tasks with babysitting. You can read more on our page about full-time live-out housekeepers (in Spanish).

Four questions to choose between the two

Before you start looking, ask yourself:

• Do you need someone at home at night or very early in the morning?
• Do you have a private room, ideally with its own bathroom, to offer?
• Is the whole family comfortable living with someone at home every day?
• Is the help concentrated in a few hours, such as after school?

If most of your answers point to nights, travel and a spare room, a live-in nanny in Madrid is probably the better fit. If they point to daytime hours and a home you prefer not to share, a live-out housekeeper will do. If you are unsure, tell us about your situation and we will advise you, with no commitment.

A live-in nanny in Madrid in the Barrio de Salamanca or La Moraleja: how the job changes with the home

The same job looks different depending on the home. A flat in the Barrio de Salamanca and a house in La Moraleja change the space, the daily routine and sometimes the profile you need.

A flat in the Barrio de Salamanca

In a flat, space is limited, so the nanny’s private room matters even more. She should have a room of her own, normally with its own bathroom, with a bed, a wardrobe and somewhere to rest. It is her home too, and it is one of the reasons an employee stays for years. More on our page about domestic service in the Barrio de Salamanca (in Spanish).

A house in La Moraleja

A house usually means more rooms, a garden and, often, daily car journeys. If the property is large, a married couple or a live-in employee with a driving licence may fit better than one person alone, and you can ask us about both. Think about transport too: a house far from public transport can wear an employee down over time. We describe the area on our page about domestic service in La Moraleja (in Spanish).

English-speaking Filipino staff for your family

Many families ask whether language will be a problem when they look for a live-in nanny in Madrid. In our experience it is not: Filipino staff generally have a good level of English, and our candidates have experience working in Spain, so they know Spanish homes and routines.

Filipino staff are our speciality, and most of the live-in staff we select are Filipino, although we also work with candidates of other nationalities. Their references are checked with former employers before we present them to you. Read more on our page about Filipino domestic staff (in Spanish).

Hiring a live-in nanny in Madrid legally: contract and social security

Domestic work in Spain is regulated by Royal Decree 1620/2011, the special regime for domestic employees. You can read the text on the Official State Gazette (BOE) website. Below is what it means in practice, in plain terms.

You are the employer

When you hire a live-in nanny in Madrid, your family is the employer, even if an agency found her. The employment contract is between you and the nanny. Mimucama selects and presents candidates but is not a party to that relationship and does not take on the employer’s obligations: the contract, the social security registration, the salary and the working conditions.

A written contract

Put the contract in writing. It should record the tasks, the working hours, any presence time, the salary, the days off and the holidays. A clear contract protects both sides, and it is the document you will go back to if you ever disagree about what was agreed.

Social security registration before she starts

She must be registered with social security, in the Special System for Domestic Employees, before she starts work. As the employer you also pay a monthly social security contribution on top of her salary. Official information is available on the Spanish Social Security website.

What Mimucama takes care of

If you hire a live-in nanny in Madrid through us, our gestoría service can prepare the employment contract and register the employee with social security, so that you do not have to deal with the forms yourself. The details are on our page about the gestoría for domestic employees (in Spanish).

Salary of a live-in nanny in Madrid in 2026: what to expect

The minimum wage (SMI) in 2026 is €1,221.00 gross a month in 14 payments, or €17,094.00 a year. In practice, a live-in nanny in Madrid is not paid the minimum. An experienced live-in nanny with good references usually earns between 30% and 40% above the legal minimum wage, and sometimes more. There are two reasons: these profiles are scarcer, and the nature of the job and the market require it.

That range is only a guide. The actual salary always depends on the conditions of the job: the size of the home and where it is, the number of children and their ages, whether there are pets, the tasks, the hours and the rest periods. We give you guidance case by case when we define the job, before you interview anyone. Remember that the employer’s social security contribution comes on top of the salary.

Live-out housekeeper salary: a worked example

A full-time live-out housekeeper normally earns the minimum wage in force. In domestic service, salaries are normally paid in 13 payments: twelve monthly payments and two half payments, in June and December. For 2026, that gives:

These are guidance figures. The employer’s contribution is shown with the general bonus applied. A candidate with more experience can earn more than the minimum.

Hours, days off and holidays for a live-in nanny in Madrid

Living in your home does not mean working all day. Spanish rules set limits on working time and minimum rest periods for a live-in nanny in Madrid, just as in any other job.

What the law sets

Under Royal Decree 1620/2011:

• Working time: a maximum of 40 hours a week of effective work.
• Presence time: periods when she is at your disposal without working. It is agreed in advance and paid or compensated.
• Rest between working days: 12 hours, which for a live-in employee can be reduced to 10 hours if the difference is made up within four weeks.
• Meals: a live-in employee has at least two hours a day for the main meals, which do not count as working time.
• Weekly rest: 36 consecutive hours.
• Holidays: 30 calendar days a year.
• Pay: two extra payments a year.

If you are unsure whether an arrangement complies, ask us when we define the job.

Days off for a live-in nanny in Madrid

The practice we recommend is a day and a half off each week, usually from Saturday at 14:00 until Monday morning, or until Sunday evening if she only returns to sleep. More and more families agree on a Monday-to-Friday arrangement, with the weekend completely free. It is settled when we define the job.

Do not count on her being available every weekend, even if you pay extra: most employees need that time to rest. Decide in advance who looks after the children on her days off.

Night care and holidays

If you ask the nanny to attend to a baby at night, those hours are not rest. They count as effective work or as presence time, depending on what you ask, and they count towards the limits above.

Many families take her with them on the summer holiday and give her holidays at another time of year. Most Filipino employees prefer to travel home between March and May. Agree the dates early and put them in writing.

How we select a live-in nanny in Madrid, step by step

1. We define the job with you: the home, who lives in it, the children’s ages, the tasks, the hours you can offer and the room she will have.
2. We interview the candidates, check their experience and contrast their references with former employers.
3. We present the first candidates, normally in under 24 hours, except for very specific profiles.
4. You interview them and you choose. Interviews do not generate any fees.
5. Once you reach the hiring agreement, we can prepare the contract and the social security registration.
6. She joins you, normally 48 to 72 hours after your decision.

A very specific profile, such as a candidate with a driving licence or particular languages, can take a little longer. The final decision is always yours.

Fees and 12-month guarantee for a live-in nanny in Madrid

Our fees

Our fees are one month’s salary, calculated on 13 payments (the annual gross salary divided by 13), plus VAT. They are paid in two parts: 50% when the hiring agreement is reached and the other 50% no later than the day she starts.

Interviews with candidates do not generate fees. Our terms and conditions are in Spanish, which is the valid version, but you can read an English translation for information on our terms and conditions page.

12-month guarantee for your live-in nanny in Madrid

For a job in the Community of Madrid, the guarantee lasts 12 months from the start date, with a limit of three starts including the first one: up to two replacements. It applies whether the employee leaves of her own accord or the family ends the contract.

To use it, email us as soon as it happens and no later than 15 days afterwards. The fees must be paid in full, and the agreed conditions respected: salary, social security registration, hours and rest. All the conditions are on our terms and conditions page.

Recommended by other international families

Most of our expatriate families come to us on the recommendation of other international families. Some find us on the noticeboard of an international school, and mothers at the school share the agency in their WhatsApp groups. We take that trust seriously, which is why we explain each step and tell you plainly what a live-in nanny in Madrid costs and what the law requires.

If you also have a second home on the coast or the islands, see our pages for a housekeeper in Marbella and a housekeeper in Mallorca.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to find a live-in nanny in Madrid?

Apart from very specific profiles, we present the first candidates in under 24 hours from when the job is defined. You interview them and you choose, and the nanny usually starts between 48 and 72 hours later. If you need something particular, such as a driving licence or specific languages, it can take a little longer.

How much does a live-in nanny in Madrid earn?

As a guide, an experienced live-in nanny in Madrid with good references usually earns between 30% and 40% above the legal minimum wage, and sometimes more. The exact figure depends on the job: the size and location of the home, the number and ages of the children, pets, the tasks and the hours. We advise you case by case. On top of the salary, the employer pays a monthly social security contribution.

Does a live-in nanny in Madrid speak English?

Filipino staff generally have a good level of English, and our candidates have experience working in Spain. For the expatriate families we work with, language is rarely a problem. We can take your requirements into account when we define the job, and you will judge her English yourself in the interview.

How many days off does a live-in nanny in Madrid get?

The law sets a weekly rest of 36 consecutive hours. The arrangement we recommend is a day and a half a week, normally from Saturday at 14:00 until Monday morning, or until Sunday evening just to sleep. Arrangements from Monday to Friday, with the weekend free, are increasingly common. It is agreed when the job is defined.

Do I need a contract for a live-in nanny in Madrid?

Yes. You are the employer of your live-in nanny in Madrid, so you need a written employment contract, and she must be registered in the Special System for Domestic Employees before she starts. If you hire through us, we can prepare the contract and the registration. The salary, hours and days off should be written into the contract.

What happens if my live-in nanny in Madrid leaves?

In the Community of Madrid, during the 12 months after she starts, if she leaves the job permanently, we select a replacement with the same profile at no extra cost, up to two replacements. This applies whether she leaves or the family ends the contract. Email us as soon as it happens and within 15 days at most; the fees must be paid in full and the agreed conditions respected.

Is a live-out housekeeper better for teenagers?

Often, yes. Teenagers need less hands-on care, so many families prefer a live-out housekeeper who works a full day and leaves in the evening, and who needs no spare room. It depends on your hours, though: if you travel or need someone at night, a live-in nanny in Madrid may still suit you better. Tell us your situation and we will advise you.

Do interviews with candidates cost anything?

No. Interviews do not generate any fees. Our fees arise only when you reach a hiring agreement with one of the candidates we present: one month’s salary plus VAT, with 50% paid at that point and the rest no later than the day she starts. We interview every candidate before presenting her, so you only meet people we consider suitable.

Looking for a live-in nanny in Madrid? Contact us

Every family and every home is different, so we begin by listening. Tell us who lives in the house, how old the children are, what help you need and what hours you can offer. We will explain how to hire a live-in nanny in Madrid, or a live-out housekeeper if that suits you better, and we will start the selection.

Contact Mimucama (the page is in Spanish, but the form also works in English) or call +34 916 22 21 42. The first conversation does not commit you to anything.