Finding and vetting a private carer (cuidadora) for an older person

Terms used

• NIE — The NIE is the identity number Spain gives to foreigners, used on contracts and official paperwork.
• Autorización de residencia y trabajo — The autorización de residencia y trabajo is the permit that lets a non-EU citizen live and work legally in Spain.
• Certificado de profesionalidad — The certificado de profesionalidad is an official vocational qualification, here in caring for dependent people.
• Certificado negativo de delitos de naturaleza sexual — The certificado negativo de delitos de naturaleza sexual is a certificate showing no sexual-offence convictions, mandatory for work with minors.

Key rules

• Work authorisation: A carer from outside the EU needs a valid residence and work authorisation to be hired lawfully.
• Contract: Sign a written contract with a trial period before the carer starts.
• Quotes: Get written quotes from several agencies and compare the same tasks and hours.
• Social Security: Register the carer with Social Security as a household employee.

Start with how you will find the carer

Pick the route that matches how much paperwork you want to handle yourself. The decision block below compares the options. In short:

• A home-care agency is the easiest. The agency vets staff, sends a replacement if the carer is ill, and handles paperwork. It costs the most.
• An online platform gives you wide choice and lower prices. You do the vetting and the contract yourself.
• Word of mouth (neighbours, friends, other families) gives you trust but little formality. Do every check below anyway.
• A parish, Cáritas or an NGO is often cheaper and well known locally, but has limited availability.

Your municipal social services office can also tell you what help exists in your town.

Check the carer before you agree anything

Do these checks whichever route you use:

1. Identity. Ask to see the carer's ID or NIE.
2. References. Ask for written references and call the previous employers.
3. Qualifications. Ask to see any care qualification, such as the certificado de profesionalidad in care for dependent people, at home or in social institutions. It is not compulsory, but it shows training.
4. Criminal record. You can ask the carer to provide a certificado negativo de delitos de naturaleza sexual. The law requires it for work with minors. For an older person, you can ask for it voluntarily, and the carer may say no.
5. Trial period. Put a trial period in a written contract so you can see how the carer works with your relative before you commit.

Make sure the carer can legally work

A carer from outside the EU needs a valid residence and work authorisation (autorización de residencia y trabajo). Look at the card itself and check it is current, because a worker's status can change, for example through a regularisation route such as arraigo.

Citizens of the EU/EEA and Switzerland do not need a separate authorisation. Neither do permit-holders whose permit already allows work.

If you employ someone without authorisation, you risk fines as the employer, and the worker has no Social Security cover. You also need a written contract and must register the carer with Social Security under the household employees scheme. The employer's duties (contract, registration, contributions) are covered in the childcare Topic, because the rules are the same for any household employee. Follow that guidance once you have chosen your carer.

How to price it

Agencies charge per hour. The price depends on:

• Region and city. Madrid, Barcelona and the Basque Country are at the higher end. Inland and southern regions are cheaper.
• Task. Personal care costs more than cleaning.
• Time. Weekends and nights cost more than weekdays.
• Arrangement. Live-in and hourly work are priced differently.

Ask at least three agencies for written quotes. Compare like for like: the same tasks, the same hours, and live-in or hourly. Check whether VAT or an exemption applies to each quote, so you compare final prices. If agency prices are too high, try the other routes above.

Avoid informal and undeclared arrangements

An undeclared live-in carer leaves you exposed, and so does an unlicensed care home. The warning below explains the risks and how to report a suspected illegal home. The documents list and checklist below pull the checks together.

Choosing between options

How should you find a private carer?

• A home-care agency: Choose this if you want vetted staff, replacements and paperwork handled, and can pay a higher price.

• An online platform: Choose this if you want a wide choice at a lower cost and can handle the contract and vetting yourself.

• Word of mouth: Choose this if you value trust in someone people you know recommend, and accept a less formal arrangement.

• A parish, Cáritas or an NGO: Choose this if you want a cheaper option known to the community and can cope with limited availability.

If you want the least work, pick an agency. If you want the lowest cost and can do the checks yourself, pick a platform, word of mouth or a parish. Your town hall's social services can give information on all of them.

Documents you need

• The carer's ID or NIE (foreigner identity number), as issued by the authorities, to confirm who they are.

• A valid residence and work authorisation (autorización de residencia y trabajo) if the carer is from outside the EU, EEA or Switzerland.

• A written employment contract signed by you and the carer, including a trial period.

• Written references from previous employers.

• The certificado de profesionalidad in care for dependent people, at home or in social institutions, to show professional training.

• The certificado negativo de delitos de naturaleza sexual, a criminal record certificate you can ask the carer to provide voluntarily.

Checklist

• Compare prices for the same task, time of day and live-in or hourly arrangement.

• Check the carer's ID or NIE and, for a non-EU carer, their residence and work authorisation card.

• Sign a written contract with a trial period before the carer starts.

Informal live-in care and unlicensed homes can leave you exposed

Informal live-in care and unlicensed homes

• Unlicensed care homes: A home without regional authorisation has no guaranteed staff ratios, qualified staff, fire and safety standards, medical cover or complaint procedure. It can also be closed suddenly by the authorities, forcing your relative to move, and you would have no insurance, no recourse and no public funding. Ask for the home's authorisation number and check it with the regional social-services department (consejería) or its register of care centres. Ask the town hall's social worker too. Walk away if the home won't show its licence, limits visits, offers no written contract or price list, asks for cash only, or has no nursing cover or written house rules.

• Reporting a suspected illegal home: If a home looks unlicensed, it may be putting residents at risk. Report it to the regional social-services inspectorate (inspección de servicios sociales), the regional ombudsman or the police.

• Informal, undeclared live-in carer: Hiring a carer directly makes you an employer, even if the arrangement is informal. Without registering the carer with the Seguridad Social before work starts, you can face fines of thousands of euros, back payments of contributions with surcharges, and liability for the cost of benefits and compensation if the carer is hurt or falls ill. If the carer has no work permit, both sides can be fined. Check that the carer's immigration status allows work and register them before the first day. The full employer duties are covered in the pages on employing a carer. Using a licensed agency instead means the agency is the employer.

Frequently asked questions

Does a foreign carer need a work permit to be hired legally?

Yes, a carer from outside the EU needs a valid residence and work authorisation before you hire them. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens do not need a separate permit. Hiring someone without one can bring fines for you and leaves the worker with no Social Security cover.

Can I ask a carer for a criminal record certificate?

Yes, you can ask the carer to provide the certificado negativo de delitos de naturaleza sexual, even though it is only mandatory for work with minors. Asking is voluntary for both sides. Pair it with written references from previous employers.

Why do hourly prices differ so much between agencies?

Hourly prices differ because they depend on the city, the type of task, and the time of work. Personal care costs more than cleaning, and weekends or nights cost more than weekdays. Madrid, Barcelona and the Basque Country are at the higher end, so ask several agencies for written quotes.

Where can I find a carer if agency prices are too high?

Online platforms and parish or Cáritas networks are usually cheaper than agencies. With a platform you handle the contract and vetting yourself, and parish networks often have limited availability. Your town hall's social services can also point you to options.