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Legal Hiring of Domestic Workers in Colombia: What Every Employer Should Know
Are you living in Colombia and need help at home?
While it may seem simple, hiring domestic workers in Colombia comes with several legal obligations. Failing to meet them can lead to fines, labor lawsuits, and even immigration issues.
Who qualifies as a domestic worker?
Domestic workers are individuals who perform tasks such as cleaning, cooking, laundry, ironing, childcare, driving, or any other duties within the household. They can work:
- Full-time: 30 days per month
- Part-time or by the day: Less than 30 days per month
The work may be provided internally (living in the home) or externally, but in both cases, the employment relationship must be formalized through a labor contract — never through a service provision contract.
What if the worker is a foreigner?
If you hire a foreign worker, you must report the employment relationship to RUTEC and SIRE and verify that the individual holds a valid work permit.
Failure to do so can lead to fines of up to 5,000 times the current minimum legal wage, imposed by the Ministry of Labor.
How should the hiring be done?
A labor contract is always required, even if the person only works a few days a week.
And if the worker provides services to multiple households, each employer must sign their own contract.
Working Hours
The maximum workday is 8 hours per day and 46 hours per week.
For live-in workers, longer availability may be allowed, but they must still receive proper rest periods, including at least one full day off per week.
Employer Obligations
- Register and pay for social security: Health, pension, occupational risk insurance (ARL), and family compensation fund — depending on the type of work schedule.
- Pay mandatory benefits: Service bonus (prima), severance (cesantías), interest on severance, paid vacations, and clothing allowance (dotación).
- Transportation allowance: Applies if the worker earns up to two minimum wages and does not live in the household.
Types of Domestic Workers: Live-in vs. External
Live-in workers have different labor conditions, such as longer availability and a special rest regime.
These terms must be clearly defined in the employment contract.
Mandatory Benefits
Every domestic worker is entitled to:
- Service bonus (prima)
- Severance pay (cesantías)
- Interest on severance
- Paid vacations
- Clothing allowance (3 times per year)
These must be calculated based on the total gross salary, including in-kind payments (non-cash benefits such as meals, housing, toiletries), which must not exceed 30% of the minimum monthly legal wage.
Example: If a domestic worker earns $2,000,000 COP/month, the maximum allowed in-kind payment is $600,000 COP.
Social Security and Parafiscal Contributions
If you hire domestic staff in Colombia, you must register and contribute to:
- Health insurance
- Pension
- Occupational risk (ARL)
- Family compensation fund
For full-time or part-time workers, registration is mandatory.
If the worker is employed by the day and has multiple employers, each employer must contribute to pension, ARL, and compensation fund.
Health contributions may vary depending on whether the person is in the subsidized regime (SISBÉN) or is a beneficiary in the contributory regime.
Contributions must be paid monthly via the Integrated Payment System (PILA), using the “Type S” form, specifically designed for domestic work. Operators include Aportes en Línea, Mi Planilla, SOI, Simple, Asopagos, among others.
Social Security Contribution Amounts (2025)
| For full-time or part-time workers: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Concept | Employer | Worker | Total |
| Health | $120,998 | $56,940 | $177,938 |
| Pension | $170,820 | $56,940 | $227,760 |
| Occupational Risk (ARL) | $7,430 | $0 | $7,430 |
| Family Comp. Fund | $56,940 | $0 | $56,940 |
| For workers paid by the day: | |||
| Days Worked per Month | |||
| 1–7 days | $56,940 | $7,400 | $14,235 |
| 8–14 days | $113,880 | $7,400 | $28,470 |
| 15–21 days | $170,820 | $7,400 | $42,705 |
| More than 21 days | $227,760 | $7,400 | $56,940 |
Who pays for social security?
As the employer, you are responsible for making the full payment through a PILA operator.
You may deduct the worker’s share of the health and pension contributions — if applicable — from their salary.
⚠️ If the contract is by the day and your worker is affiliated with the subsidized health system or is a dependent in the contributory system, you don’t need to pay for health, but you must still pay pension, ARL, and family fund.
Risks of Informal Hiring
Failing to formalize the employment relationship can lead to serious legal and financial consequences:
- Labor lawsuits for unpaid benefits
- Fines for dismissals without just cause
- Penalties for avoiding social security contributions (from UGPP)
- Legal sanctions under Colombia’s Labor Code
- Full financial liability in case of work accidents without ARL coverage
Need Help Hiring Legally?
At Nexo Legal, we help you hire domestic workers the right way — avoiding mistakes and ensuring legal compliance.
We assist with:
- Drafting labor contracts
- Registering for social security
- Calculating and paying benefits
- Registering foreign workers
- Full compliance guidance and risk prevention
🛡️ Protect those who work in your home — and avoid legal complications.
📩 Contact us today for personalized legal support.
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Get started with a free case assessment
What will happen after you fill out this form?
After submitting the form, your case undergoes a comprehensive review by our team of specialist to assess its viability. Providing clear and concise information about your objectives accelerates this process.
Subsequently, a specialist will be assigned to your case, reaching out to you within a day to clear up details about your case and outline the next steps to help you achieve your goals.