What a Live-In Carer Costs in Malta in 2026

Ask what a live-in carer costs in Malta and you'll hear very different numbers, most of which leave out bonuses, social security, rest-day pay and permit costs. This guide builds your cost as an employer from 2026's official rates, shows where each figure comes from, and marks our own arithmetic clearly.

The short answer

All figures are valid for 2026 and change each January or with each Budget.

The legal minimum for a live-in carer

Pay in private households is set by the Domestic Service (Conditions of Work) Regulation Order, S.L. 452.170 (Legal Notice 142 of 2026) (source: S.L. 452.170, the domestic-service order), which replaced the repealed S.L. 452.40 (source: S.L. 452.40 (repealed)). It covers "maids, housekeepers, cooks… babysitters, nursemaids and other persons employed in related work" (source: S.L. 452.170, the domestic-service order). Carers aren't named, so if you're unsure it applies to your arrangement, ask the Department for Industrial and Employment Relations (DIER).

The order sorts domestic workers into six groups:

A live-in carer employed by the month is usually Group 1. The same amounts applied from 1 January under the old order, so they hold for all of 2026 (that notice gives Group 5 as €38.83) (source: L.N. 288 of 2025). The national minimum wage for adults is €229.44 a week (source: L.N. 289 of 2025); Group 1 works out at about €234.55 a week (€1,016.37 × 12 ÷ 52, our arithmetic from (source: S.L. 452.170, the domestic-service order)).

These are floors. You can pay more, and the pay you agree goes in the written contract.

Bonuses and the 2026 cost-of-living increase

Every employee is also entitled to two statutory bonuses and two weekly allowances (source: DIER: bonuses and weekly allowances):

• €121.16 weekly allowance at the end of March, and again at the end of September (source: DIER: bonuses and weekly allowances);
• €135.10 statutory bonus at the end of June, and again between 15 and 23 December (source: DIER: bonuses and weekly allowances).

That's €512.52 a year (our arithmetic from (source: DIER: bonuses and weekly allowances)), paid pro rata for part of a year. The domestic-service order counts these bonuses as "wages" (source: S.L. 452.170, the domestic-service order).

The cost-of-living increase (COLA). From 1 January 2026, whole-time employees' wages "shall be increased by… (€4.66) per week" (source: L.N. 290 of 2025), or €242.32 a year (source: PwC Malta: payroll updates 2026). The Group 1 minimum above already includes it (source: L.N. 288 of 2025). If your parent employed a carer before 2026, their wage should have risen by at least €4.66 a week (about €20.19 a month, our arithmetic from (source: L.N. 290 of 2025)).

Social security contributions

Carers and their employers both pay Class 1 social security contributions. The 2026 rates for most carer wages:

Above those bands, contributions are capped at €55.93 a week each (born 1962 or later) or €49.04 (born up to 1961) (source: MTCA: Class 1 contribution rates, 2026).

A monthly salary is converted to its "weekly equivalent" (source: MTCA: Class 1 contribution rates, 2026). A Group 1 carer on €1,016.37 a month earns about €234.55 a week, which is Category C (our arithmetic from (sources: S.L. 452.170, the domestic-service order; MTCA: Class 1 contribution rates, 2026)):

• Employer's share: about €23.45 a week, or €1,219.40 a year (source: MTCA: Class 1 contribution rates, 2026).
• Maternity Leave Fund: about €0.70 a week, or €36.40 a year (source: MTCA: Class 1 contribution rates, 2026).
• Carer's own share: the same €23.45 a week (source: MTCA: Class 1 contribution rates, 2026), deducted from their pay, not an extra cost to you.

While the wage stays in Category C (up to €559.30 a week, about €2,423.63 a month), each extra €100 a month of basic wage adds about €10 a month in employer contributions (our arithmetic from (source: MTCA: Class 1 contribution rates, 2026)).

The carer's income tax is deducted from their pay through the Final Settlement System (FSS). It isn't an employer cost; our employer guide explains the monthly return.

Two narrow exemptions (source: Social Security: employer-share exemption for employers of a carer):

1. An older or disabled employer can apply to the Department of Social Security to be exempted from the employer's share. The certificate lasts 12 months and must be renewed, and the carer's share must still be paid.
2. A carer from outside the EU who holds a Social Security certificate exempting them from paying contributions in Malta: in that case the employer is "simultaneously exempted" from the employer's share for that carer (source: Social Security: employer-share exemption for employers of a carer). The conditions are on a separate Social Security page (source: Social Security: exemption for third-country nationals).

Whether the Maternity Leave Fund contribution is also waived under either exemption isn't stated.

Rest days, holidays, leave and sick pay

The domestic-service order has no "24-hour" category. It sets these rules (source: S.L. 452.170, the domestic-service order):

• Rest on sleep-in days: "a minimum daily rest period of three (3) hours in the aggregate in every day", at times agreed between you and the carer (art. 9(1)).
• Hours and overtime: the 8-hour day, 40-hour week and time-and-a-half overtime in the order apply to days when the carer doesn't sleep in (arts. 4 and 6(1)). The order doesn't set an hours limit for sleep-in days. Whether Malta's general working-time rules (such as daily rest and average weekly hours) also apply on those days isn't settled in these texts, so take advice before planning a roster.
• Weekly rest day: one day's rest every week, agreed between you (art. 10). Work on that day is paid at double time (art. 6(3)).
• Public holidays: Malta has 14 (five national holidays and nine public holidays) (source: Cap. 252, national and public holidays). Groups 1 to 4 are entitled to all of them with full pay (art. 13). Work on a public holiday earns double pay for the day, and double time beyond 8 hours (art. 6(2)).
• Annual leave: set by the Organisation of Working Time Regulations (art. 11). The base is 192 hours on a 40-hour week, plus an extra day for each public holiday that falls on a Saturday, Sunday or weekly rest day (source: S.L. 452.87, working time). In 2026, three fall on a weekend (7 June, 15 August and 13 December; our check of the calendar), which PwC puts at 216 hours, or 27 days, for a 40-hour week (source: PwC Malta: payroll updates 2026). Ask DIER how to count leave for a six-day live-in roster.
• Sick leave: the equivalent of 14 days a year on full pay, less sickness benefit. The first three days of any absence are paid in full by the employer, and the entitlement applies from the first day of employment, pro rata (art. 12).
• Special leave: three working days each of bereavement leave and marriage leave (source: S.L. 452.101, special leave).

What this means for cost. Leave, holidays and sick days are paid, so they're already inside the yearly wage. The extra cost is cover on the carer's rest days and leave: family, a second part-time carer, or government respite services (see help at home for older people). We don't estimate it, and any rest-day or holiday work you agree costs double.

Meals, the room and deductions

• Meals: on sleep-in days, Groups 1 and 2 are entitled to "all meals", which the order defines as morning coffee, lunch, afternoon tea and supper (arts. 2 and 7(1)) (source: S.L. 452.170, the domestic-service order).
• The meal deduction: for Groups 1 and 2, the order provides for €48.36 a month to be deducted from the minimum wage "as compensation for meals" (art. 7(4)) (source: S.L. 452.170, the domestic-service order). The order doesn't explain how it's applied in payroll, so check with DIER or a payroll adviser first.
• The room: the order provides no deduction for accommodation (source: S.L. 452.170, the domestic-service order), and DIER says an employer "is not allowed to make deductions from the employee's wage except where permitted by law" (source: DIER: wage deductions). For a non-EU live-in carer, the employer declares on the Identità form that the carer is "accomodated free of charge" in the employer's home (source: Identità: Form CEA C2).
• Uniforms and protective equipment, if required, are free (art. 8) (source: S.L. 452.170, the domestic-service order).

Food and the room are real household costs. We don't estimate them.

Extra costs for a carer from outside the EU

A carer from outside the EU needs a single permit from Identità. The official costs we could confirm:

For comparison, Identità charges €600 for a standard first-time permit or change of employer, and €150 a year (new) or €50 a year (renewal) for a live-out carer of older or disabled people (source: Identità: non-EU employment FAQ). Live-in carers pay €27.50 in each case (sources: Identità: single permit; Identità: non-EU employment FAQ).

• Who pays the Pre-Departure Course? Identità doesn't say. Agree it in writing before the carer books it; wage deductions are only allowed where the law permits (source: DIER: wage deductions).
• No vacancy advert is needed for carers of older or disabled people (source: Identità: non-EU employment FAQ). A CarerMalta listing isn't a Jobsplus or EURES advert in any case.
• CarerMalta doesn't handle permits or any part of the application; see our non-EU carer guide for Identità's process.

CarerMalta never charges carers. If a job post asks a carer for a fee, deposit or "processing" payment, report it to us.

What Carer at Home offsets

Carer at Home pays a senior citizen over 60 who employs a carer "up to a maximum of €9,000 per year, from when the application is approved", monthly (source: servizz.gov.mt: Carer at Home). The carer must hold a recognised qualification (MQRIC recognition if it's from abroad), and your parent must employ them directly under a notarised agreement (source: servizz.gov.mt: Carer at Home).

• It's paid to your parent and doesn't change what the carer is owed.
• It's "up to" €9,000 (source: servizz.gov.mt: Carer at Home), and the months before approval don't appear to be covered.
• The notary's fee for the agreement is an extra one-off cost we haven't checked.

More in our Carer at Home guide.

Worked example: the 2026 floor

This example is our arithmetic, not an official figure. It shows the lowest lawful cost under stated assumptions, so you can see how the lines add up.

Assumptions: a live-in carer (Group 1) employed for all of 2026 at exactly the minimum wage; Category C contributions; no work on rest days or public holidays; no meal deduction applied; no exemptions; statutory bonuses paid in full.

Not included: food and the room; cover for rest days and leave; rest-day or holiday work at double pay; pay above the minimum; permit, insurance, health screening and notary costs; and any fees for a payroll adviser.

Before relying on these numbers for your own family, ask an accountant or payroll adviser to run them. Rounding, the week count and the treatment of bonuses can move the result slightly.

What carers actually ask

We found no official statistic on what households in Malta pay live-in carers. Some private websites publish salary ranges, but we couldn't trace them to official data, so we don't repeat them.

On CarerMalta, pay is agreed between the family and the carer. Carers can state their expectations on their profiles, and families state the pay on offer in job posts. Once enough profiles are live, we plan to publish a dated summary showing how many profiles it's based on.

What moves the cost is the arrangement: nights slept in, the rest-day pattern, cover for leave, and whether the carer comes from outside the EU. When you're ready, browse live-in carer profiles and contact carers directly, or post a job with the hours, arrangement and pay using the button below.

Sources we checked

Every figure and rule in this guide links to the official page it comes from. We re-check them when the rules or the Budget change.

1. S.L. 452.170, the domestic-service order. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
2. S.L. 452.40 (repealed). Checked 20 Oct 2026.
3. L.N. 288 of 2025. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
4. L.N. 289 of 2025. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
5. DIER: bonuses and weekly allowances, page updated 11 Apr 2025. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
6. L.N. 290 of 2025. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
7. PwC Malta: payroll updates 2026. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
8. MTCA: Class 1 contribution rates, 2026. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
9. Social Security: employer-share exemption for employers of a carer, page updated 18 Mar 2026. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
10. Social Security: exemption for third-country nationals, page updated 27 Mar 2026. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
11. Cap. 252, national and public holidays. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
12. S.L. 452.87, working time. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
13. S.L. 452.101, special leave. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
14. DIER: wage deductions, page updated 11 Apr 2025. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
15. Identità: Form CEA C2. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
16. Identità: single permit, page updated 27 Aug 2025. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
17. Identità: non-EU employment FAQ, page updated 13 Oct 2026. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
18. Identità: single permit, page updated 27 Jan 2026. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
19. Identità: live-in carer checklist, new application. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
20. servizz.gov.mt: Carer at Home, page updated 20 Jun 2026. Checked 20 Oct 2026.