Nannies, Babysitters, and Maids in Korea

Updated 14 October 2017

Below are some suggestions on things you should think about when hiring a babysitter, nanny, or maid. Here is also some info on how to choose a daycare for your child. I also wrote about daycares and childcare in Korea. If you need anything, the foreigner helpline for daycares is 1566-0223.

Recommended Websites

• Babysitter-korea.com: babysitters and nannies.
• Childcare Korea: has a list of all the day cares and openings.
• Craigslist: lots of Filipina nannies available.
• Duenghawon duomi: (use IE) pick up and drop off from school 등하원도우미.
• Duomis: ask your jumin of gu office for more information.
• Family Care: (use IE) there's a small annual fee to join and you have to speak Korean to use it.
• iSeoul: has a list of all the day cares and openings.
• GenieMom: (use IE) In Korean.
• Gwangju and Jeollanamdo Nanny, Babysitter and Domestic Help Group: FB group designed to connect families with English speaking nannies, baby-sitters, maids, domestic helpers, etc.
• KIN (Korea International Nanny) Service: FB group designed to connect families with English speaking nannies, baby-sitters, maids, domestic helpers, etc.  
• Mom Sitter: college students. Average is about 10,000 an hour.
• Naver Maps: make sure you search in Korean.
• Nanny Job: all in Korean, but all the nannies who contacted me through it were Filipina. 
• Postpartum care: There are many places. One example is shinsegae care.
• Seoul Global Center (02-2075-4138) 
• Y Care Help: nannies
• YWCA: they offer a variety of services, such as doing laundry, babysitting, cooking, cleaning. 4 hours for 35,000 won or 9 hours for 65,000. They also have nannies.
• 아기 동보미서비스: (use IE) is a government babysitting service. The Seoul Global Center should help you with it. It cost 5,000 won during weekdays and 6,000 won on weekends, holidays, and overnight.
• Local Migrant Centers 
• Local Community Centers

Who Can Help
The Seoul Global Center and the Migrant Centers have people who speak English. You can find their contact info in the post, useful phone numbers.

Fees
You're usually going to be paying between 8,000 and 10,000 won an hour, some charge up to 15,000 an hour. If your nanny charges 10,000 an hour and you have her for 45 hours a week that's 1.8 mil a month.

Sponsoring a Nanny 
Please read up on how to hire a nanny. They take care of your most valuable possessions. Here is Korea, laws and rules aren't black or white. I called 1345 and asked what was needed and below you can find the four requirements. It all depends on the immigration office (Suwon is supposed to be one of the worst), the immigration officer, and whether it's a blue moon or not ;)

Sponsoring a nanny is usually cheaper than paying per hour but you have to have a high annual income. Filipina nannies are about 800,000-1. mil (depending on experience). You'll need to find a nanny and process paperwork through the Korean embassy where they live as well as work with your local immigration office. It usually takes about 2-3 months.

1. You have to make three times the annual income in Korea ($29,489) so that means you need to make $88,467. Some other people have said that's not true and either your annual income must be 3 times higher than the nanny's salary OR 3 times higher than 25 Million, which is the average income in Korea.
2. You have to have a child under 13 years old or a sick spouse. 
3. The nanny has to be between 20-58 years old. 
4. The nanny has to have at least graduated from middle school. 

You need these docs.

1. Copy of nanny's passport 
2. Certificate of nanny's diploma or degree
3. Employment contract between employer and nanny (you can get a sample from the Flipino embassy or online) 
4. Copy of your ARC (registration card) 
5. Verification of your employment (your contract and a pay slip) 
6. Invoice of your withholding tax (you get this from your employer) 
7. Guarantee letter (can be retrieved on hikorea.co.kr) 
8. Application form (can be retrieved on hikorea.co.kr) 

Once you have all documents, you go to the Immigration office to apply for a visa. You can also go to hikorea.co.kr or call 1345.  
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