Ask Andreas: Can I hire a European Helper?

Do Helpers have to be of an Asian nationality? We are a European family and would like to employ someone from Europe on the same basis as a helper. Is this possible?

I have searched the internet high and low for the information, my husband checked with the immigration department who just said that we needed to have the standard employment contract notarised by the relevant European embassy. Is this true?

There is no problem with hiring a Helper of any nationality as long as the candidate’s government accepts it, and their consulate notarises the contract. According to the Immigration Department website, you can hire any non-HK citizen/resident except for the following:

• Chinese residents of the Mainland, Macao and Taiwan; and
• Nationals of Afghanistan, Cambodia, Cuba, Laos, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Nepal and Vietnam.

A nitpick: There are no embassies in Hong Kong. Therefore the contract must be notarised by the respective consulate.

As a side note, since a helper must reside in the employer’s home, expectations should be managed regarding living arrangements that might seem rather ‘compact’ to a European.

For the only guide you’ll ever need on working with a helper, check out Andreas’ fab book ‘Hiring and Managing Domestic Help’ and buy it here.