Petme sitter guide · Spain

Start pet sitting in Spain: rates, tax setup, and payouts

A pet sitter in Madrid or Barcelona now clears more per month from four weekly bookings than from a part-time hospitality job.

The Spanish pet-care market has shifted completely between 2023 and 2026. This guide answers the real questions new sitters ask before they start, with concrete numbers and no marketing fluff.

Apply to be a Petme sitter in Spain

Up to 90%

of every booking kept by the sitter

20,000

Protection Plan maximum for eligible vet costs

250K+

members on Petme

4.9 / 5

average sitter rating

Earnings snapshot

What Petme sitters actually earn in Spain

You keep up to 90% of every booking one of the strongest take-home rates in the industry. The numbers below are the live rate bands in Spain. Sitters set their own price within these bands, and most active sitters earn €275 to €946 per month, depending on the mix of services and how many overnight stays they take.

Service	Rate range	Per
Dog walking	€8 to €15	walk
Drop-in visit	€8 to €15	visit
Pet boarding (at sitter's home)	€20 to €45	night
House sitting (at owner's home)	€30 to €55	night
Doggy day care	€15 to €30	day

Top Spain cities for sitter demand right now:

MadridBarcelonaValenciaSevilleBilbaoMalagaZaragozaPalma

Ready to set up a profile and pick your rates? Start your application.

The practical side

Everything sitters in Spain need to know before signing up

Earnings are only half the picture. Below are the tax, scheduling, protection, and payout realities of running a Petme sitter profile in Spain. We've written them out the way an experienced sitter would explain them to a friend.

Cashback for high performers

Beyond the up to 90% you keep on every booking, Petme pays cashback on top. The more you sit and the stronger your reviews, the larger the cashback tier you unlock. High-performing sitters with consistent 5-star reviews and steady booking volume earn the biggest bonus. Automatic, no claim paperwork, paid out alongside your normal weekly payouts.

Apply in Spain

Protection on every booking

The Petme Protection Plan provides up to 20,000 on every reservation. Automatic on every booking. No separate purchase required. The 24/7 support team is there for emergencies, so you are never alone with a problem at 3am.

Seasonal demand

Spain's biggest demand window is the August summer holidays, followed by Easter week and the late-December Christmas block. Coastal cities (Malaga, Palma, Valencia) see a longer summer stretch from June to September.

Payouts within 2 days

Petme releases your payout automatically once a booking is marked complete. The money lands in your bank account within 2 business days. No invoicing, no chasing the owner. The platform takes care of it.

Set your own schedule

Accept only the bookings you want. Pause your profile any time. There are no minimum hours and no schedule lock-in. Most Petme sitters in Spain start while holding another job and only go full time once their calendar fills naturally.

FAQ

Pet sitter questions about Spain, answered straight

These are the questions Petme sitters in Spain actually ask before signing up, and the ones they wish they had asked sooner. Each answer is specific to Spain, not a generic template.

How much do pet sitters earn in Spain?

Earnings depend on the services you offer and the hours you put in. As a worked example at Spain rates, eight dog walks a week at the lowest walk rate come to about €275 a month, and four nights of house sitting a week at the top rate to about €946. Overnight boarding and house sitting pay the most per booking, drop-ins and walks the least. You keep up to 90% of every booking: Petme's service fee is 10-20%.

What does a typical week look like for a Petme sitter in Spain?

You set the week yourself. One example: 4 dog walks during weekday lunchtimes, 2 drop-in visits in the evenings and one overnight stay at the weekend. At the lowest Spain rates that week comes to about €78. Taking more overnight stays is the quickest way to raise it, because they pay the most per booking.

How much do dog walkers make in Spain?

Dog walking pays €8–€15 per walk on Petme. A 30-minute neighbourhood walk is typically priced near the lower end; longer walks, multi-dog walks, or walks in busy city centres command the upper end. You set your own rate when you build your profile.

How much does overnight pet boarding pay in Spain?

Boarding at the sitter's home pays €20–€45 per night, and house sitting (you stay at the owner's home) pays €30–€55 per night. Overnight care pays more per booking than any other Petme service, so a few stays a month move your income the most.

How does Petme's service fee work?

Petme takes 10-20% from each completed booking and the sitter keeps up to 90%. The fee covers payment processing, customer support, and the Petme Protection Plan for eligible vet costs.

How fast do payouts arrive in Spain?

Payouts are released automatically once a booking is marked complete in the Petme app. The money lands in your bank account within 2 business days. You don't need to invoice the owner or chase payment: the platform handles it end-to-end.

What protections do sitters get on every booking?

The Petme Protection Plan, which can contribute up to €20,000 toward eligible vet costs if something happens to the pet in your care. It is a discretionary fund, not insurance. Petme also offers 24/7 customer support so you're never left handling an emergency alone.

What do I need to start as a Petme sitter?

You need to be 18 or older, own a smartphone capable of running the app, complete ID verification, and demonstrate genuine experience around animals during your profile review. Some local rules apply for commercial-scale boarding: see the country-specific question below.

How quickly can I get my first booking?

It depends on the services you offer, your rates and how many owners near you are looking, so there is no fixed wait. What you control is the profile owners choose from: at least 4 clear photos, a written bio, clear service descriptions and rates in line with Spain. Opening your calendar over school holidays and Christmas, when owners travel, puts you in front of more requests.

Can I pet sit alongside my regular job?

Yes. You set your own availability and accept only the bookings that fit, so sitting in Spain can run alongside a full-time job: dog walks fit lunchtime windows, drop-in visits fit evenings, and weekend boarding fits around a Monday-to-Friday week.

What are the busiest cities for pet sitting in Spain?

Madrid and Barcelona dominate booking volume. Valencia and Seville form the second tier. In Malaga, Bilbao, Palma de Mallorca or anywhere else, you set your own rates and choose the areas you cover.

Do I need to register as self-employed for pet sitting in Spain?

For regular pet sitting income, yes. You register with the tax agency (Forms 036 or 037) and social security. The flat-rate starter scheme reduces the monthly contribution to about €80 for the first 12 months for new self-employed sitters meeting eligibility criteria, then steps up. Sitters generating only occasional income (a few stays per year) may stay below the threshold.

Do I need to declare pet sitting income for tax in Spain?

Yes. As a self-employed sitter, you file Form 130 quarterly (15% personal income tax withholding) and the annual income tax return. Expenses (gear, transport, share of home utilities for boarding) are deductible. Below the VAT threshold, you stay in the simplified regime.

How does pet sitting in Spain compare to Glovo or Uber Eats?

Glovo and Uber Eats riders in Madrid and Barcelona report €6-9 per hour after costs. Petme pet sitting clears €10-18 hourly effectively and you avoid the bike-in-traffic stress. Boarding pushes the effective hourly higher because of the overnight component.

What is the going rate for boarding in Madrid vs Barcelona?

Madrid and Barcelona sit at €25-50 per night. Valencia and Seville at €20-40. Malaga and Palma command a slight summer premium (peak €30-55 in August). Smaller cities are €18-35.

When is the busiest season for pet sitters in Spain?

August is the single biggest month. Easter week (early April), the long bridge weekends in May and November, and the December holidays round out the calendar. Coastal cities have a longer summer stretch from late June through early September.

Is pet sitting more profitable than working in hospitality or retail in Spain?

For most sitters, yes. Spain's minimum wage sits at around €1,184 per month gross (2025) for a 40-hour week. Petme dog walkers in Madrid or Barcelona can hit similar net income with 12-15 hours per week. Boarding sitters earn substantially more.

How does pet sitting in Spain differ from Portugal?

Spanish rates are 20-30% higher in absolute terms than Portuguese rates, and the market is larger. Portuguese sitters in Lisbon and Porto often build deeper expat-client relationships because the market is more international. The self-employed tax setup is similar in structure on both sides.

What is it like sitting for popular Spanish dog breeds?

French Bulldogs, Labradors, Yorkies, and Beagles dominate bookings in Spain. French Bulldogs are heat-sensitive: dawn and dusk walks in summer. Yorkies need regular brushing. Beagles are escape artists: always on a leash until you know the dog.

What is one thing Spanish sitters wish they knew before starting?

"Register as self-employed before your first regular booking. The tax office does not catch it on day one, but when they do, the back-charges hurt." (Javier L., Madrid)

Where do I go to apply as a pet sitter in Spain?

Start at petme.social/es/ser-cuidador-de-mascotas. You describe your experience with pets and pick the services you want to list. After identity verification your profile is live, and local owners contact you directly in the app.

Ready when you are

Apply to become a Petme pet sitter in Spain

The full apply page has the signup form, service-by-service rate setting, and ID verification flow.

Start your application