Domestic servitude is a type of human trafficking that is extremely difficult to detect because the work is done in private residences as a seemingly normal practise, which is used as a cover for the exploitation and control of someone, usually from another country. It is a form of hidden forced labour.

Domestic servitude is also associated with forced marriage. Forced marriage is a mix of several forms of slavery, including forced labour, sexual enslavement, and domestic servitude. Forced domestic servitude is practised all over the world. Migrant workers are also frequently subjected to domestic servitude, and some recruiting agencies dupe workers into moving abroad only to confiscate their documents. Workers are trapped inside a home with no ability to leave and are treated as slaves as a result.