There is no official au pair contract for Finland.

However, an au pair agreement made with the host family must describe:

• duties, working hours, and leisure hours;
• living conditions and meals;
• means of livelihood (at least 280 euros net of spending money per month) and any other benefits (travel expenses, room).

Theoretically, to obtain a working holiday visa, it is not necessary to obtain an invitation letter if the person is able to prove sufficient funds.

The host family must pay for a health and accident insurance for the au pair.

If the au pair moves to Finland for less than a year, he/she is entitled to emergency medical treatment in the Finnish public healthcare system. The au pair may then have to pay the actual costs for the treatment.

More information abouth health insurance can be found here.

Detailed Information about accident insurance can be found here.

Please see "rules and regulations - health, accident and liability insurance".

For entry into Finland, au pairs must normally have a national visa which permits this type of activity. The body responsible for issuing this visa is the Finnish diplomatic mission (embassy, consulate) in the country of origin.

Required documents:

• a passport photo;
• an au pair agreement made with the host family;
• clarification of any Finnish or Swedish language skills that the au pair has acquired in advance;
• a statement from the host family on any language courses the au pair intends to take in Finland, on his/her schedule, and on who pays for the courses
• clarification from the host family on what kind of health and accident insurance they intend to obtain for the au pair;
• clarification from the host family on how the day care of the family’s children has been arranged during the au pair’s stay in Finland;
• a health certificate that is less than 3 months old, with confirmation that the au pair does not have any of the most common serious contagious diseases
• a document proving that the au pair has no criminal record
• reference letters from any previous child-minding or housekeeping duties
• an account of previous studies and language skills of the au pair.

The form must be filled out in Finnish, Swedish, or English.

A fee (420 euros) is charged for processing the application and will be collected when the au pair submits his/her application.

More information can be found here (Finnish Immigration Service) and here (EnterFinland).

Which further documents the au pair probably needs to bring along?

To proof the payment of the pocket money, most families will want to transfer the money to a bank account of the au pair. Therefore the host family should check what documents the bank asks for to open a bank account for an au pair, so the au pair can organize them at home already (see also “bank account” below).

If the au pair wants to drive a car in the host country, (s)he eventually needs e.g. a legally attested copy of the national driving license. See also “driving license” further below.

The trip will normally be organized by the au pair, of course in accordance with the host family.

Even when everything is clear and all questions are asked, it's good to stay in touch until the journey starts - it's important that also the children get to know that a new au pair is coming and communicating from time to time through Skype is a good way to get used to each other.

What to take with you as au pair? In our community you can find tips from other au pairs!

Please note: Border authorities may examine whether the prerequisites for entry continue to apply. This examination is international practice. The au pair might be refused entry even though (s)he is in the possession of a valid visa, if the prerequisites for entry no longer apply.

Therefore the au pair should carry with him/her documents giving evidence to the purpose of the stay - in particular proof of sufficient funds (au pair contract) and health insurance.

Although it's not mandatory, normally the host family picks up the au pair from the airport or train station (or organizes a pick-up).

The first days should then be reserved for getting to know each other and introducing the au pair to the family's daily routines.

You are not sure how to welcome your au pair and which rules you should define? Have a look at our tipps and discuss with other families in our community!

You are feeling homesick, the kids don't seem to like you and you just feel like returning home asap? Get comfort and tipps from other au pairs in our community!
And with our nearBy function you can immediately see which other au pairs live nearby and can meet with them.

After arriving in Finland, the au pair must register in the Population Information System at his/her Local Register Office. At the same time, the au pair can obtain a Finnish personal identity code (necessary to open a bank account and to attend to issues involving the authorities, for example).

For registration, the au pair will need his/her passport.

The work permit is granted together with the residence permit.

The pocket money is normally paid directly into a bank account.

The necessary documents to open a bank account can often vary – even between different branches of the same bank, but most banks ask for any combination of the following documents:

• Passport;
• Additional photographic identification;
• Proof of address;
• Finnish personal identification number;
• Residence permit.

A very good option for au pairs is an online bank like N26: It's very easy to open an account, it's for free and everything can be done via smartphone.

The au pair can drive in Finland if he/she holds a driving licence issued in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan or a country that has signed the Geneva or Vienna Road Traffic Convention. 

Driving licences issued elsewhere than in an EU or EEA Member State or a Contracting State do not entitle the au pair to drive in Finland. 

Detailed information can be found here.

Should the au pair be driving the host family's car, both au pair and host family should clarify issues of insurance and liability beforehand. It is important also discuss who is to bear the costs for material damage in the event of a car accident.

Have a look at our tips, how to change family!

As the family normally pays for the insurance, either the current insurance must be taken over by the new family or the current insurance is terminated and a new policy is issued.

It is necessary to submit a notification of change of residence one month before moving at the earliest, and one week after moving at the latest, if the au pair moves permanently into a new home or if his/her temporary stay at another address is longer than 3 months.

Detailed information can be found here.

As long as the au pair permit is still valid, he/she may change host family without applying for a new residence permit.

Please see  "step by step to change family - residence registration".

Also consider the following, especially when the au pair leaves earlier than planned:

• Cancel standing order for pocket money
• Cancel au pair insurance