How to become an au pair in Germany?

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Germany has 10 different programs for the different au pair citizenships.
Choose here which programs you want to see and compare.

prerequisites for au pairs

Au pair
World
Working Holiday
Taiwan

age

18 - 26

The start date of employment is the determining factor for this purpose.

A prerequisite for the granting of a visa is the prior agreement of the ZAV (International Placement Services). 

The applicant must apply for the visa before his/her 27th birthday and in order to avoid any difficulties, apply for it in enough time so that this age limit is not exceeded by the time the foreign nationals office (Ausländerbehörde) decides on the application.

18 - 30

language skills

The au pair is expected to have a basic knowledge of the German language. Language skills that are equivalent to at least Level A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages are required.

Minimum language skills are not defined to get a working holiday visum, but to be able to work as an au pair, language skills of level B1 or better are recommended.

education

There are no prerequisites regarding the school education or if the au pair needs to hold any special degrees.

marital status

Married au pairs are also eligible to apply.

no restrictions

children

There are no official rules if the au pair is allowed to have children on her/his own or can be accompanied by them.

It's not allowed to be accompanied by dependent family members (e.g. children).

prerequisites for families

Au pair
World
Working Holiday
Taiwan

definition of family

Although there are many places on the internet giving different information, we couldn't find any official restricting definition for a family e.g. regarding the age of children.

So to our knowledge, any mother and/or father living together with a child can become a host family.

There are no restrictions regarding the host family to obtain the working holiday visa (as this kind of visa is normally not used for working as an au pair).

However, to be allowed to work as an au pair, generally the same rules should be obeyed as for obtaining an au pair visa. This applies for all points below.

languages of family

In general, au pairs can only be employed in families where German is spoken as a native language.

citizenship of family

At least one adult family member must be a German citizen or a citizen of an EU/EEA Member State or Switzerland.
If German is spoken as a ‘family language’ within the family, then permission may be granted once the employee does not come from the host parents’ home country.

prerequisites for agencies

Au pair
World
Working Holiday
Taiwan

agency support

It's not mandatory to involve an au pair agency.

other restrictions

Au pair
World
Working Holiday
Taiwan

other restrictions

  • It's only possible to get an au pair visa for Germany once in life. Also if the visa isn't used to it's full extent (e.g. because the family and au pair end the contract earlier), there is no chance to get another au pair visa later.
  • If the host family and au pair are related to each other, then employment of the au pair should not be permitted.
  • Good health (health examination certificate required)
  • Furthermore, there is a quota of only 300 working holiday visas per year.

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rules & regulations
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Hi, my name is Maria Knauer

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