Au Pair in Australia: contract and insurance

Before the Au Pair stay begins, there are two very important matters that the Au Pair and the Host Family need to take care of: the contract and the insurance.

The Au Pair contract

As there is no standardized Au Pair program in Australia, the Host Country follows the general rules of the program. AuPair.com recommends to download the standard contract template and add all the important details according to your own needs.  
     
Try to make the contract as detailed as possible - there are no official program requirements, therefore all the obvious information due to the country’s legislation should appear in the contract. Discuss and mention the following points in the contract:

• number of working hours, 
• if possible, the exact schedule, 
• number of free days per week, 
• length and start date of the holiday break, 
• details of the accommodation, 
• detailed scope of responsibility (duties)
• detailed scope of responsibility of the Host Family

The contract provided by AuPair.com contains all the important details to include and only needs to be edited by the Host Family and the Au Pair. Please discuss all the details of the stay during the Skype interview before writing them down in the contract and sign it.

Termination of the contract

The Au Pair insurance in Australia

The Au Pair should purchase a medical insurance before travelling to Australia - in case of any accident or necessity for any medical treatment, the cost of the service may be overwhelming.
     
If the Au Pair needs to drive a car in Australia, the Host Family needs to report this fact to their insurance company. Moreover, the Au Pair’s driving license may not be valid in Australia and therefore you will need to find a solution accordingly. Normally, you can request an international driving license in your Home Country.

Health insurance in Australia for Au Pairs

In Australia, foreigners are solely responsible for their own medical insurance. Without it, the Au Pair will need to cover the cost of every medical treatment and hospitalization from their own pockets. The cost of one day in a local hospital can easily reach 1000 AUD. Citizens of Australia can use the public health system Medicare, but visitors from overseas are generally unable to use this system.
     
As medical service and hospitalization are very expensive in Australia, we highly recommend to purchase private medical insurance covering the whole length of the stay. The Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection recommends Overseas Visitors Health Cover. It’s not a requirement, though, and it is possible to choose another private insurance instead.
     
The citizens of countries that signed the reciprocal health care agreement with Australia can benefit from public health service.

Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC) and Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)

Reciprocal health care agreement in Australia

Applicants from certain countries that have a reciprocal health care arrangement with Australia can use the Australian health system only in case of emergency or if an immediate treatment is necessary.
     
The countries that signed the agreement with Australia are:

Belgium	Finland	Ireland	Italy	Malta
Netherlands	New Zealand	Slovenia	Sweden	United Kingdom

Car insurance and driving license in Australia

Driving a car in Australia may be a challenging experience for many Au Pairs, as Australians drive on the left side of the road. Furthermore, in Australia there are quite a few road rules and laws that might be brand-new to a foreigner.

This is why the Au Pair should be an experienced driver to deal with Australian roads. The Host Family should make sure that the insurance company covers all possible damages in case of any accident. We recommend to purchase an accident and liability insurance for the Au Pair as well. Requirements regarding insuring the vehicle and the driver vary depending on the state and territory in Australia. The Host Family should make sure that everything is in order with the local legislation.
     
Laws and regulations vary from state to state regarding the Au Pair’s driver’s license as well. In some cases, the Au Pair will have to own and carry an International License and the foreign driving license. In other states, the Au Pair can only have the foreign driving license, but along with the formal translation into English.
     
Check the exact rules before the Au Pair gets behind the wheel!