How can I become an Au Pair? - Au Pair Requirements

Name: How can I become an Au Pair? - Au Pair Requirements | AuPair.com
Uploaded: 2018-10-29T10:19:48Z
Duration: 1 min 33 s
Description: Are you looking for an exciting experience abroad, but you are not sure if you are eligible to participate in the Au Pair program? Though each country has specific requirements for participants, there is also some common criteria for participation that can be applied to the majority of Au Pair programs.

Do you want to become an Au Pair abroad? Check out our list of basic requirements for Au Pairs:

1. Age between 17 - 30 years old
2. Be able to maintain a fluent conversation in English or have a good knowledge of the language of the host country.
3. Have experience taking care of children
4. Not be married or have children
5. Have completed high school (high school or equivalent)
6. Be in good health
7. No criminal record
8. Want to spend one year living abroad

Are you looking for an exciting experience abroad, but you are not sure if you are eligible to participate in the Au Pair program? Though each country has specific requirements for participants, there is also some common criteria for participation that can be applied to the majority of Au Pair programs.

Video: The road to becoming an au pair

In the following video, we're looking at how you can use www.aupair.com to become an Au pair.

Let's discuss these requirements in details.

Age

You need to be at least 17 years old and not older than 30 to apply for the program. Check out the specific age requirements for each country.

Language requirements

You need to be able to communicate on a daily basis with your Host Family. If the host country’s requirements don't state otherwise, usually good command of English or the host country's official language is more than enough. The Au Pair program is for you to practice a foreign language, so don't worry if you are not fluent yet!

Would you like to learn a foreign language...
... abroad? If you also like to hang out with kids, the Au Pair program is a perfect solution! Read more

If you need a visa to participate in the Au Pair program, you might be required a language certificate proving your knowledge of the target language.

You are also allowed to improve your proficiency by attending a language course in the host country. In some countries, language courses are mandatory.

Family Status

In order to take part in the Au Pair program, you can't have children of your own. This is also a very important criteria to be entitled to the Au Pair visa. In many countries, you need to be unmarried as well.

Education

You need to have at least a school diploma (depending on the country). Some Host Families might ask for additional certificates or documents proving your experience in childcare.

Visa (if required)

You must fulfill the requirements of the host country's embassy to be entitled to the Au Pair visa. If you are interested in participating in the Au Pair USA program, check the requirements for the J-1 visa. Read also more information about the working holiday visa, which is issued to Au Pairs in several countries.

Au Pair's expenses

You must be able to cover the travel expenses required to reach the host country and get back home, unless you have agreed with your future Host Family on different terms. Though we encourage Host Families to support their Au Pairs with travel costs, this is not a mandatory requirement and totally depends on the family’s decision.

Other requirements

You have to be healthy and not a smoker. Although smoking is not an official criteria, the chances to find a Host Family are much higher for non-smoking Au Pairs.

Find a Host Family online!
At AuPair.com you can find thousands of Host Families from all over the world. Read our tips and find the perfect one. Learn more

You also need to love spending time with kids. As the Au Pair duties are mainly related to childcare, this experience will be enjoyable for you only if you like taking care of children. Most Host Families expect their Au Pair to have some kind of experience in childcare. You might have done some babysitting or worked in a kindergarten or another social institution for a while. The more references you can show, the better you can convince a Host Family.

As an online matching agency we have gathered the most important information about the Au Pair experience in our Au Pair Wiki. Check also the specific requirements for each country and our Au Pair FAQ if you have other questions.

General requirements for Au Pairs from EU countries

Target country	Age	Language	Education	Visa
Australia	18 - 30 years	Good command of English	No regulations	Depends on your nationality - for more details check visa regulations in Australia
Austria	17 - 30 years	Basic german (with certificate)	No regulations	No visa needed
Belgium	17 - 30 years	No regulations	No regulations	No visa needed
Canada	18 - 30 years	Basic knowledge of English or French	No regulations	Depend on your nationality - for more details check visa regulations in Canada
China	18 - 29 years	Good command of English	At least a school diploma	Depend on length of the stay - for more details check visa regulations in China
Denmark	18 - 29 years	Knowledge of English, German, Swedish, Norwegian or Danish	Completed 8 - 9 years of schooling	No visa needed
England / UK	17 - 30 years	Good command of English	No regulations	No visa needed
Finland	17 - 30 years	Basic knowledge of Finnish or Swedish	At least school diploma	No visa needed
France	17 - 30 years (or more: check Stagiaire program)	No regulations	At least high school diploma or equivalent	No visa needed
Germany	18 - 26 years	Basic german (sometimes you will need at least an A1 certificate)	No regulations	No visa needed
Iceland	18 - 27 years	Good knowledge of English	No regulations	No visa needed
Ireland	18 - 28 years	Good knowledge of English	No regulations	No visa needed
Italy	18 - 30 years	No regulations	No regulations	No visa needed
Luxembourg	18 - 30 years	Good command of English or one of the three official languages of Luxembourg (Luxembourgish, German or French)	At least high school diploma	No visa needed
Netherlands	18 - 25 years	No regulations	No regulations	No visa needed
New Zealand	18 - 30 years	Good knowledge of English	No regulations	Check the visa regulations in New Zealand
Norway	18 - 30 years	Good English or Norwegian skills	No regulations	No visa needed
Spain	18 - 30 years	Basic knowledge of Spanish. Knowledge of English, French or German will also work	No regulations	No visa needed
Sweden	18 - 30 years	No regulations - but Au Pair needs to prove interest in Swedish culture	No regulations	No visa needed
Switzerland	17 - 30 years	Good knowledge of language of the canton for which you apply	No regulations	No visa needed
Turkey	18 - 30 years	Good English or basic Turkish	No regulations	Check the visa regulations in Turkey
USA	18 - 26 years	Good knowledge of English	At least high school diploma	J1 visa necessary - learn more about visa regulations in USA

General requirements for Au Pairs from non-EU countries

Target country	Age	Language	Education	Visa
Australia	18 - 30 years	Good command of English	No regulations	Depends on your nationality - for more details check visa regulations in Australia
Austria	18 - 28 years	Basic german (with certificate)	No regulations	Check visa requirements in Austria
Belgium	18 - 25 years	Basic knowledge of at least one of the three national languages: French, German or Dutch	High school diploma or document that grants higher education	Check visa requirements in Belgium
Canada	18 - 30 years	Basic knowledge of English or French	No regulations	Depend on your nationality - for more details check visa regulations in Canada
China	18 - 29 years	Good command of English	At least a school diploma	Depend on length of the stay - for more details check visa regulations in China
Denmark	18 - 29 years	Knowledge of English, German, Swedish, Norwegian or Danish	Completed 8 - 9 years of schooling	Check visa regulations in Denmark
England / UK	18 - 30 years	Good command of English	At least an intermediate school certificate	Check visa regulations in United Kingdom
Finland	18 - 30 years	Basic knowledge of Finnish or Swedish	At least school diploma	Check visa regulations in Finland
France	18 - 30 years (or more: check Stagiaire program)	Basic knowledge of French (certificate might be required)	At least high school diploma or equivalent	Check visa regulations in France
Germany	18 - 26 years	Basic german (A1 certificate)	No regulations	Check visa regulations in Germany
Iceland	18 - 25 years	Good knowledge of English (it is not an official requirement but recommendation)	No regulations	Check visa regulations in Iceland
Ireland	18 - 27 years	Good knowledge of English	At least an intermediate school diploma	Check visa regulations in Ireland
Italy	18 - 30 years	No regulations	No regulations	Check visa regulations in Italy
Luxembourg	18 - 30 years	Good knowledge of English or one of Luxembourg’s official languages (Luxembourgish, German or French)	At least high school diploma	Check visa regulations in Luxembourg
Netherlands	18 - 25 years	No regulations	No regulations	Check visa regulation in the Netherlands
New Zealand	18 - 30 years	Good knowledge of English	No regulations	Check the visa regulations in New Zealand
Norway	18 - 30 years	Good English or Norwegian skills	No regulations	Check the visa regulations in Norway
Spain	18 - 30 years	Basic knowledge of Spanish. Knowledge of English, French or German will also work	At least an intermediate school certificate	Check the visa regulations in Spain
Sweden	18 - 30 years	No regulations - but Au Pair needs to prove interest in Swedish culture	No regulations	Check visa regulations in Sweden
Switzerland	18 - 25 years	Basic knowledge of the language spoken in the canton where you apply, but if you are a native in any of the three official languages of Switzerland, you cannot apply to work as an Au Pair in the region that speaks your mother tongue	At least intermediate school certificate	Check visa regulations to Switzerland
Turkey	18 - 30 years	Good English or basic Turkish	No regulations	Check the visa regulations in Turkey
USA	18 - 26 years	Good knowledge of English	At least high school diploma	J1 visa necessary - learn more about visa regulations in USA

Free Registration as Candidate

How can I contact a Host Family?: You need to visit the Host Family’s profile and drop a message there. If the family is a Premium Member, they will be able to read your message and answer it in no time. You can also add a Host Family to your hotlist. The families will immediately get notified that you are interested! Please find more information here.

Can you help me with the paperwork and the placement process?: Unfortunately, we can’t help you with it. We are an online matching agency, thus we can’t interfere in your searching or placing process. We are happy to provide you with all our searching and matching tools and the information about the Au Pair experience. As our platform is available worldwide, we are unable to take care of all the applications we get daily. Feel free to use our service to visit your dream destination and find a great Host Family. We will be also glad to get your feedback! If you have any ideas or comments, get in touch with us.

How long does it take to find a Host Family?: It depends on several factors. Create your profile and make it attractive for other users. Check that you meet the Au Pair requirements set by the Au Pair program. Be active and contact 20-30 Host Families per day. While contacting the Host Families, make also sure that you fulfil the family’s expectations. Be active, open minded and try to convince families that the time spent with you will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for their kids! Generally speaking, it takes from one week up to a few months to find a Host Family.

Can I become an Au Pair?: The Au Pair program accepts participants who meet mainly education, family and age requirements. Please take a look at the full list of Au Pair requirements. If you meet them, register as an Au Pair today and find a Host Family that matches your criteria.