Au Pair WikiDriving License
By The AuPair.com Expert Team on 02 Jul 2025 ⏱ Reading time: 3 min.

Do I need a driving license to become an Au Pair?

Most families are looking for an Au Pair with a driving licence. Taking children to school or to their activities in the afternoon is one of the obligations of an Au Pair.
 
If you want to be an Au Pair in the United States you will need to have a license and lots of driving experience in order to be able to work. We have gathered all the necessary information regarding this topic in the article below.
 

 
This is one of the most common Au Pair questions on our website.Though it is not an official requirement of the Au Pair program, some families mention the driving license as a mandatory criteria for their future Au Pair.

It depends on the host country and the Host Family. A family might not have access to public transportation and needs someone to drive the kids to school and to other activities. 

A driving license seems to be mandatory in the USA. Is this correct?

The Au Pair program in the USA has different requirements for participation. Most of the families there are looking for an Au Pair who can drive. It is very common for Au Pairs in the USA to drive to shops, pick up the kids from school or drive to the language class. This is one of the reasons why most Au Pair agencies in the USA are asking the candidates to have a valid driving license. 
 
Au Pair USA
Au pairing in the US? Sounds like a plan! AuPair.com provides you with all the details regarding the Au Pair program in the US. How does it work? Find out

If a Host Family doesn’t require the Au Pair to have a driving license, they need to check if the local agency is ready to accept this case and continue the process. If a case of contract termination occurs, the chance to find a new Host Family without a driving licence is rather small. 

Is it enough to have a national driver's license or is it necessary to have an international one?

Since the international Driver's License is a valid document in all countries that signed the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, and it's recognized in many countries that are not signatories to the Convention, you may be required to have an international driver's license to drive in some countries.
 
The International Driver's License contains identifiable information regarding the Licensee. The purpose of this additional information is to assist law enforcement officials in the event of an emergency or any other issue that may arise on the road involving the licensee. The insurance company also requires it to cover damage to the vehicle in the event of accidents.
 
An international driver's license allows a person to drive a private motor vehicle in another nation, however this license must be accompanied by a valid license from your home country.

Is it mandatory for Au Pairs to have an insurance to drive a car?

Yes, in the United States, Au Pairs need car insurance to drive. Every state in the United States has different laws but all of them have minimum auto insurance rules. Most states require some form of insurance to protect other drivers on the road. Your sponsor agency should tell you, depending on the state, if both the vehicle and the driver need to be insured.

How can you get an international driver's license?

The requirements for acquiring an international driver's license can vary, however most requirements are common among all countries.
 
The first and most important thing is to have your country's driver's license. The rest will be some photographs, a valid passport, and depending on the host country, you will have to pay a fee for the acquisition of this document.
 
* When you are asking for information about the visa at the host country's embassy, take advantage of the opportunity and ask for information about the type of driver's license you need for that country.
 
Also remember to make the arrangements in advance, given that, depending on the country, the application may take a few weeks.

On AuPair.com you can find a Host Family that matches your criteria. As long as both the Au Pair and the Host Family find common ground for cooperation, there will be no additional Au Pair requirements.

In general terms:

  • You don’t need to have a driving license to become an Au Pair, but it is a great advantage to be a driver.
  • You can still be placed in an American Host Family as long as both the Host Family and two local agencies agree on the placement.
  • You can find an American Host Family at AuPair.com and contact the local agency afterwards.
For more information about the Au Pair program, check our Au Pair WIKI and popular questions.

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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.  
I want to be an Au Pair in the US! What should I do?
The Au Pair Program in the USA has specific requirements. One of them is a mandatory registration through a full-service agency. There is a special list of agencies recognized by the US Government and entitled to help you with the J-1 visa. AuPair.com can help you find a Host Family, but remember that further documentation and formalities should be done through a local US agency.  
Can an Au Pair have a second job?
It depends. If the Au Pair is an EU citizen and is staying within the EU, then he/she can have another job. For the rest of the cases, it depends on the visa the Au Pair holds, the amount of hours she already works and the specific labour laws of the Host Country. 
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. 
What is the process of becoming an Au Pair?
The Au Pair program is primarily a cultural exchange, thus Host Family and Au Pair need to belong to different nationalities. Below you can see a step-by-step guide that will help you become a part of the Au Pair experience. 
1. Register on AuPair.com and create your profile. As an Au Pair you can use the AuPair.com platform for free: send messages, browse profiles and get many other benefits after the registration. To stand out among the participants, you need to create an interesting profile.
2. Search for a prospective Host Family. Once you are signed in as an Au Pair, you can start searching for Host Families in different countries. The platform gives you the opportunity to browse families that match your preferences and destinations. In addition to AuPair.com's suggestions, you can add other families to your Favorites. This way you will have a selected list of users you are interested in. Each added family will receive a notification.
3. Meet up during the video-interview. After shortlisting the most suitable families, it is really important to talk to them to get to know each other better. During the interview both parties will share their expectations and talk about the important details of the cooperation. You will be able to see which family suits you best. In addition to this, a live video-call will protect you from possible scam attempts. Since scammers are afraid to reveal their identity, they usually refuse to join video-calls.
4. Sign the Au Pair contract and close other formalities. The Au Pair contract is a formal document stating all important details discussed between you and your future Host Family. It can help you avoid many possible misunderstandings and problems during the stay. Download the template of the Au Pair contract and edit it together with your Host Family according to your needs and the host country’s laws. Sign the contract and keep it with you. It is one of the visa requirements, though you might also need it for other formalities. 
5. Prepare for your trip. There are many important things you need to consider before going abroad: clarifying formalities with the host country’s embassy if you need a visa, gathering all the documents you need for registration in the host country, making sure your insurance coverage is sufficient, packing the suitcase, booking the tickets.  If the Host Family is willing to help you with the travel costs, we recommend writing it down in the Au Pair contract and define the installments that will be added to your monthly pocket money during the year. Nevertheless, it is not a responsibility of the Host Family to cover travel expenses. 
6. Adapt to the new country. Once you have arrived it's time to get to know your Host Family and the place where you will be living. Normally, it will take some time for the children to adapt to a new person, so don't worry if they seem distant at the beginning.
7. Enjoy your Au Pair experience. Don’t forget that the Au Pair program gives you a unique opportunity to stay abroad for some time and gain new experiences. Explore the country and local culture, meet new people and make sure you enjoy this experience to the max
I want to become an Au Pair in the USA
In the US there is really strict law regulation of Au Pair programs.
 
Therefore, to enter the US as an Au Pair you need to contact full-service Au Pair agency in your local area and ask about further guidance; AuPair.com is just an online matching agency. 
 
Please, find all the details here:
 


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