Can you become a Host Family?
-
At least one child under the age of 13.
-
Possibility to cover meals, salary , insurance in Belgium for the Au Pair and few other program expenses.
-
A private room for the Au Pair in the family’s home
-
Consider the Au Pair as a part of the family and respect her/his privacy
Creating an account on our website is completely free. The Basic Membership will let you add an Au Pair to your favorites and send a standard message. Our
Premium Members can make the process faster by sending personalized messages to their candidates. They will also get our useful handbook, the contract and more!
You can personalize your
profile. Remember to write the “
Welcome letter” to your future Au Pair! Do not forget to upload some
family pictures and describe your expectations for the stay.
To be sure that your candidate can join your family please check the requirements for EU and Non-EU participants. Do not forget to read about the
program regulations,
visa process and all the information you need to know about the program.
Hosting EU and Non-EU applicants
Candidates of the
Au Pair program have to fulfill particular requirements according to their nationality. Due to visa regulations the participants from Non-EU countries have a few extra steps to follow. We will guide you through them.
There are also some general expectations for all the Au Pairs, for example: being healthy, not having children of their own or not being married, having enough childcare experience. The last one is especially important since it is the participant’s main task.
Hosting an Au Pair from the European Union and EFTA
Candidates from the European Union and EFTA member countries just need to meet the age requirements. The participants need to be 17 to 30 years old. We also recommend that the applicants know basic German, French or Dutch to communicate with your family and manage the situation in case of an emergency.
After you organize a few video calls and sign the
contract, there are only a few steps left before welcoming your new family member:
1
Take care of the insurance
EU nationals can have access to health services in Belgium through the
European Health Insurance Card. Please consider that candidates should apply for this card in their home countries.
2
Register your Au Pair in Belgium
If your new family member stays longer than three months, you will need to register him/her at the municipality
How to hire an Au Pair from a Non-EU country?
Candidates from Non-European Union countries need a
visa to Belgium. This permit is processed by the Belgian Embassy in the Au Pair’s home country and is needed to get a residence permit.
Belgium has an official Au Pair program so there is a special visa for participants. These are the requirements they must meet:
-
Age: 18 - 25
-
Basic language skills in at least one of the three national languages (French, German and Dutch)
-
High school diploma (or equivalent) that grants a higher education
-
Passport valid for the length of the stay
-
Signed contract
-
Clean criminal record
-
Able to cover the visa and travel expenses
-
Willing to attend language or culture related courses during the stay
-
Not previously had a work permit in Belgium
If your candidate meets all the requirements then you can start planning the stay! Have a look at the following steps:
Be sure to have a legal and organized stay with the
contract. It must include the most important aspects of the stay such as working hours, free time and salary. The candidate will also need this document for a visa.
2
Request the work permit
Applicants have to present the Employment Authorization Type B which needs to be requested and sent by the hosts before the appointment at the embassy.
Do not forget to get a
private health insurance and avoid any unpleasant surprises and unaffordable fees. The insurance should cover accidents and illness during the whole stay.
4
Help with the visa application
Send all the paperwork that’s needed for opening a
visa to Belgium and clear any questions your Au Pair might have regarding the stay. Note that the visa process might take a couple of weeks.
5
Take care of the registration
Once in Belgium, Au Pairs must register at the local office within the first 8 days of the stay. After that, he/she will need to transform the visa into a residence permit at the foreign office. The family can make this process easier and help to prevent problems with the official regulations.
Consider that the validity of the residence permit may not exceed 1 year. Help the applicant to get in touch with the authorities to find out the specific requirements and make an appointment online.
For Registered Members
Login
