Become a Host Family in France

Being the Host Family for an Au Pair in France is the perfect chance to share a glimpse of the French lifestyle while having an affordable, flexible and multicultural childcare option.

This is exactly what you are looking for? Start your search now! Find out what kind of criteria you need to meet in order to become a Host Family in France.It’s time for a great experience for both you and your kids!

Find out how to:

Hire an Au Pair from an EU country
Hire an Au Pair from a non-EU country

Can you become a Host Family?

Welcoming an Au Pair to your home is the chance to bring other cultures closer to your children! The official Au Pair program has established some regulations for families that will help to assure a pleasant stay for both parties.
However, in France there are two different types of Au Pair program: the Stagiaire aide familial étranger and the Salarié Au Pair. When we refer to the Au Pair program, we consider the Au Pair as Stagiaire aide familial étranger.

These are the requirements to fulfil to be part of the program:

Have at least one child under 18 years old
Your child is at least 3 years old (Au Pairs in France are not allowed to take care of children under the age of 3)
Provide the participant with a room (it cannot be shared with other family members or used for other activities)
Be able to afford the program costs (meals, salary, insurance, etc.)
Be willing to be part of a cultural program
French is the main language spoken at home, and the Au Pair is required to enroll in a French language course for foreigners

Do you fulfil all these requirements? If your answer is “yes” then join our community and start looking for suitable candidates. We would love to help to connect you with your future Au Pair!

Free Registration as Family

How does it work?

Your profile

But how can you become a Host Family? The first step to find suitable candidates is to create a profile on our website and personalize it. As a Basic Member, you will be able to send standard messages and add candidates to your favorite list.

You also have the chance to become a Premium Member and send personalized messages to the candidates you like. In addition, you will also get our contract template and a useful handbook for the stay.

Start a conversation

Before starting the conversation, we recommend to make sure your candidate can join your family! For a successful stay in France check all the requirements for participants from EU and Non-EU countries, the program rules and visa regulations in France.

After browsing through profiles and exchanging a couple of messages with possible candidates, make sure to plan an interview on Skype.

After you found your Au Pair

If you think you’ve found the right Au Pair, then make your cooperation official by signing the contract. Remember to include all the important points such as the main duties, salary and working schedule.

Hosting EU and Non-EU applicants in France

France has some requirements for all those who are interested in becoming Au Pairs. Candidates from Non-EU member countries need a visa for their stay, so they need to take a couple of more steps than EU citizens. Being open to all nationalities will give you the possibility to choose from a larger pool of applicants.

Au Pairs are also expected to meet certain expectations for a successful stay:

French language skills - in order to be able to communicate with the world around them and the children, they should have at least a basic level of French
Childcare experience - taking care of the kids is the main duty of the participants. For this reason, it is expected that he/she has enough experience and can handle any situation that might occur
Neither to be married nor to have children of his/her own
To be medically fit for the job

Hosting an Au Pair from the European Union and EFTA in France

Citizens of the European Union and EFTA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland) just need to meet the following requirements to be part of this cultural exchange:

Age: 17-30 years
Valid passport or identity card

Once you get to know each other better through some messages and Skype calls, you can agree on the terms of the stay and sign the contract. You can find more information (CERFA) on the official website of the French administration.

3 steps to follow after signing the contract:

Take care of the insurance for Au Pair

EU citizens can apply for the European Health Insurance Card to enjoy the health benefits in France. The application has to be done by the candidate in his/her home country. We also recommend getting a private insurance to avoid any problems since the EHIC does not cover all treatments.

Register the Au Pair in France

French families need to register their Au Pair at the URSSAF (Unions de Recouvrement des cotisations de Sécurité sociale et d'allocations familiales).

Social Security

Host Families have to register their Au Pair at the CPAM (Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie), this will grant the access to the health system and generate a social security number for him/her.

How to hire an Au Pair from a Non-EU country to France?

Participants from Non-European Union countries need to apply for a visa to get their residence permit in France. To do so, they will need to make an appointment at the French embassy and fulfil the requirements for the Au Pair visa:

Age: 18-30
At least basic French language skills (in some cases, applicants might need a certificate)
High school diploma or equivalent
Passport: must be valid for the complete length of the stay
Signed contract sent by the family
Confirmation of enrollment for a French language course
Able to pay the travel expenses (in some cases the Au Pair has to present a proof of the ability to cover the costs to the embassy)
Clear criminal record
Motivation letter

4 steps to plan the Au Pair stay

Sign the contract

Participants need to sign the contract with the Host Family. It is important to make sure it includes points such as the working schedule, pocket money and insurance. Consider that this document must be approved by the DIRECCTE (Direction Régionale des Entreprises, de la Concurrence, de la Consommation, du Travail et de l’Emploi). Find more information on the CERFA here.

Take care of the insurance for Au Pair

Au Pairs must have a private health insurance that protects them during the time in France. Although the Host Family is not obligated to pay for it, it is always recommended that they assist their guest with the costs.

Registration and residence permit

Once in France, Au Pairs will need to register at the local office. After that they need to process a residence permit at the foreign office. They will also need to register at the URSSAF (Unions de Recouvrement des cotisations de Sécurité sociale et d'allocations familiales) within 8 days after the arrival.

Social Security number

In order for Au Pairs to get their social security number, Host Families have to register them at the CPAM (Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie).

Further information

Important ! The French government has recently modified the regulations related to the taxes to be paid by French Host Families hiring Au Pairs of the Stagiaire aide-familial étranger type.

These are the obligations of the Host Family

Le stagiaire aide familial étranger must be affiliated to the general Social Security scheme (sickness, maternity, industrial accidents, basic pension). They are also covered by the complementary pension fund for employees of private employers (Ircem). Families hosting a “Stagiaire Aide Familial Étranger” must make a declaration to their nearest Urssaf office. You will need to fill in a declaration form.

Visit this page to calculate the contributions that apply to you.

Our main source of information is the official website of the Ursaff and the Service Publique website, we invite you to visit these pages for more information.

Please note that Au Pairs in France are officially not allowed to mind children under the age of 3. The visa application of your Au Pair will be rejected when your child is not at least 3 years old.