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What is the Au Pair medical certificate and why is it important?

The medical certificate is an overview of the health condition of the Host Family’s future Au Pair. The health checkup is important in order to exclude any possible objections against the stay abroad. If the Au Pair candidate has any pre-existing conditions, it is important to remember that in most cases the costs incurred will not be covered by the Au Pair insurance.

The medical certificate should include information about:

Physical and mental health
Contagious diseases
Vaccinations
Pre-existing and chronic diseases

The Host Family must be able to rely on the commitment of their Au Pair. Often both parents are working and are therefore dependent on the support of their Au Pair in childcare and in the household. An Au Pair should have a certain resilience, as the job is not always stress-free and often requires strong nerves. In addition, a certain level of fitness is an advantage for many activities with children.

To show the health condition of the candidate, a medical certificate is a good tool. The Host Family decides what information should be included in this certificate. The certificate should be prepared by a general practitioner before the stay in the Au Pair's home country. The costs for this should be paid by the Host Family.

Physical and mental health

In this section of the medical certificate, all current and chronic illnesses of the Au Pair as well as all regularly taken medications should be noted. If necessary, a pregnancy and drug test can also be performed. General information, such as the Au Pair's weight and height, may be of interest.

For the Host Family the information about allergies of the Au Pair is essential. If the Au Pair is intolerant to certain foods the Host Family must prepare for a special diet of the candidate and consider whether this is compatible with their own diet.

Contagious diseases

Contagious diseases, such as tuberculosis, hepatitis and AIDS/HIV, are more common in some countries than others. All these diseases can be checked by means of a test. This should be done in the Au Pair's home country.

Vaccinations

Is the vaccination status of the Au Pair sufficient? For some countries certain vaccinations are required or recommended. The family doctor or travel doctor can provide information about the required vaccinations. The following information should be given to the doctor: the destination, the time of stay, the individual vaccination status as well as any underlying diseases. The appointment should be scheduled four to six weeks prior to the stay abroad to ensure complete vaccination protection.

Pre-existing conditions and chronic diseases

In case of pre-existing conditions of the Au Pair, the insurer usually requires a self-disclosure. The contract determines to what extent the pre-existing condition is included in the insurance. The treatment of pre-existing conditions as well as chronic diseases is not covered by most Au Pair insurances. The pre-existing condition should be stable and not in need of treatment six months prior to the start of the stay.

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.

How can I get the Au Pair Certificate?: It's super easy! Just login and click on "My Profile", scroll down and click on "Services". There you will find the option "Apply for Au Pair Certificate". You will have to write an experience report about your Au Pair year and insert some details of your stay. The Certificate, if approved, will be issued in a few days!

What is the age limit of an Au Pair?: Requirements of Au Pair programs vary depending on different Host Countries, but usually the upper limit of age of an Au Pair is about 30. Please, check requirements of specific Host Countries here.

Still, if you can't fulfil those requirements, you can always consider a position of a live-in nanny or a senior caregiver, but mind that those are not cultural exchange programs and you would be a kind of an employee of your future match.

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