⏱ Reading time: 2 min.

Can I become an Au Pair just for the summer?

The Summer Au Pair program is perfect for students or young adults who want to spend a couple of months abroad without committing to a long-term stay. You’ll help a Host Family during school holidays — usually for 2–3 months between June and September — and get the same benefits as in a regular Au Pair program: room, board, pocket money, and time off. It's a great way to improve your language skills, travel, and gain childcare experience — all within a short timeframe.

Keep reading to find out more about the benefits of Summer Au Pair experience!
If you have a couple of free months and would like to take part in a cultural exchange program, then becoming a Summer Au Pair would be the perfect option for you! 
 
Being an Au Pair during the summer is a great chance to travel to another country, get to know a new culture, have an international experience and improve your skills in a foreign language, without leaving your home, friends, family and studies for a long time.

How does this program work?

The summer program is just like any other Au Pair experience but shorter, since sometimes Host Families need an extra help just during the school holidays.

Some of the Au Pair duties during the stay include: taking care of the kids, driving them to their activities, cooking and light housework. Just as in a long term program, the Au Pair will work for a number of hours per week and receive pocket money once a week or once a month. The Au Pair’s free days should be respected and holidays are proportionally deducted depending on the length of stay. 

Free time and holidays
Does the Au Pair have any time off? Of course! Discuss this case with the Host Family - but first find out how it works for you. All the information right here

Being an Au Pair during the summer is also a great chance to have an international experience without leaving your home, friends, family and studies for a long time.

Does the Au Pair program require a minimum stay with the Host Family?

Summer Au PairThe duration of the Summer Au Pair program depends on the country and the family’s needs. Generally, if you’re Au Pairing within the European Union and are a EU citizen, there wouldn’t be any restrictions in terms of duration of the program, as there is no need to apply for a visa.
 
If you’re looking to become a Summer Au Pair in a countries outside of the EU, you need to check the regulations of the Au Pair program in that specific country, as it may vary.
 
In most cases, summer holiday Au Pair jobs can last two or three months, between June and September. 

What do I need?

The Au Pair requirements for the summer program are the same as for the standard Au Pair program. Usually the requirements are:
  • age between 18-30 (depending on the host country), 
  • experience in childcare, 
  • single marital status, no own children
  • certain language skills 
For summer programs we recommend to choose countries where there is no need to apply for an Au Pair visa.
 
To find out more about how to become an Au Pair visit our Au Pair WIKI page.
Free Registration as Candidate 
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.  
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.
Do I need a visa to become an Au Pair?
The visa requirements vary depending on the Au Pair citizenship and target country. The Au Pair needs to ask the host country's embassy in her/his homeland about the visa requirements. Find more information here.
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


● ● ●
More