Each country has specific requirements for participants of the
Au Pair program. In this section, you will find the criteria of the Au Pair program in Switzerland for all European Union citizens:
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Age: 17-30 years
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Language skills: Basic knowledge of the language spoken in the canton in which you will be working. While basic French, German or Italian are useful to help you getting along with the family, it's more important that your native language differs from the Host Family’s.
If you meet the criteria mentioned above, don’t hesitate to register as an Au Pair on our website!
Step by step into Switzerland!
To make sure you understand the whole process, we split it into small steps:
1
Find a Host Family in Switzerland
You can use the AuPair.com platform to search for a Host Family.
Register for free and create an
attractive profile with relevant information about you. Afterwards, start looking for families matching your search criteria.
3
Prepare for the travel - that's almost all!
To make your travel preparations easier, we have prepared a
packing checklist for you. Above all, remember that Au Pairs from EU and EFTA countries do not need a visa to enter Switzerland. All they need is a valid passport.
4
Register yourself at the municipality
If you are planning to stay in Switzerland for longer than 3 months, you need to register at the municipality of your family within 14 days after your arrival. For this you will need your ID card or passport and the Au Pair contract.
5
Apply for a residence permit
Apply for a residence permit at the Immigration and labor authorities. This document will be valid for the whole duration of the contract up to 12 months. To get the permit you need your ID card or passport, the Au Pair contract, your registration from the municipality and a passport photo. Please note: each canton receives a different number of places for a visa. Since the quota is always different, you should always contact the embassy or the foreigners' registration office in the canton where you want to work before you apply.
6
Your family needs to insure you
As your
salary will be taxed, you will be paying some
social insurance contributions. For this, your family needs to apply for an insurance certificate. They need to take care of your health, accident, unemployment and pension insurance contributions.
NOTE: If you are planning to stay for less than three months, you only need to register. No need to apply for a residence permit. For nationals of Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia there are special rules for short stays. Confirm the formalities with the embassy or another diplomatic authority of Switzerland.
If you are not a European citizen, your participation criteria will be slightly different. Below you can see some of the key characteristics you need to meet:
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You are of age 18 - 25
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You have a basic knowledge of the language spoken in the canton where you apply. Remember, if you are a native in any of the three official languages of Switzerland, you cannot apply to work as an Au Pair in the region speaking your mother tongue.
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You have at least an intermediate school certificate
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You are entitled to a visa to Switzerland
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You can cover your travel, visa and other expenses
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Your country has a diplomatic relationship with Switzerland
Are all the above points true about you? Then don’t wait and join AuPair.com!
Au Pairing in Switzerland - step by step:
Although the whole process might seem complex, we have broken it down into simple steps to help you get a bigger picture of each stage:
1
Look for a Host Family on AuPair.com
We have written a special Au Pair guidebook, where you can find relevant information about the matching process. If you are already a registered user on AuPair.com, we recommend looking into different components of the
Au Pair profile to make sure it is interesting for Host Families. Afterwards, think of the profile of the desired Host Family and look for the options that match your search criteria!
2
Check your passport for validity
It might sound obvious, but it is a vital criteria that will help you avoid many possible issues. Your passport needs to be valid throughout your whole stay in Switzerland!
This is the
formal document signed between Host Family and Au Pair. It is one of the mandatory documents that you need to submit to the embassy during the
visa application to Switzerland. Talk to your Host Family about it, ask them to sign the document and send the original to you.
You need to choose one of the agencies recognized by
SECO with your family.
5
Send the required documents for the work and residence permit.
Your Host Family has to apply for a work and residence permit at the cantonal immigration authority. For this they will need an application form, a copy of your passport, the Au Pair contract, confirmation from an agency recognized by SECO, registration with a
Swiss Insurance company and pre-registration for a language course. This procedure might take up to four weeks.
Non-EU-citizens need a
visa to Switzerland. You will need to submit the application form with other relevant documents to a diplomatic mission of Switzerland. We recommend confirming the full list of documents. Note that they all need to be either in English or in one of the official languages of Switzerland. A certified translator can help you with translations if that’s the case. Please note: each canton receives a different number of places for a visa. Since the quota is always different, you should always contact the embassy or the foreigners' registration office in the canton where you want to work before you apply.
Choose the most suitable means of transportation and read more about border control check. You will need your passport and visa for sure.
8
Register yourself after arrival
You need to register yourself within 8 days after the arrival in Switzerland. After a successful registration, you will receive an ID card that allows you to work in Switzerland.
9
Host Family arranges your insurance in Switzerland
As Au Pairs in Switzerland are considered employees, your
pocket money will be taxed and your
insurance contributions will be calculated. Your family needs to apply for an insurance certificate and set up your health, accident, unemployment and pension insurance contributions.
For Registered Members
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