Au Pair

Unlike babysitters or day care centres, above all au pair airs offer flexibility, since they are able to work at very short notice. Also, their assistance in the household relieves some of the stresses of everyday family life. If you are interested in hosting an au pair, please make an enquiry or contact us by telephone.

If you want to employ an au pair in Germany, it is required that an adult member of the household must have German, EU, or Swiss citizenship and German must be spoken in the family, so that the au pair can improve their German.  Also Au Pairs and host-families must not be related, so as to avoid issues regarding illegal immigration.

Please be aware that we only offer to mediate au pairs to selected companies.

 

Mediation process

For the search for an au-pair we recomment to use a professional placement agency. famPLUS works together with four qualified agencies (KulturistAbroadConnectionmultikultur und au-pair-berlin GbR) who are members of the„Gütegemeinschaft Au-pair e. V.“ and/or in der „Au-pair Society e.V." associations.

Our partner agencies provide comprehensive advice regarding au pairs and can put you in contact with suitable applicants. The agencies undertake the formalities of visa applications and so forth. In addition, they are also available throughout the duration of the au pair’s stay to answer any questions or sort out any problems.If you want to rematch the agency will help you find a new au pair. The periode of notice is two weeks for both sides. 

You can invite an au pair all year round. Please schedule 2-4 month in advance. 

Important: We would like to point out that we will have to pass on your personal details to the respective agency. If you do not want us to, we cannot unfortunately continue with the au pair mediation.

Tasks and duties of an au pair

Au pairs should care for the children in a caring and responsible manner. Additionally they can be given light household tasks, such as tidying up, washing up or shopping.

However, au-pairs are not a substitute for household help – heavy-duty cleaning work is not part of their duties. They are more like having an older brother or sister around. It’s important that you are aware that there are advantages but also disadvantages to having an au pair.

Working hours, vacation

The maximum amount of time (including babysitting) that au pairs are legally allowed to work for is 30 hours per week, at least 1,5 days need to be days off as well as four evenings free per week. The au pair is entitled to 2 days payed vacation per month. 

Costs, insurance

The family pays the au pairr at least 260 euros pocket money per month, as well as for their health and accident insurance (around 40 euros per month) and provides them with free accommodation in their own separate room as well as all meals. The au pair needs to live in the household of the family and not in a separately rented appartment. 

Furthermore, the host parents must enable the au pair to complete a German language course in their own time. The costs of the course as well as public transport costs must also be covered in part. At the beginning of their stay, the costs of gaining a residence permit may also need to be covered, depending on the au pair’s country of origin.

Up to 1500 euros of the costs (per child) can be writen off against taxes.

English-speaking au pairs with a driving licence

English-speaking au pairs, ideally with a drivers’ licence are almost impossible to come by. This is due to the decreasing popularity of the German language in an international context as well as the 260 euros monthly pocket money being relatively low when compared internationally. Also candidates for the EU are able to work in Germany without the au pair status.