| Visa
Requirements by Country |
Au Pair Visa Requirements for Australia
Australia does not have an official Au Pair programme. Instead,
young people aged 18-30 can to go to Australia and work for 12
months on a working holiday visa. Citizens of the following countries
may qualify:
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Belgium
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Canada
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Cyprus
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Denmark
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Finland
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France
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Germany
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Hong Kong
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Ireland
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Italy
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Japan
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Korea
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Malta
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Norway
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Sweden
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Taiwan
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The Netherlands
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United Kingdom
New Zealand nationals do not need a work permit to work in Australia.
US citizens can apply for a "416" visa through BUNAC
that will allow them to work in Australia for four months.
In order for an Au pair to work in Belgium the host family wishing
to put to work a foreign au-pair must apply for employment
authorisation and a work permit B to the immigration service.
The application forms must contain a medical certificate and
an employment agreement. After approval by the immigration
services the work permit is issued to the host family and is
passed onto the Au pair.
In order for the immigration services to agree to issue the work
permit, the Au pair and familymust meet the conditions below.
Conditions for Au pair
» Au pair must be aged between 18 and 26
» The Au pair must agree not to take any other work in Belgium
whilst working as an aupair
» Au pair must have a certificate or proof that he/she has completed
secondary school or that he/she has followed courses until
the age of 17 at least
» Au pair must have a basic knowledge of one of the national languages,
being French, Dutch or German of which must be spoken by the
host family
» Au pair must attend language courses and the school he/she attends
must produce a certificate every 3 months, proving the Au pairs
regular attendance
» Au pair must not have previously obtained a work permit for Belgium.
Starting dates are July, August or September
Conditions for host family
» Family must
provide Au pair with a private, well-accommodated bedroom
» Family must take out insurance for the au pair covering he/she for
illness, hospitalisation and accidents, for the entire duration of
the au pairs stay
» The au pair must be given at least one day off a week and one full
weekend off per month
»
Family must give their Au pair an allowance of 450€ a month
which must be deposited in to a bank account specifically for the
au pair
» Family must speak the language the Au pair wishes to learn
Au Pair Visa Requirements for Canada TOP
An Au pair can work in Canada under the Live-In Caregiver Programme.
A live-in caregiver is defined as someone who provides unsupervised care
for children, the elderly or the disabled in a private house.
To enter this programme, an au pair must:
» Have six months of full-time training in a classroom setting or
twelve months of full-time paid employment, including at least
six months of continuous employment with one employer in a field
or occupation related to the job he/she is seeking as a live-in
caregiver.
» Be able to speak, read and understand either English or French
at a level that allows you to work independently in a home setting.
For example, it is important for you, as a caregiver, to be able
to contact emergency services if required and to understand labels
on medication
In order for an Au pair to be allowed to work in Canada as a live-in
caregiver, a prospective employer will submit a request to hire
an Au pair to a Human Resources Centre Canada (HRCC). Once the
HRCC has confirmed the job an Au pair can begin applying for a
work permit. If their application is successful, the work permit
is valid for one year and can be renewed if an Au pair provides
proof that their host family is offering them another year of employment.
Individuals wishing to work in Denmark as an Au pair are generally
between 17-29 years old. Au pairs from any of the Nordic countries
are not required to get a residence permit and can freely travel
to and work in Denmark. Au pairs from other EU countries (excluding
the eight new Eastern European EU members) should apply for a residence
certificate to work in Demark. This can be obtained from the local
authority "statsamt".
Au pairs from the eight new eastern European EU members (the Czech
Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia,
and Slovenia) are required to apply for an Au pair residence permit.
This residence permit allows the Au pair to work in Denmark for 12
months after which a six month extension can be applied for. An Au
pair must ensure that they apply to the Danish Embassy in the applicant's
home country or where the applicant has been residing for the past
3 months before he/she travels to Denmark.
In order to obtain a residence permit, an Au pair is required to
meet the criteria listed below:
» An au pair must be between
17 and 29 years of age
» They are required to be able to speak and understand a reasonable
level of Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, English or German.
» A contract must be drafted between the au pair and the host family.
» The au pair may not be married or be accompanied by dependants
The host family taking on the Au pair must also agree to fulfil various
conditions in order for the au pair to receive a residence permit
and to work for the family. These are:
»
The family must agree to pay the au pair at least €335/month
(DKK 2500/month)
» They must provide the au pair with free room and board and the au
pair must be provided with his/her own private bedroom that is
located in the family's residence
» At least one of the parents must be a Danish citizen
For more information please see the Danish Immigration Service's
pages on Au pairs and on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark's
page on being Au pair in Denmark.
If you are a national of a country that is not a member of the EEA*,
you must obtain a work visa or permit in order to work as an au pair
in France. This will allow you to work in France for one year. However,
if you hold a passport from a country that is a member of the EEA*,
you are able to work without restriction within member countries.
France currently has working holiday agreements with Canada, New
Zealand and Australia. These programs allow au pairs from these countries
to work in France provided they are coming to France to travel and
are using their au pair job to fund their travelling. Au pairs can
enter these programs if they are aged 18-30, hold a valid passport
and return ticket and can show proof at the beginning of their trip
that they have enough funds to cover the expenses of their stay.
If your are from a country that requires you to obtain a work permit
there are various conditions that have to be met in order for you
to qualify for one.
»
An au pair must be aged 18 to 30 at the time the visa application
is made
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Applicants must not have participated in the programme before
»
Au pairs must hold a valid passport and return ticket or have proof
that they have enough funds to purchase a return ticket
»
Au pairs must show proof that they have enough funds to cover the
expenses of their whole trip at the beginning of their stay
*The EEA is defined as the European Economic Area which is made up
of the EU countries, plus Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein.
Germany has an Au pair program for young people aged 18 to 24. Au
pairs from the EU countries (excluding the eight new Eastern European
EU members may even enter Germany as an Au pair until they are 30
years old. They need a valid passport and must register at the local
residents' registration office where they will be issued a residential
permit.
Au pairs from new EU countries, USA, Canada, Japan, North Korea,
Australia, New Zealand may enter Germany with a valid Passport, do
not need a visa to work in Germany should nt be older then 24.They
also need an employment permit, must be registered at the Foreign
Nationals Authority and are required to have basic knowledge of the
German language.
Au pairs from non-EU countries need a visa to work in Germany and,
also, may not be older than 24. In order for a national from a non-EU
country to get a visa, the host family sends a letter of invitation,
detailing all the terms of employment, to the Au pair. The Au pair
would take this to the embassy in their country where it would be
checked. The embassy will also check that the Au pair has basic knowledge
of German and once they are satisfied they will contact the German
authorities to issue the visa. Once the Au pair has entered Germany,
they are required to register at the Foreign Nationals Authority.
Only au pairs from the EEA*, can work as an Au pair in Ireland. Au
pairs from these countries do not need any work permit and only
have to register with the Irish police when they arrive.
Au pairs from other countries can obtain a student visa if they
are registered to study English at an approved language school. With
a student visa, a student may have a part-time job to support themselves
whilst studying. Thus, as they are only allowed to take on a part-time
job, they are not allowed to work more than 25 hours per week. It
must also be noted that the immigration officials can refuse entry
to a person on a student visa if they believe that the student is
intending to work full-time.
*The EEA is defined as the European Economic Area which is made
up of the EU countries, plus Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein.
Au pairs from the EU do not need a work permit to enter Italy as an
Au pair. However an Au pair from outside the EU is required to obtain
a long stay visa. In order to be granted a long stay visa, an Au pair
requires the following documentation:
» A certificate of enrolment for the au pair, from any Italian
School where the Au pair will be attending an Italian language course.
The visa will be issued for the length of time of the au pairs enrolment
in the language school.
»
Travel and medical insurance
»
A statement of support written and signed by the host family that
must be stamped by the local police
»
A written agreement between the Au pair and the host family which
should contain the terms of employment such as duration of stay,
salary etc. The agreement must be stamped by the "Ufficio Provinciale
del Lavoro" and must be accompanied by a permit issued by the
local police
Au Pair Visa Requirements for the Netherlands TOP
In order to work as an Au pair in the Netherlands, there are various
requirements that an Au pair has to meet. These include an Au pair
having health insurance with coverage in the Netherlands, undergoing
a tuberculosis test in the Netherlands and not previously having stayed
in the Netherlands on a residence permit. If you meet these requirements, in order to work in the Netherlands,
you are required to get an authorisation for temporary stay, an MVV.
There are two ways in which you can apply for an MVV. An application
can be made at the Dutch embassy, in your country of origin. The
embassy will then send your forms to the IND in the Netherlands and,
if your application is approved by the IND, the embassy will issue
you an MVV. Alternatively, your host family can send a "Request
for advice on an authorisation for temporary stay" directly
to the IND. If the IND issues a positive advice you can then apply
for an MVV at the Dutch Embassy or Consulate in your country of origin.
Once you have received an MVV, you may go to the Netherlands to
work. Once you enter the Netherlands you are required to report to
the Aliens police within 3 working days. If you are planning to work
in the Netherlands for longer then 3 months, you are also required
to apply for a temporary residence permit.
Au pairs from the Member States of the EU do not need an MVV or
a residence permit to work in the Netherlands. However, whilst a
residence permit is not required for EU nationals, the Dutch Government
suggest that it may be useful to get one anyway as other authorities
may request it. For example, it can be used to open a bank account
in the Netherlands. Au pairs from Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan,
Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland and the US do not require
an MVV to work but they do need to apply for a residence permit once
they have arrived in the Netherlands.
(For a full list of the requirements for both you and your host
family and for more information on the visas required see the visa
information on the Dutch Government site).
Au Pair Visa Requirements for New Zealand TOP
Under the working holiday schemes, young citizens of various countries,
that have working holiday scheme agreements with New Zealand, may travel
to New Zealand for a holiday and undertake employment during their
stay. Under these schemes nationals from Canada, France, Germany, Hong
Kong, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Netherlands, United Kingdom,
Italy and Singapore are eligible for a work visa and permit to work
in New Zealand for 12 months. In order for nationals of these countries
to be eligible to enter the working holiday scheme they must meet the
following criteria:
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Applicants must be aged no less than 18 and no more than 30 years
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They must not be accompanied by children
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Applicants must provide evidence of sufficient funds to purchase
return travel
»
They must meet the conditions of the particular scheme they are applying
under
Once an Au pair has entered the working holiday scheme and worked
in New Zealand for a year, they are not eligible to come participate
in the scheme again.
Au Pair Visa Requirements for Norway TOP
In order to become an Au pair in Norway it is necessary for an
individual to apply for a work permit at the Norwegian embassy
of their home country
before going to Norway. The Au pair is only allowed to enter
Norway if he or she holds a valid work permit. The Au pair
must have a job
offer in Norway before he or she applies and the permit must
be applied for and granted prior to entry into Norway. Thus,
in order to be
issued a work permit, the au pair needs an "Offer of Employment" contract
signed by the host family as a proof of the job offer, which
is required to accompany their application to the Norwegian
embassy of his/her
home country. The Au pair can obtain application forms from the
Norwegian embassy or consulate in his or her home country.
Once the application
has been made the embassy will forward the application to the
Norwegian Immigration Directorate (UDI) and when it has been
approved the work
permit will be granted and the au pair can make travel arrangements
to go to the future host family in Norway. On average, the application
takes 3-6 months.
Au Pair Visa Requirements for Spain TOP
In order to be An au pair in Spain an au pair must be single and
between the ages of 18 and 27 years old and can only work in Spain
as an Au pair for a maximum of up to two years.
EU Citizens do not need a visa to be an au pair in Spain and just
need a valid passport or identity card. If an Au pair desires to
stay longer than 3 months they are required to announce this to the
Foreign Nationals Authority.
Non-EU citizens need a visa to work as an Au pair and simply need
to contact their local Spanish consulate or embassy to request one.
Non-EU citizens must be enrolled in a Spanish Language course before
their arrival in order to obtain their visa to stay in Spain for
more than three months.
The amount of pocket money stipulated is € 50 - € 60 per
week for 30 working hours plus 1 or 2 nights of baby-sitting whilst,
the Aupair Plus is paid € 80 - € 90 per week for 40 work
hours per week plus 1 or 2 nights of baby-sitting.
EU citizens have all health costs covered by the Social Health Security
of Spain. They must have a European Health Insurance Card from their
health insurance. However, non-EU citizens must be able to present
documentation of medical insurance of a different kind.
Au Pair Visa Requirements for Sweden TOP
Au pairs from Nordic countries ( Denmark, Finland, Iceland and
Norway) do not need a work permit or a residence permit to work
in Sweden.
Au pairs from EU or EEA* countries do not need a work permit to work
in Sweden. However, if they are employed for more then 3 months, they
have to apply for a residence permit. Au pairs are allowed to start
working for a family straight away, without the residence permit and
are allowed to apply for it after entering Sweden. In order to apply
for a resident permit, an Au pair has to provide a certificate of employment
issued and signed by their employer and a certificate of enrolment
at a Swedish language course.
Au pairs from countries that are not part of the EU have to have a
work permit in their passport before they enter Sweden to work. Au
pairs should make sure that their passport does not expire whilst they
are in Sweden. It is essential that the expiration date of their permit
may not go beyond the expiration date of their passport.
Au pairs from non-EU countries wishing to stay in Sweden for longer
then 3 months are required to also obtain a residence permit. An au
pair must apply for and receive a residence permit before he/she enters
Sweden. Au pairs can apply for residence permits through a Swedish
diplomatic mission in the au pair's country of residence.
As for Au pairs from Australia and New Zealand, Sweden has a working
holiday agreement with Australia and New Zealand that allows Au pairs
from Australia and New Zealand to work in Sweden on a working holiday
visa for 12 months.The application must include 2 copies of an offer
of employment from their host family. *The EEA is defined as the European Economic Area which is made
up of the EU countries, plus Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein.
Au Pair Visa Requirements for Switzerland TOP
Au pairs are only admitted to Switzerland if they come
from European Union (EU) member countries, the USA, Canada, Australia
and New
Zealand. Au pairs are required to be between 17 and 30 years
of age, unmarried
and have to stay in Switzerland for a minimum of 12 months and
a maximum of 18 months.
Permits for Au pairs from abroad are subject
to quota regulations. Limits are placed on the numbers of individuals
from specific
countries who may come to Switzerland.
Au pairs from the 25 EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway
and au pairs that are Swiss nationals have the right to residence in
the UK. However, nationals of the all new member states (Estonia, Latvia,
Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia)
except Cyprus and Malta, who wish to work for more than one month for
an employer in the UK, need to register under the Worker Registration
Scheme.
US citizens cannot go to the UK as Au pairs, however, Au pairs from
the US may obtain a blue card from BUNAC. A blue card is issued and
sponsored by BUNAC and acts as an entry visa to allow US university
students to work in Britain for upto six months maximum.
Au pairs from countries that are members of the commonwealth (see
the complete list of countries below) will need to obtain a holiday
work visa. The working holidaymaker scheme is an arrangement that
allows a Commonwealth citizen aged between 17 and 30 to come to the
United Kingdom (UK) for an extended holiday for up to two years.
You will be permitted to work, but as the main purpose of your stay
is assumed to be a holiday, you will be expected to take a holiday
during your stay. Nationals from Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan,
Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea and the
USA are required to get Entry clearance if they intend to stay in
the UK for longer than six months.
Members of the commonwealth
Antigua & Barbuda
Mozambique
Australia Namibia
Bahamas Nauru
Bangladesh New Zealand
Barbados Nigeria
Belize
Pakistan
Botswana Papua New Guinea
Brunei Darussalam Samoa
Cameroon Seychelles
Canada Sierra Leone
Cyprus Singapore
Dominica
Solomon Islands
Fiji Islands South Africa
The Gambia Sri Lanka
Ghana St. Kitts and Nevis
Grenada St. Lucia
Guyana St. Vincent & the Grenadines
India Swaziland
Jamaica Tonga
Kenya Trinidad & Tobago
Kiribati Tuvalu
Lesotho Uganda
Malawi United Kingdom
Malaysia United Republic of Tanzania
Maldives Vanuatu
Malta Zambia
Mauritius Zimbabwe
Nationals of Andorra, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Faroe
Islands, Greenland, Macedonia, Monaco, Romania, San Marino and
Turkey can enter the UK as an Au pair in the UK's Au pair scheme
if they are between the ages of 17 - 27. However, Nationals of
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania and Turkey
must get an Au pair visa (maximum 2 years) before they travel to
the UK. Nationals of the other countries who do not need a visa
to enter the UK will have to satisfy the Immigration Officer that
you qualify for entry. You will then be given permission to stay
in the UK for six months. An Au pair wishing to extend their stay
to be longer then 6 months will need to apply for a residence permit
at the Immigration and Nationality Directorate.
If you are unsure about whether you need a visa or not the UK Visa
website has a tool that tells you if you need a visa and what forms
you need to fill out to get the visa you require.
Au Pair Visa Requirements for the USA TOP
An au pair in the US must obtain a J1 Visa. In order to get this visa,
an Au pair has to go through one of the eleven government designated
Au pair agencies. With this visa, Au pairs may work for a family as
an au pair for 12 months and may apply to stay for an extra month in
order to travel round the US. However, after that time the Au pair
is expected to return to their home country. Also, in order to work
as An au pair in the US, an Au pair must produce a certificate of health,
a certificate of good conduct and experience in the field of child
care.
The eleven government designated agencies are:
» Agent AuPair
»
American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS)
»
AuPairCare
»
Aupair Foundation
»
Cultural Care Au Pair
»
Cultural Homestay International
»
Educational Foundation for Foreign Study
»
EurAupair
»
Go Au Pair
»
InterExchange Au Pair
»
US Aupair
For more information on being an Au pair in the US the U.S Department
of State has an Au pair brochure that is available to download. It
is very informative and will answer many of the questions you may
have on the U.S Au pair program.
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