Why should you work as an au pair? It’s one of the easiest ways to live semi-long term in another country! If you haven’t yet, first make sure you check out the episode for the full run down on what the experience is like.
Au pairs are very similar to nannies, but an au pair always has a language component: families bring in people usually in their early 20s to take care of their children and speak to them in their native language. Sometimes au pairs use it as a gap year between high school and college, and some countries actually have age limits, usually 30. I worked as an au pair in Spain when I was 27!
What does the job entail?
Some countries (including the US) have regulations around how many hours an au pair can work and what the job can entail, but usually the expectations are usually just arranged between the au pair and the family. Here are a few things that you might be expected to do:
- Childcare, which can totally vary depending on the age of the child or children
- Transportation: taking the child or children to school, after school activities, etc
- Cooking meals, usually just for the child and/or yourself, not typically for the whole family
- Light housework, cleaning, laundry, etc.
- Pets: feeding them, walks, etc.
How much are you paid as an au pair?
Well, it’s usually called a stipend, not a salary, and that might give you an indication! When I was searching for an au pair position in Europe in 2018, the average stipend was 70 euros a week. I asked for 80, because I had teaching and childcare experience. The website aupairworld.com says that the current average in Madrid, for example, is 60-100 euros a week.
But, bear in mind that you are receiving free room and board, and you can supplement your income by teaching private language lessons in your free time.
Do au pairs need a visa?
Typically no. It’s usually a bit of an under the table position, and if you’re going to a country that allows visa free travel and you stay fewer than 90 days, then you don’t need a visa. Some countries do offer specific au pair visas, however, and some au pairs choose to enroll in school (often for language classes) in order to get a student visa and stay more than 90 days.
How to choose your family!
aupairworld.com and aupair.com are great sites. You set up a profile with your details, then you can search for families by location, number of children, etc and you can exchange messages with potential families.
Do you need a contract with the family?
Yes! It’s important to lay out what your responsibilities will be with the family to make sure there are no misunderstandings. Also, if you end up in any kind of conflict with them, you will have the contract to refer back to. Additionally, when you’re entering the country, the contract might be helpful proof for passport control to show that you do have a place to live and will be supported during your time there.
You can find templates for contracts online, and some countries have specific au pair contracts that you’re required to use (including Belgium, Germany, France, and others). Generally, the contract should include:
- Working hours per week (generally ~30) and day(s) off
- Starting and ending dates
- Your duties
- Your stipend
- What the family will provide (bedroom, bathroom, linens, bike, etc)
- The plan for what will happen if you vacation with them
- What happens if you get sick and can’t work
- Social media use: can you post pictures of the children?
- Details surrounding your personal space
Pros of working as an au pair:
- It’s an easy way to experience another culture
- It doesn’t require any specific qualifications (though childcare is obviously a plus!)
- You can meet a wonderful family
- You get a more in-depth experience of the culture from living with a family
- Free room and board
- It’s an ideal chance to pick up another language
Cons of working as an au pair:
- You’ll very likely be working split days, some hours in the morning, some in the evening, which can cut into your free time more than if it’s all in one chunk
- It’s hard to save money
- Because you’re–to some degree, depending on the family–at their beck and call, it can feel like you don’t have control over your own life and scheduling. This was especially true for me because I was on the older end of the spectrum for an au pair and I was used to calling my own shots!
- Childcare can get tiring very fast
- There is a potential to end up in a negative situation, which is why you want to communicate extensively with the family and talk to any previous au pairs, if they’ve had them, to make sure they’ll be supportive and adaptive to you living with them.
- Families tend to prefer female au pairs, which can be frustrating for men who want to take advantage of this opportunity.
Despite the cons, I still believe au pairing is a great opportunity and one of the best ways to experience a new culture. Make sure you check out the episode for more tips and the stories from my time as an au pair on the island of Mallorca in Spain! If you have any questions or au pair stories of your own, reach out to goingoutyourdoortravel@gmail.com, @goingoutyourdoor on Instagram and Facebook, and @goingoutyour on Twitter.
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