Residence permit to work as an au pair
General information
An au pair is defined as a young person who lives for a limited period of time with a host family and helps take care of the children. For foreign au pairs, finding out about a different culture and improving German language skills are the central point of focus. In return, the au pair supports the host parents in caring for underage children.
Foreigners between the ages of 18 and 26 years can be issued a residence permit, with the agreement of the Federal Employment Agency, for au pair employment in families where German is spoken as a mother tongue (under certain requirements, also only as a family language, see below) and up to a total duration of one year.
The rules you need to follow when taking on an au pair depend on their nationality.
You can find out more on the information page of the Federal Employment Agency.
Legal basis
- § 19c Section 1 Residence Act
- § 12 Employment Regulation
Documents/ forms to be submitted
You can submit this application completely online. If you are not able to use the online application, please use the "Residence permit application/Application for renewal of a temporary residence permit" (PDF 227 KB) and submit the documents by mail.
- Valid passport (copy)
- Entry visa for au pair employment, if available (copy)
- Au pair contract with the host family (copy)
- Identity documents of the host parents (copy)
- Proof of basic German language skills (level A1) from a certified language course provider (Goethe-Institute, TestDaF-Institute, telc GmbH (DVV), ÖSD) (copy)
- Proof from the health insurance company about current health insurance coverage
- in the case of statutory health insurance: informal letter from the health insurance company
- in the case of private health insurance: Certificate of insurance (see below)
- Registration confirmation of the main residence of the host family (copy)
Deadlines/ processing time
After the documents have been submitted in full, the processing is usually complete within four weeks. Deviations from this are possible in individual cases.
Process and procedure
Please submit your application and related documents via online application. You will be invited to collect your biometric data after a decision has been made on your application. After the decision about your application, you will be invited to have your biometric data recorded.
Costs and fees
93 euros to 113 euros
Payment possibilities:
- Paying by cash
- Paying by EC card
Paying by credit card is possible.