Residence permit; application for au pair employees

Au pair employment involves the temporary placement of foreign nationals in a German host family. For the foreign national, the focus is on acquiring cultural knowledge and improving German language skills. In return for imparting this knowledge, the au pair supports the host parents in looking after the minor children.

An au pair who is not a citizen of another EU member state, another EEA member state or Switzerland requires a residence permit (visa or residence permit) that expressly allows them to work as an au pair. To enter Germany, a national visa for au pairs may be required, which must be applied for in the home country (for exceptions, see "National visa; issue and extension" under "Related topics"). After entering the country, a residence permit must be applied for in writing at the relevant immigration authority before the visa expires or within three months in the case of visa-free entry (see "Residence permit; issue and extension" under "Related topics").

Foreign nationals under the age of 27 can be granted a residence permit for au pair employment in families where German is spoken as a native language (under certain conditions also only as a family language, see below) with the approval of the Federal Employment Agency and extended for a maximum total period of one year.

Citizens of the member states of the European Union (EU member states) and the EEA states (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) enjoy freedom of movement within the European Union, which also includes the right to free movement of workers. They therefore require neither a visa to enter Germany nor a residence permit and are not subject to any restrictions on taking up gainful employment. Swiss nationals enjoy a legal status similar to the freedom of movement under European law. They can therefore also enter Germany without a visa and are not subject to any restrictions on taking up gainful employment. They receive a (declaratory) residence permit from the immigration authorities in accordance with the EU/Switzerland Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons.

The Federal Employment Agency has published two leaflets: ''Au pair information for German host families'' and ''Au pairs with German families''. Both fact sheets and a sample au pair contract can be downloaded from the Internet (see "Further links").

Requirements for the granting of a residence permit:

• For au pair employees:
  • Age between 18 and 27 years
  • Basic knowledge of the German language
  • Valid national visa for au pair employees
  • signed au pair contract
  • health insurance
  • registered main residence with the host family

• For host families: The host family speaks German as their mother tongue. If German is only spoken as a family language (i.e. German is spoken predominantly in the family, although it is not the parents' native language), the au pair must not come from a home country of the host parents.
• The employment agency has approved the employment.

After entering the country, a residence permit for the purpose of au pair employment must be applied for before the visa expires.

• valid passport
• Current biometric photograph (frontal view)
• Proof of health insurance cover
• Confirmation of registration of the main residence with the host family
• Au pair contract

100 Euro

In exceptional cases, the fees may be waived.