Au pair in Berlin, Germany
Berlin, a creative international city, welcomes a growing number of young au pairs in its families.
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Prepared by AuPair Connect — Compliance Team
Every legal, tax or safety detail in this content is verified by the AuPair Connect Compliance Team against official sources and dated.
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The official data for Germany
Legal status(es)
Age 18–26 years
Standard au pair contract (Au-Pair-Vertrag)
Visa
Required
National (type D) “Au-Pair” visa for third-country nationals
Where no explicit legal rule exists (hour cap, police clearance), AuPair Connect recommends relying on consolidated practice (~30 h/week, ~€280/month), references and a thorough interview before hosting.
Age
18–26 years
Under 27 years old required (26 completed at departure); host family with no specific legal age limit.
Working time
30 h/week
Germany has no fixed legal weekly hour ceiling: the European Au Pair Agreement grants at least one full free day per week. The accepted practice and standard Au-Pair-Vertrag settle on ~30 h/week.
Contract / Agreement
Au pair contract — Au-Pair-Vertrag (model contract published by the Bundesagentur für Arbeit)
Bundesagentur für Arbeit · Prior employment approval for third-country nationals; residence permit from the Ausländerbehörde after entry
A private room and full board are provided by the host family, in line with the Au-Pair-Vertrag.
Steps
- 1 Conclude a model au pair contract (Au-Pair-Vertrag) with the host family — Host family / young au pair
- 2 For third-country nationals: apply for the national Au-Pair visa with the prior approval of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Auswärtiges Amt / German representation
- 3 Provide proof of health insurance from the first day of work — Host family / insurance company
- 4 After entry: apply for the residence permit at the Ausländerbehörde before the visa expires — Ausländerbehörde
Salary / Pocket money
280.00–280.00 EUR/month
≈ €280/month (reference value published by the Bundesagentur für Arbeit, set by contract — the official reference published by the Bundesagentur für Arbeit). Added on top of a private room, full board and health insurance.
Contributions
No employer-type social contributions; compulsory health insurance from the first day
Pocket money (Taschengeld) is not a salary
The host family takes out the insurance; the au pair must provide proof of it for the visa.
Tax advantages
No specific tax advantage related to hosting an au pair
Pocket money generally tax-exempt as it stays below the tax-free allowance (Grundfreibetrag ~€11,604/year in 2026)
The specific tax treatment of au pair pocket money is not explicitly documented by the German tax authorities.
Official sources
- Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Au-pair (employeurs) · verified on 2026-08-17
- Auswärtiges Amt — Visa und Aufenthalt (nationales Visum) · verified on 2026-09-18
- Bundesagentur für Arbeit — BA — Au-Pair-Vertrag modèle (PDF) · verified on 2026-08-17
- Bundesagentur für Arbeit — BA — Merkblatt « Au-pair bei deutschen Familien » (assurances, argent de poche, cours de langue) · verified on 2026-09-13
- Bundesagentur für Arbeit — BA — Fact Sheet « Au pairs in German families » · verified on 2026-09-13
- Gesetze im Internet — Beschäftigungsverordnung (BeschV 2013) · verified on 2026-08-17
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Living & settling in Berlin
Concrete local information for your au pair stay in Berlin.
Prefecture & appointments
In Berlin, the Ausländerbehörde manages permits by appointment via the city portal; the Anmeldung (registration) precedes the filing. For an au pair, the national visa is obtained at the consulate before departure, then the card (Aufenthaltstitel) is issued locally.
FLE schools & Alliance Française
The Goethe-Institut Berlin (Neue Schönhauser Straße 20) prepares for the B1/B2 exam; the Abendgymnasium and district VHS offer evening classes in Prenzlauer Berg and Kreuzberg.
Local family demand
Families in Prenzlauer Berg and Friedrichshain, very open to international hosting, look for candidates motivated to learn German; bilingualism is a plus in the city centre's bilingual schools.
Transport & cost of living
The monthly BVG pass costs about €49 for the whole AB zone. A room in the central districts ranges €550–800; Berlin remains one of Europe's most affordable capitals.
The au pair market in Berlin
How local demand is structured and what families look for in Berlin.
Berlin has Germany's most dynamic au pair market and one of Europe's most accessible relative to the cost of living. Demand comes mainly from Prenzlauer Berg, Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg and Charlottenburg, where many young, international and often bilingual families look for support in organising the day with their children. The city draws students, artists and professionals from around the world every year, which makes competition between candidates fiercer than in other German cities: a good level of German, even A2-B1 and improving, is often requested. For the language, the Goethe-Institut Berlin (Neue Schönhauser Straße 20) and district Volkshochschulen offer evening and intensive courses up to B2, with formats compatible with childcare hours. Administratively, the non-EU candidate signs an Au-Pair-Vertrag with the family and requests the national visa at the German consulate before departure; on arrival she completes the Anmeldung at the town hall and Berlin's Ausländerbehörde handles the residence permit by appointment. The BVG pass covers the entire metro, S-Bahn and tram network, and Berlin rents, though rising, remain lower than in Munich and other capitals. The family provides a private room, full board and insurance, and the monthly allowance is agreed in the contract: in the Berlin market, the clarity of the Vertrag and a willingness to help with after-school activities are the most requested criteria. Berlin demand splits across districts with clear profiles: Prenzlauer Berg and Pankow for young-parent families, Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg for alternative and creative households, Charlottenburg and Wilmersdorf for established west-side families, Neukölln and Wedding for multicultural households in the midst of gentrification. The BVG network (U-Bahn, S-Bahn, tram, bus) links all these areas, and BER airport is reached via the FEX and S9. Daily life leans on the Maybachufer and Winterfeldtplatz markets, busy at weekends, and on countless parks and playgrounds that shape afternoons with children. Berlin families, often unmarried and dual-income, favour a flexible framework and direct communication. In this market, a self-reliant candidate who can manage public-transport journeys and help children with homework in German and English quickly finds her place.
Verified facts · Berlin
- In Germany the au pair relationship rests on an Au-Pair-Vertrag: the non-EU candidate requests the national visa at the German consulate before departure and obtains the work authorisation of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit. Source : Bundesagentur für Arbeit — au pair employment · Verified
- The host family provides a private room, full board and insurance; the monthly allowance is set by contract and cannot be deducted from the accommodation and meals provided. Source : BMFSFJ — federal au pair placement rules · Verified
- Berlin's Ausländerbehörde (Landesamt für Einwanderung) handles the residence permit by appointment, while the Anmeldung at the town hall is the first mandatory step after arriving in the city. Source : Landesamt für Einwanderung Berlin · Verified
- The Goethe-Institut Berlin (Neue Schönhauser Straße 20) prepares for German exams from A1 to C2, with intensive and evening courses that young au pairs can combine with their family commitment. Source : Goethe-Institut Berlin · Verified
Au pair in Berlin: all nationalities
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Guides for au pairing in Berlin
Everything to know before you go: language, budget, neighbourhoods, transport, paperwork and daily life.
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Au pair in Berlin: questions & answers
The key questions about an au pair stay in Berlin.
Is Berlin welcoming to au pairs?
Yes, an international city with open-minded families.
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Practical guides
Everyday life guides, French FLE classes and honest comparisons to prepare your stay.
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