Au pair in Brussels, Belgium
Brussels, capital of the European Union, offers a cosmopolitan market of bilingual families and a highly sought-after international lifestyle.
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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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Procedures & visa to be an au pair in Brussels
To au pair in Brussels, the candidate signs a hosting agreement with the family then registers in her Brussels commune for the au pair attestation. A residence permit is required beyond 90 days, processed by the Brussels-Capital Region. The family provides housing, food and pocket money of about EUR 450–750/month board & lodging included.
Competent authority: City of Brussels (Brussels-Capital Region).
The official data for Belgium
Legal status(es)
Age 18–30 years
Hosting agreement (placement convention) — free movement, no work permit
Age 18–30 years
Type-B work permit (Region) + type-D visa (Office des étrangers) + A card
Visa
Required
Type D long-stay visa for third-country nationals — no long-stay visa for EU/EEA nationals (free movement)
Third-country national: the host family asks its Region for the authorisation to host the young au pair; the Region issues a type-B work permit through the municipality, then the young person applies for a type-D (long-stay) visa at the Belgian consulate, registers with the municipality within 8 days and receives an A card for a stay of up to 1 year. EU/EEA national: exempt from the work permit and from any occupation-authorisation formality (free movement), hosted under a private hosting agreement/convention.
Age
18–30 years
The age depends on the host Region (verified 2026-09-06): in Flanders, 18 to under 26 years; in Wallonia, 18 to 30 years; Brussels-Capital: verification ongoing (no published figure). These ranges apply to the regionalised “young au pair” scheme (third-country nationals on a type-B permit).
Working time
4 h/day
20 h/week
Educational-occupation ceilings common to the Regions (unless a regional rule says otherwise): light duties (childcare, small housework) limited to 4 h/day and 20 h/week in total, with one full weekly rest day. The total placement must not exceed 1 year (single renewal; depending on the Region, only one change of family). Above these ceilings the situation may be reclassified as domestic employment (employment contract).
Contract / Agreement
Hosting agreement / placement convention (unpaid cultural exchange) — Belgian hosting convention (not a salaried employment contract; an employment contract is presumed if the scheme conditions are not met)
Competent Region (Flanders / Brussels-Capital / Wallonia — occupation authorisation) + Office des étrangers / SPF Intérieur (residence, type-D visa) · The occupation-authorisation application is filed by the family before the young person arrives
Since 03/01/2019, third-country young au pairs stay under the old type-B work-permit procedure (outside the “single permit”). The placement is an unpaid cultural exchange: no additional job, no posted-worker status. The Regions qualify the stay as a hosting convention; the Office des étrangers may use the term “employment contract” in the occupation application: keep the “hosting agreement/convention” terminology.
Steps
- 1 Determine the competent Region (Flanders / Brussels-Capital / Wallonia) and the applicable scheme according to the young person's nationality (EU/EEA vs third-country) — Host family / young au pair
- 2 Third-country: the family applies to its Region for the authorisation to host the young au pair (Flanders: vlaanderen.be / Team arbeidskaarten; Wallonia: SPW Emploi; Brussels: be.brussels) — EU/EEA: no occupation-authorisation formality — Competent Region
- 3 Third-country: the Region issues the type-B work permit through the municipal administration, then the young person applies for the type-D (long-stay) visa at the Belgian consulate (documents: fee, original work permit, certificate of no criminal record, medical certificate) — Municipality / Office des étrangers (dofi.ibz.be)
- 4 On arrival: register with the municipality within 8 days, register in the foreigners register and receive the A card (stay ≤ 1 year) — Municipal administration
Salary / Pocket money
450.00–750.00 EUR/month
Monthly pocket money with board & lodging, depending on the host Region (verified 2026-09-06): ≥ €450/month in Flanders (monthly bank transfer, including inactive periods); ≥ €750/month in Wallonia; Brussels-Capital: verification ongoing, no published amount. The old single national range “€250–450” is obsolete (not regionalised) and is not retained. Unpaid cultural-exchange scheme.
Contributions
Host family (provides lodging, meals and pocket money) — no salaried-attachment body; the permit counterpart lies with the Regions (type-B permit)
Unpaid cultural exchange: no ONSS affiliation as a salaried worker
The au pair is not a classic salaried worker. If the hosting conditions are not met (amounts, tasks, additional job), the situation is presumed to be a domestic-worker employment contract, with the resulting charges for the family.
Tax advantages
No tax advantage specific to hosting a young au pair in Belgium
Pocket money with board & lodging outside salaried taxation under the unpaid scheme
The au pair stay is a cultural exchange compliant with the regional rules, distinct from a salaried employment contract; any claimed advantage must be checked against the official sources.
Official sources
- Service public fédéral Intérieur (IBZ/Dofi) — IBZ / Dofi — Office des étrangers : Jeune au pair · verified on 2026-09-06
- Service public fédéral Intérieur (IBZ/Dofi) — IBZ / Dofi — Office des étrangers : Permis unique · verified on 2026-09-06
- Gouvernement flamand (vlaanderen.be) — Employer un ressortissant étranger en Flandre — Jeune au pair · verified on 2026-09-06
- Service public de Wallonie — Emploi & Formation (SPW) — Devenir jeune au pair (Wallonie) — Emploi & Formation · verified on 2026-09-06
- ejustice.just.fgov.be (Législation belge) — Arrêté du Gouvernement wallon du 6 juin 2024 (admission au travail des travailleurs étrangers) — art. 61, 87 · verified on 2026-09-06
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Living & settling in Brussels
Concrete local information for your au pair stay in Brussels.
Prefecture & appointments
In Brussels, the commune of residence issues the registration or cohabitation attestation as an au pair; the Office des étrangers coordinates the permit beyond 90 days. The Brussels-Capital Region steers the request, with a counter near the Midi station.
FLE schools & Alliance Française
Alliance Française Brussels-Europe (near the European quarter) and the ULB language institute offer French courses; Ixelles is very popular with international candidates.
Local family demand
Families in Ixelles, Uccle and the European quarter, often expatriates, look for Spanish-speaking candidates for trilingual FR/NL/ES education; childcare demand is strong around the EU institutions.
Transport & cost of living
The STIB (metro, tram, bus) costs about €49 a month; the Villo! bike-share is handy. A room in Brussels (€500–700) is close to Paris, but the cost of living is slightly lower.
Au pair in Brussels: all nationalities
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Au pair in Brussels: questions & answers
The key questions about an au pair stay in Brussels.
What procedures are needed to au pair in Brussels?
A hosting agreement and registration as an au pair with the Brussels commune; the Brussels-Capital Region coordinates permits.
Is Brussels suitable for au pair life?
Yes, a bilingual, international city with strong childcare demand in the European districts.
Keep reading
Practical guides
Everyday life guides, French FLE classes and honest comparisons to prepare your stay.
Not sure what an au pair exactly is? What an au pair is: definition, role & rules .