Au pair South Africa ⇄ France
Discover how families in France welcome au pairs from South Africa. English-speaking South African candidates win over French families with their maturity and the fluent English they bring to bilingual childcare.
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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Official data for Au pair South Africa ⇄ France
Legal status(es)
Age 17–30 years
Hosting agreement (+ Cerfa form)
Age 18–30 years
Hosting agreement (Cerfa) + long-stay VLS-TS visa
Visa
Required
Long-stay visa valid as a residence permit (VLS-TS) for the "young au pair" scheme
Long-stay visa valid as a residence permit for non-EU/EEA au pairs.
Age
17–30 years
17–30 years (EU/EEA) · 18–30 years (non-EU/EEA).
Working time
5 h/day
25 h/week
Family or domestic tasks (childcare, housework) capped at 5 h/day and 25 h/week. Above these limits the stay may be reclassified as domestic employment.
Contract / Agreement
Hosting agreement — Cerfa form
Urssaf · Declaration of the hiring of a household employee within 8 days
A private room and meals (board) are provided by the host family, board and lodging included.
Steps
- 1 Sign the hosting agreement (Cerfa form) — Host family
- 2 For non-EU/EEA nationals: obtain the long-stay VLS-TS "young au pair" visa — France Visas
- 3 Declare the household employment to Urssaf within 8 days — Urssaf
Salary / Pocket money
326.25–391.50 EUR/month
€326.25–391.50/month board & lodging included (EU/EEA, foreign family-aid trainee) · €320/month minimum (non-EU/EEA, young au pair).
Contributions
Urssaf · General scheme + Ircem
Flat-rate base (13× hourly SMIC/week or 56×/month)
The host family is liable for social-security contributions to Urssaf.
Tax advantages
No specific au-pair tax advantage
Non-taxable income (pocket money within the legal minimums)
Hosting an au pair (foreign family-aid trainee or young au pair) confers NO entitlement to the "personal services" tax credit (art. 199 sexdecies of the General Tax Code).
Official sources
- Urssaf — Taux et barèmes : employé au pair et stagiaire aide familial étranger (mise à jour 01/06/2026) · verified on 2026-09-14
- Urssaf — Employé au pair, stagiaire aidant-familial et travailleur occasionnel · verified on 2026-09-14
- Service-Public.fr — Stagiaire aide familial étranger et jeune au pair (F13348) · verified on 2026-06-01
- Légifrance — Code de la sécurité sociale (articles L133-5-6 à L133-5-12) · verified on 2026-08-12
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Who you need to know before travelling
Verified notes for au pairs travelling from South Africa to France.
France caps au pair family-household tasks at 5 h/day and 25 h/week (childcare and housekeeping); beyond this it may be reclassified as domestic work.
Source: Service-Public.fr (DILA) — F13348 · Verified on 2026-06-01
Non-EU young au pairs in France receive a minimum of €320/month pocket money (logged-and-banded); EU/EEA trainee-family helpers earn €326.25–391.50.
Source: Service-Public.fr (DILA) — F13348 · Verified on 2026-06-01
A private room and meals (logé-nourri) are an integral part of the French au pair scheme; they come on top of, never instead of, pocket money.
Source: Service-Public.fr (DILA) — F13348 · Verified on 2026-06-01
A criminal record check is not legally required for the au pair host convention (Cerfa) in France; AuPair Connect recommends profile and reference verification.
Source: Service-Public.fr (DILA) — F13348 · Verified on 2026-06-01
South African official documents used in France must be legalised (apostille under the Hague Convention via DIRCO) before travel.
Source: NetherlandsWorldwide (NL MFA) — legalisation · Verified on 2026-08-24
The French diplomatic mission competent for South Africa is the French Embassy in Pretoria; confirm current long-stay (VLS-TS) visa requirements on france-visas.gouv.fr.
Source: Service-Public.fr (DILA) — F13348 · Verified on 2026-06-01
Before you leave: the overview
South African candidates prepare a classic French file: hosting agreement, VLS-TS and Urssaf, with the advantage of excellent English for bilingual childcare. An apostilled passport and insurance must be arranged.
Your travel pocket-guide
The concrete steps for au pairs on the South Africa → France route.
Consulate of the origin country
The VLS-TS visa is applied for at the French embassy in Pretoria via France-Visas; a slot is often booked 3 to 4 weeks ahead, the file being processed on france-visas.gouv.fr.
Apostille & legalisation
South African documents used in France are legalised by apostille via DIRCO before certified French translation.
Passport delay
The South African passport delivery time is 10 days to 6 weeks; it must be valid 6 months after arrival in France.
Departure obligations
Prepare a classic French file: hosting agreement, VLS-TS and Urssaf, with the advantage of excellent English for bilingual childcare; an apostilled passport and insurance must be arranged.
How it works
Create your profile
Free signup, describe your family.
Verified matches
Identity & references checked.
Meet
Chat & video call.
Sign the contract
Agreement following host-country rules.
Frequently asked questions
Why is this pair of countries emerging?
Thanks to English-speaking South African candidates, mature and experienced, sought for bilingual childcare.
Are the procedures simple for a South African candidate?
They follow French rules: a hosting agreement then a long-stay VLS-TS visa.
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Ready to host?
Join the France families who already found their ideal au pair from South Africa.
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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 .