Become an au pair in France

Which status applies to you as an au pair in France?

Depending on your nationality, your au pair stay in France falls under one of the two schemes recognised by Service-Public.fr in sheet F13348: the 'stagiaire aide familial etranger' status or the 'jeune au pair' status. This distinction shapes almost your entire journey: your eligibility age, whether or not you need a visa, and the level of your pocket money.

The 'stagiaire aide familial etranger' status is open to nationals of the European Union or the European Economic Area aged 17 to 30. The 'jeune au pair' status concerns non-EU/EEA nationals aged 18 to 30 and requires a long-stay visa that also serves as a residence permit (VLS-TS). In both cases the placement rests on a hosting agreement drawn up on the Cerfa form.

One clarification that matters, and that Service-Public.fr itself underlines: the au pair scheme must not be confused with the 'salarie au pair', which falls under the national collective agreement for private employers and home help. As an au pair under the agreement you are not an employee: you receive accommodation, meals and pocket money in exchange for a cultural exchange and light family tasks. This nature is the heart of the scheme.

The hosting agreement (Cerfa form)

The hosting agreement is the founding document of your stay. Completed and signed with your host family on the Cerfa form, it sets out the identity of both parties, the length of your stay, the room and meals provided, your weekly hours of childcare and light housework, your free time and the exact amount of your pocket money.

Before signing, take the time to read everything and ask your questions. The agreement should not commit you to excessive tasks: the French frame caps tasks of a family or household nature at 5 hours a day and 25 hours a week. You also keep free time, in particular to take French classes or explore the country - that is the very purpose of the exchange.

The agreement also serves as an administrative backbone. For a non-EU/EEA national it must be signed before the visa application: the French consulate checks that your stay genuinely corresponds to the au pair scheme. Keep a signed copy of the agreement, ideally with the weekly schedule, so that you can demonstrate the regularity of your placement at any time.

The VLS-TS 'jeune au pair' visa for non-EU/EEA nationals

If you are a national of a country outside the European Union or the European Economic Area, you must obtain a long-stay visa that also serves as a residence permit (VLS-TS) 'jeune au pair' before entering French territory. The application is made with France Visas, the official platform for French visa applications.

Prepare the file in advance. You will need your signed hosting agreement, your identity documents and the supporting evidence requested by the consulate you depend on. Processing times vary from country to country: apply several weeks ahead, ideally one to two months before departure, so as not to jeopardise your arrival.

The VLS-TS 'jeune au pair' visa lets you stay legally in France for the planned length of your exchange. On arrival, make sure your health cover is in order. If you are an EU/EEA national, no visa step is required: your 'stagiaire aide familial etranger' status rests on the hosting agreement alone, within the applicable ages and conditions.

Pocket money: how much to expect in France?

As an au pair in France you do not receive a wage but 'pocket money', paid on top of the accommodation and meals provided by your host family. The reference amounts appear in Service-Public.fr sheet F13348.

If you are an EU/EEA national (stagiaire aide familial etranger status), pocket money ranges from EUR 326.25 to EUR 391.50 per month, with accommodation and meals included. If you are a non-EU/EEA national (jeune au pair status), the minimum is EUR 320 per month, again live-in. These figures correspond to the June 2026 check and are the official reference we display.

Understand the mechanics: pocket money is added to, and never substituted for, the individual room and the three daily meals the family must provide. An arrangement providing only accommodation and meals, with no pocket money, would not comply with the official French frame. Conversely, a very high amount and a heavy workload would tip you towards an employment situation, which is neither desirable nor the legal purpose of the scheme.

Social contributions and the Urssaf declaration

The least visible but legally most important dimension concerns social contributions. In France it is the host family that owes social contributions to Urssaf, on a flat-rate calculation base (13 times the hourly minimum wage per week or 56 times per month), under the general scheme with Ircem. You, the au pair, pay no social contributions on your pocket money: a clear difference from an employee.

The family must also file a 'declaration d'embauche d'un emploi familial' with Urssaf within eight days of your arrival. This declaration is the guarantee that your placement is properly recorded within the official frame. Check with your host family that this formality has been carried out: it is largely what secures your stay.

The tax side works in your favour. Within the official minimums, your pocket money is not treated as taxable wages: it is a contribution towards your accommodation and subsistence within a cultural exchange. This rule, verified by our compliance team, differs from what would apply to a genuine home employee. Keep the documents from your stay - agreement, declaration, health cover - which may prove useful as evidence of the regularity of your experience.

These mechanisms can seem abstract when you are preparing to leave, but they directly affect your daily life once in France. By checking that your family properly declares your placement to Urssaf and pays the flat-rate contributions, you ensure your stay is fully regular: it is your social protection and, where relevant, the basis for future proof. The good news is that, in the au pair frame, these steps remain the family's responsibility: your role is mainly to stay informed and to ask to see the confirmations. A family that is transparent about the declaration is generally a family well prepared for the whole stay.

Your rights, your tasks and your free time

As an au pair you are above all a temporary member of the family, within a cultural exchange. Your tasks must remain light and of a family or household nature: childcare, taking children to school, help with homework, tidying, occasional meal preparation. Childcare and housework are capped at 5 hours a day and 25 hours a week in the French frame.

You also have concrete rights. You are entitled to an individual room, to meals shared with the family and to pocket money in line with the official references. You must receive enough free time, in particular to take French classes, rest and discover the country. If a family asks you to take on crushing responsibilities - running the household, full-time childcare, hours far beyond the maximums - such a request falls outside the au pair scheme and deserves a calm discussion.

Clarity is your best protection. From the first days, write down with your family your weekly hours, days off and free periods. If there is a disagreement, favour direct discussion and reference to the signed agreement. Your family must know that it is hosting a young person within a framed scheme, not a domestic employee: this double reminder, yours and theirs, is part of a healthy placement.

Also think ahead to the longer term. The conditions for a good experience are often set in the first weeks: a family that organises a warm welcome, introduces you to the children and the neighbourhood and respects your free time makes the stay infinitely richer. Conversely, isolation or the absence of time for yourself frequently lead the relationship to fail. So do not hesitate, from the very first exchanges with families on the platform, to ask the frank questions - hours, meals, weekends, holidays, use of a car, internet access - that will determine the real quality of your daily life.

Learning French: the real benefit of your stay

An au pair stay in France is by essence a cultural exchange: your primary goal is not to work but to immerse yourself in the French language. The hours devoted to learning French are in fact a central purpose of the scheme, which sets aside free time precisely for that. Make the most of it: it is the investment that will make the most lasting difference when you return.

Plan your learning format from arrival. Many French cities offer French as a foreign language (FLE) classes, summer universities or local associations at low cost. Speak French daily with the family, follow local media, and do not retreat into a group of compatriots. The combination of structured classes plus family immersion is the most effective and fastest way to progress.

This linguistic grounding is exactly what families - and employers - look for in an au pair who speaks fluent French. Negotiate with your host family a weekly slot dedicated to classes, as the scheme allows: a young person progressing in French is also more at ease with your children, for whom that contact is a first step towards bilingualism. It is the virtuous circle at the heart of the programme.

Preparing a successful stay

Beyond the formalities, a successful au pair stay in France is prepared. On the administrative side, build your checklist: verified status and eligible age, signed Cerfa agreement, VLS-TS visa obtained if you are non-EU/EEA, Urssaf declaration made by the family, health cover in order and valid identity documents packed in your travel bag. On the insurance side, check that civil liability covers your life with the family and that your health cover handles routine care.

On the practical side, clarify before departure with your host family the daily expectations: planned tasks and hours, days off, access to the room and meals, house rules, possible French classes. A clear exchange from the start avoids misunderstandings and builds trust. Do not hesitate to ask frank questions, in particular about the exact amount of pocket money and the accommodation conditions, which must appear in the agreement.

Finally, enjoy the adventure: France lends itself wonderfully to it, from big cities to family regions. Your au pair status leaves you free time to learn the language, explore the heritage and build bonds. The hundreds of young people who live this experience every year will confirm it: well prepared, an au pair stay in France is an incomparable immersion. Our advice comes from the official sources cited and is verified on the date shown in this page's data block.