Become an au pair in the Netherlands
Legal status, visa, age, duration, contract, salary and contributions: the verified guide to prepare your au pair stay in the Netherlands.
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.
Notice anything inaccurate or out of date? Help us keep this content up to date by writing to hello@aupairconnect.app.
The official data for Netherlands
Legal status(es)
Age 18–25 years
Residence permit filed by an IND-recognised au pair agency + MVV for non-EU/EEA nationals
Visa
Required
MVV + “Cultural Exchange” residence permit (au pair)
Non-EU/EEA nationals (incl. ZA, PH) must obtain an MVV (provisional residence authorisation) and then the au pair residence permit. The combined application (Toegang en Verblijf) is filed by an IND-recognised au pair agency.
Age
18–25 years
Age requirement: 18–25 years at the time of application. People aged 25 and over are no longer eligible for the au pair scheme (new IND regulation).
Working time
5 h/day
30 h/week
The Dutch au pair status (Cultural Exchange) limits light household tasks and childcare to max 30 h/week. The IND requires a recognised host family and an exclusively cultural-exchange purpose; any excess is a sign of abuse of the scheme.
Contract / Agreement
Cultural-exchange agreement (contract) via an IND-recognised au pair agency — Written au pair contract (model of the recognised agency)
IND (Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst) via the recognised au pair agency · Before arrival: the TEV (access + residence) application must be filed and approved before entering the Netherlands
Only an IND-recognised au pair agency can file the application. The au pair lives with the family, takes part in family life and performs up to 30 h/week of light tasks and childcare.
Steps
- 1 Find a host family and a cultural-exchange contract through an IND-recognised au pair agency — IND-recognised au pair agency
- 2 The agency files the combined MVV + residence-permit application (Toegang en Verblijf / TEV) with the IND — IND — www.ind.nl
- 3 After a positive decision, have the MVV visa affixed at the competent Dutch embassy or consulate-general (e.g. Pretoria / Cape Town for ZA, Manila for PH) — Dutch embassy / consulate (NetherlandsWorldwide)
Salary / Pocket money
0.00–0.00 EUR/month
The Netherlands imposes no legal pocket-money amount: the host family must provide lodging and meals as well as a reasonable monthly allowance so the au pair can discover the country (amount set by mutual agreement). No binding official figure exists.
Contributions
IND / host family
Cultural-exchange scheme (outside salaried employment): no classic EU social contributions for the au pair
The Dutch au pair status is an unpaid cultural exchange; the family provides lodging, meals and a monthly allowance, without a salaried employment contract.
Tax advantages
Where detailed legal rules are missing on some aspects (criminal record, exact allowance amount), AuPair Connect recommends referring to the IND requirements (~30 h/week max, lodging and meals provided, reasonable monthly allowance, IND-recognised au pair agency), to references and to a thorough interview before hosting.
Not reported
Official sources
- Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst (IND) — IND — Residence permit au pair · verified on 2026-08-24
- Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst (IND) — IND — Au pairs (article de fond) · verified on 2026-08-24
- Ministère néerlandais des Affaires étrangères (NetherlandsWorldwide) — NetherlandsWorldwide — MVV long stay & embassies/consulates (South Africa) · verified on 2026-08-24
- Ministère néerlandais des Affaires étrangères (NetherlandsWorldwide) — NetherlandsWorldwide — MVV apply from Philippines · verified on 2026-08-24
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