Visa · Contract · Consulates · France · Germany · United States
Au pair visa and contract support — steps, documents and eligibility checklist
Visa type, placement agreement, documents required by consulates, age limits and obligations, across France, Germany and the United States — with an interactive eligibility checklist and an FAQ. Dated, sourced embassy requirements.
Direct answer
The au pair visa depends on the destination and your nationality. In France, an EU/EEA national needs no visa; a third-country national applies for a long-stay visa ("foreign family-help trainee" or "young au pair" status). In Germany, third-country nationals apply for a national visa, with Bundesagentur für Arbeit approval. In the United States, it is the J-1 visa of the BridgeUSA programme (22 CFR §62.31), registered by a designated sponsor. In every case, the written contract or the placement agreement signed by both parties is the centrepiece of the file — to be gathered before filing.
Verified by the AuPair Connect Compliance Team · Last updated: 23/09/2026.
Not sure what an au pair exactly is? What an au pair is: definition, role & rules.
1. The three au pair visa statuses at a glance
"Au pair visa" does not describe a single reality. Three logics coexist: France ties the stay to the placement agreement and a declaratory status, Germany to a national visa subject to employment agency approval, and the United States to a federal cultural exchange programme run by a sponsor. Identify your case first, then gather the documents.
| Point | Value (2026 reference) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| France filing deadline (URSSAF) | 8 days after hiring | URSSAF — particulier employeur |
| France hour ceiling | 5 h/day · 25 h/week | Strasbourg Agreement (art. 9) |
| France pocket money (EU/EEA) | EUR 326.25–391.50/month live-in | Service-Public F13348 (as of 2026-06-01) |
| United States hour ceiling | 10 h/day · 45 h/week · EduCare 30 h | 22 CFR §62.31 |
| United States au pair age | 18–26, initial duration 1 year | 22 CFR §62.31; US State Dept |
| Germany pocket money | ≈ EUR 280/month (BA reference) | Bundesagentur für Arbeit |
The golden rule
The visa must match the real purpose of the stay. Neither a tourist visa, nor a student visa, nor a business visa allows you to be an au pair: using the wrong visa exposes you to denied entry, removal or a ban on staying. This rule is the first thing this fiche's regulatory review verifies.
If you are heading to France, continue with au pair administrative management, which details the URSSAF declaration of employment and the quarterly deadlines.
2. France, Germany, the United States — where to file, and under which conditions
Each destination has its competent authority, its ceilings and its reference contract. The cards below sum up the three flagship cases; every amount carries its reference year.
France
- Visa
- Long-stay visa — "foreign family-help trainee" status (EU/EEA) or "young au pair" (non-EU/EEA)
- Competent authority
- French consulate in the country of residence — application via France-visas
- Age
- Young adult; higher age ceiling for the "family-help trainee" status
- Duration
- Duration of the au pair stay stated in the placement agreement
- Hours
- 5 h/day and 25 h/week (Strasbourg Agreement, art. 9)
- Pocket money
- EUR 326.25–391.50/month live-in (EU/EEA) · EUR 320/month minimum (non-EU/EEA)
- Contract / agreement
- Written placement agreement (accommodation, meals, pocket money, ceilings)
EU/EEA and Switzerland: no visa. A tourist visa does not allow an au pair stay. — Source: Service-Public.fr — F13348.
Germany
- Visa
- National visa (nationales Visum) for third-country nationals
- Competent authority
- German embassy or consulate (Auswärtiges Amt) + Bundesagentur für Arbeit approval
- Age
- 18–26 in practice (exceptions for third-country nationals)
- Duration
- 12 months, usual duration of the Au-Pair-Vertrag model contract
- Hours
- No fixed statutory ceiling; accepted practice ~30 h/week, one full free day per week
- Pocket money
- ≈ EUR 280/month (Bundesagentur für Arbeit reference) + room, meals, insurance
- Contract / agreement
- Written contract compliant with the Au-Pair-Vertrag model contract (BA)
EU/EEA and Switzerland: no visa. The model contract covers insurance, language course and transport. — Source: Bundesagentur für Arbeit; Auswärtiges Amt.
United States
- Visa
- J-1 visa (BridgeUSA cultural exchange programme)
- Competent authority
- Designated sponsor (Department of State) → DS-2019 form → consular interview
- Age
- 18–26
- Duration
- 1 year, extension possible up to 12 further months under conditions
- Hours
- 10 h/day and 45 h/week (standard); 30 h/week (EduCare)
- Pocket money
- Weekly stipend set by contract (no single federal minimum); room and board provided
- Contract / agreement
- Written agreement detailing the stipend + registration by the sponsor
The family does not file the application: the designated sponsor registers it. — Source: 22 CFR §62.31; US Department of State.
To measure the full cost of a placement in each country — pocket money, contributions, insurance, transport — see our cost of an au pair guide. To choose and vet a candidate, go through screening and vetting an au pair candidate.
3. The contract and placement agreement — the clauses that win the visa
The written contract is the document the consulate reads first: it proves the project is real, framed and consistent. An incomplete contract is the most frequent cause of a returned file. Here are the clauses no au pair contract can omit.
-
Identity and status of the parties
Host family, young au pair, each party's role, contact details, nationality and the visa regime sought.
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Dates and duration of the stay
Start date, end date, firm duration. This block determines the validity period requested for the visa.
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Tasks and hours
Nature of the family or household tasks, weekly number of hours within the country's ceilings, rest days, including one full free day per week.
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Pocket money and benefits in kind
Amount of pocket money, private room and meals provided, any contribution to language courses and transport.
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Insurance and liabilities
Health and liability insurance, who takes it out, what coverage and for how long.
-
Notice and termination
Early termination terms, notice period, grounds for termination and the fate of costs incurred (travel, visa, courses).
In Germany, the Au-Pair-Vertrag model contract from the Bundesagentur für Arbeit is the reference and anticipates these clauses. In France, the written placement agreement (Service-Public F13348) plays the same role. In the United States, the contract works together with the sponsor's registration.
Generating a compliant contract from these mandatory clauses arrives in the next fiche of the legal silo — for which this one is the visa and contract entry point. For now, au pair administrative management covers the obligations that follow signature.
4. The interactive eligibility checklist
Tick each condition as you go. The tick is local to your browser: nothing is sent, nothing is stored on our servers — consistent with data minimisation (GDPR art. 5).
0 of 8 conditions met.
General checklist, not legal advice. The official list of the competent consulate always governs.
5. The consular procedure, step by step
Whatever the destination, the order is stable: first the project and the contract, then the file, then the appointment, then the decision. Anticipate, because the appointment delay is often the limiting factor.
- 1
Prepare the project and sign the contract
Find the family, draft and sign the written contract or placement agreement. This is the foundation of the whole file.
- 2
Obtain the competent authority's agreement
Germany: Bundesagentur für Arbeit approval (third countries). United States: registration by the designated sponsor and the DS-2019 form. France: placement agreement.
- 3
Gather the documents and take out insurance
Passport, form, photos, proof of the family's resources, accommodation, health and liability insurance, visa fee. Check the consulate's official list.
- 4
Book the appointment and file
Reserve the consular slot as early as possible and file a complete file. An incomplete file is the primary cause of delay.
- 5
After the decision — arrival and filing
If approved, prepare the arrival. In France, the declaration of employment to URSSAF must follow within 8 days. If refused, address the stated ground precisely before refiling.
Indicative timelines, variable by consulate and season. The official requirements of the competent embassy or consulate always prevail.
6. The false friends that cost a visa refusal
Most refusals do not come from an insufficient profile, but from a framing error. This table separates what seems to work from what is actually compliant.
| False friend | What some do | What is compliant |
|---|---|---|
| Tourist visa | Au pair stay under a short-stay Schengen visa or a B-1/B-2 | No: the visa must match the real purpose. Risk of denied entry and a ban. |
| Undeclared work | "Off the books" pay beyond the au pair framework | No: exposes the family and the young au pair. Paid activity outside the framework falls under ordinary law. |
| Verbal contract | Oral agreement with the family, with no signed document | No: the written contract or agreement is the centrepiece of the visa file. |
| Age outside the range | Filing despite being older than the country's limit | No: the age limit is an eligibility condition. Check the rule in force. |
| Stay without insurance | Arriving with no health or liability cover | No: insurance covering the stay is required at filing; in Germany, it is owed by the family. |
| Incomplete file | Filing without the requested documents, hoping to complete later | No: an incomplete file lengthens the decision, or even grounds a refusal. |
Factual comparison; no claim that a tool replaces the consulate or the family. Responsibility for filing remains entirely with the applicant.
7. Personal data and GDPR
An au pair visa application means sending identity, residence and sometimes health data to a consulate and a family. This is not an abstract burden: it is a short list of rules that, in addition, protects the young au pair.
| Principle (GDPR) | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Legal basis (art. 6) | Transmission to the consulate rests on a legal obligation; other processing (e.g. matching) needs a real reason you can name. |
| Minimisation (art. 5) | Send only the documents the procedure requires — no "just in case" documents. |
| Transparency (art. 13) | State who holds the data, why, for how long, and how to access or erase it. |
| Special categories (art. 9) | Health (medical certificates), religion and similar data require a specific legal basis — better to limit their collection to what is strictly necessary. |
| Automated decisions (art. 22) | A decision based solely on an algorithm, with significant effect, needs a path to human review. |
| Security & retention (art. 5) | Share documents over a secure channel and delete them once the visa is obtained or the project abandoned. |
Orientation summary, not legal advice. See how we handle data and reports in our safety approach.
8. Frequently asked questions about the au pair visa and contract
Do you need a visa to be an au pair in France?
It depends on your nationality and the length of stay. An EU, EEA or Swiss national does not need a visa for an au pair stay. A third-country national, however, must obtain a long-stay visa before departure, under one of two statuses: "foreign family-help trainee" (EU/EEA, per Service-Public F13348) or "young au pair" (non-EU/EEA). The visa is requested at the French consulate in the country of residence, with the signed placement agreement as supporting evidence. An au pair stay is never made under a tourist visa.
Which visa do you need to be an au pair in the United States?
The US au pair programme falls under the J-1 visa, governed by 22 CFR §62.31. It is not the family that files the application: a designated sponsor, approved by the Department of State, registers the placement and issues the DS-2019 form needed for the consular appointment. The au pair then attends the interview at the US embassy or consulate. The J-1 is a cultural exchange visa: it does not authorise employment outside the programme. The programme also sets ceilings (10 h/day and 45 h/week for the standard programme; 30 h/week for EduCare) and an initial one-year commitment.
How does the au pair visa work in Germany?
EU/EEA and Swiss nationals do not need a visa. For third-country nationals, an au pair stay requires a national visa (nationales Visum) applied for at the German embassy or consulate (Auswärtiges Amt) before departure. The application rests on a written au pair contract compliant with the Bundesagentur für Arbeit model contract (Au-Pair-Vertrag). The Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) must approve the placement for third-country nationals. A short-stay Schengen tourist visa does not allow an au pair stay.
Which documents must be gathered for an au pair visa application?
The list varies by consulate, but the core is stable: a valid passport, a signed application form, compliant ID photos, a signed au pair contract or placement agreement, proof of the host family's status and resources, proof of accommodation, health and liability insurance covering the stay, and proof of payment of the visa fee. Depending on the destination, a medical certificate, a criminal record extract or proof of language level may be added. Always check the official list of the competent consulate before filing: that list governs, not a third-party website.
What is the age limit to be an au pair?
The age limit depends on the host country and the status sought. In France, the au pair scheme is historically aimed at young adults (often 18–30, with a higher age ceiling for the "family-help trainee" status). In Germany, the commonly applied range is 18–26, with exceptions for third-country nationals. In the United States, the J-1 au pair programme is for 18–26 year-olds, with an initial one-year duration (extension possible up to 12 further months under conditions). As these limits change, confirm the rule in force with the consulate or sponsor before committing.
Is the au pair contract mandatory, and what must it contain?
Yes. A written contract (or placement agreement in France) signed by both parties before the stay begins is the centrepiece of the visa file. It must state: the dates and duration of the stay, the hours and weekly number of hours, the nature of the family or household tasks, the amount of pocket money, the private room and meals provided, the insurance, and the notice and termination terms. In Germany, the Bundesagentur für Arbeit model contract (Au-Pair-Vertrag) is the reference. A verbal or incomplete contract exposes the applicant to a visa refusal.
How long does an au pair visa application take?
Timelines depend on the consulate and the season. Allow from several weeks to several months between the first appointment booking and the decision, with peaks of pressure before summer and the start of the school year. The practical rule is to file as soon as the contract or agreement is signed, and to leave a comfortable margin on the desired arrival date. An incomplete file mechanically lengthens the timeline, since missing documents must be supplied before any decision.
What happens if the visa is refused?
A visa refusal is not necessarily final. It is notified in writing, with the applicable general grounds (for example insufficient documents, lack of resources, inconsistency of the project). Depending on the country, a remedy exists: an administrative appeal to the consulate, an appeal to a specialised commission, or a fresh application if the situation has changed. The right reflex is to address the stated ground precisely — complete the file or make the project more consistent — rather than refiling an identical application.
Can you work as an au pair on a student or tourist visa?
No. The visa must match the real purpose of the stay. A short-stay Schengen visa (tourism, business) does not allow an au pair stay, and undeclared work exposes both the family and the young au pair. Likewise, for the United States, the au pair programme runs through the J-1 visa, not a B-1/B-2 tourist visa or an F-1 student visa. Using the wrong visa for an au pair placement can lead to denied entry, removal or a ban on staying.
Official sources (verified September 2026): Service-Public.fr F13348; France-visas; Auswärtiges Amt — visa & residence; Bundesagentur für Arbeit — au pair; 22 CFR §62.31; US Department of State — Au Pair Program. AuPair Connect cannot be held liable for legislative changes after the verification date nor for the interpretation of the texts cited. The official requirements of the competent embassies and consulates always prevail.
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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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