Visa · Consulates · France · Germany · Spain · United States
Au pair visa requirements 2026: who needs a visa, country by country
One overview to compare access conditions and know which visa to apply for, in what order to build the file, and which documents to gather — with a 2026/2027 consular grid and the regulatory watch points to verify before you submit.
Direct answer
There is no single au pair visa: the right permit depends on your nationality and the host country. In France, an EU/EEA national needs no visa; a third-country national applies for a VLS-TS “young au pair” long-stay visa. In Germany, third-country nationals use a national visa, with Bundesagentur für Arbeit approval. In Spain, there is no standalone au pair visa: the route is the student stay, au pair modality. In the United States, it is the J-1 visa of the BridgeUSA programme (22 CFR §62.31), carried by a designated sponsor. In every case, the contract or placement agreement signed before submission is the centrepiece — never a tourist visa.
Not sure what an au pair exactly is? What an au pair is: definition, role & rules.
1. Who needs an au pair visa?
The first question is not “which visa?” but “what is my situation?”. Three profiles emerge, and they do not follow the same steps. This page gives the overview; each destination has its own deep dive with the exact forms and consular documents.
EU / EEA / Swiss
No visa in France, Germany or Spain. A contract or placement agreement, insurance and local arrival formalities still apply.
Third countries — Europe
Long-stay visa before departure: VLS-TS “young au pair” in France, national visa in Germany, student au pair stay in Spain.
United States
J-1 visa whatever your passport. A designated sponsor registers the placement and issues the DS-2019 before the consular interview.
A short-stay or tourist visa never allows you to settle as an au pair. For the detailed cases, read au pair visa and contract, the France au pair visa guide, the Germany au pair visa page, and the administrative management checklist for the arrival.
2. The five-step roadmap
The dates below are markers, not universal rules: each consulate sets its own filing window. The order does not change — check the status before signing, sign before submitting, and commit to nothing irreversible before the decision.
- 1
D-180 to D-120
Choose the destination and the right status
Compare the visa route, age limit and maximum stay of each country. An EU/EEA national does not follow the same path as a third-country national: nationality decides the form, the authority and the documents. Write down the competent authority now (France Visas, Auswärtiges Amt, the Spanish consulate or a J-1 sponsor).
Trap: committing to a family listing before checking that your profile fits the status.
- 2
D-120 to D-90
Sign the contract or placement agreement
The written document signed by both parties is the centrepiece of the file. In France it is the Cerfa 15973 placement agreement. In Germany the Bundesagentur für Arbeit Au-Pair-Vertrag is the reference. In Spain the placement agreement sets out tasks and the day off. In the US, the sponsor registers the placement before the interview.
Trap: a verbal agreement or an incomplete contract never replaces the document the consulate requires.
- 3
D-90 to D-45
Gather the documents and book the appointment
Passport, photos, signed form, proof of the host family’s resources and accommodation, insurance, medical certificate or criminal record check where required, payment receipt. Translate any document not written in the required language. Book as soon as the file is complete: appointment waits vary sharply with the season.
Trap: waiting for the appointment to discover a missing document — the file goes back and the clock restarts.
- 4
D-45 to D-15
Submit the application and track the decision
Submit at the consulate or through the official provider, pay the fee and keep every receipt. Do not buy a non-refundable ticket before the decision. An incomplete application can be completed, but every round trip costs weeks. A visa is never guaranteed: the decision belongs to the consular authority.
Trap: buying a firm ticket on the strength of an interview date, before any visa decision.
- 5
D-15 to D+90
Arrive and complete the local formalities
In France, validate the VLS-TS within 3 months and declare the family employment to Urssaf within 8 days. In Germany, complete the Anmeldung and check the insurance taken out by the family. In Spain, complete the estancia por estudios formalities. In the US, the sponsor handles SEVIS monitoring and the minimum insurance.
Trap: assuming the visa is enough — local registration and the social declaration are what make the stay regular.
3. 2026/2027 consular grid
Four destinations, four logics. This grid summarises the visa route, the people concerned, the reference age and the watch point for the year. The exact amounts and documents remain those published by the competent authority at the time of submission.
| Destination | Visa route | Who | Reference age | Where to apply | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | VLS-TS “young au pair” visa (third countries) · free movement (EU/EEA/Swiss) | Non-EU/EEA: 18–30, nationality different from the host family. EU/EEA: 17–30, no visa. | 18–30 (third countries) · 17–30 (EU/EEA) | French consulate in the country of residence, through France Visas | Application opens at the earliest 3 months before departure. The VLS-TS must be validated within 3 months of arrival.Service-Public F15813 · France Visas |
| Germany | National visa (nationales Visum) for third countries · free movement for EU/EEA | Non-EU/EEA: 18–26 in practice, Au-Pair-Vertrag model contract and Bundesagentur für Arbeit approval. | 18–26 in practice | German embassy or consulate (Auswärtiges Amt) | For third-country nationals, the Bundesagentur für Arbeit approval is a condition of the visa.Auswärtiges Amt · Bundesagentur für Arbeit |
| Spain | Long-stay student visa, au pair modality (estancia por estudios) | Non-EU/EEA: stays over 90 days. There is no standalone au pair visa. | 17–30 (European Agreement on Au Pair Placement) | Spanish consulate competent for your place of residence | Placement agreement of one year maximum, extendable up to two years; tasks capped at 5 h/day and at least one full day off per week.RD 1155/2024 · Strasbourg Convention (1969) · Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores |
| United States | J-1 visa, BridgeUSA cultural exchange programme | 18–26. The family does not apply: a designated sponsor registers the placement and issues the DS-2019. | 18–26 | Designated sponsor approved by the Department of State, then a consular interview | Initial duration of one year, extension of up to 12 months under conditions. Minimum insurance required by 22 CFR §62.14.22 CFR §62.31 · j1visa.state.gov |
Orientation grid, not legal advice. The official requirements of the competent consulate always prevail over this table.
4. Documents to gather (printable)
Twelve points to tick before you submit. The list is deliberately generic: the consulate may ask for an extra document, or waive some depending on nationality and length of stay. Print it, tick as you go, and keep a copy of every document.
- 1 Valid passport, with enough validity left after the planned return date.
- 2 Identity photos matching the consulate’s exact format.
- 3 Completed and signed application form.
- 4 Contract or placement agreement signed by both parties (Cerfa 15973 in France, Au-Pair-Vertrag in Germany, placement agreement in Spain, DS-2019 in the US).
- 5 Proof of the host family’s resources and accommodation.
- 6 Health and civil-liability insurance covering the whole stay (specific minimums for J-1).
- 7 Medical certificate, if the consulate requires one.
- 8 Criminal record extract, if the consulate requires one.
- 9 Proof of language level, if requested (for example A1 German).
- 10 Proof of payment of the visa fee.
- 11 Confirmation of the consular appointment or of submission to the official provider.
- 12 Copies of every document, plus the originals and any required translations.
Personal data: the GDPR reflex
Never send a passport, contract or bank statement by unencrypted email or a consumer messaging app. Share documents through the consulate’s official channel or the official provider, and delete them once the visa is granted or the project is dropped. On the family side, collect only the data the file actually needs.
5. Regulatory watch 2026/2027
Rules move faster than blogs update. These five points are the ones that most often sink a file or an arrival. Check them on the official source before submitting — and be wary of any site that quotes an amount without a verification date.
Schengen area
EES and ETIAS: what changes at the border
The Entry/Exit System (EES) records crossings at the external borders. ETIAS, announced for visa-exempt short-stay travellers, does not replace a long-stay au pair visa. Check the entry-into-force date and exceptions on the official EU portal before any trip.
Source: European Commission — travel-europe.europa.eu
France
Fees and VLS-TS validation
Residence-permit fees applicable from 1 May 2026 are EUR 100 to validate the VLS-TS, EUR 150 for the first residence permit and EUR 100 for renewal. The visa application can be filed at the earliest 3 months before departure; the VLS-TS must be validated within 3 months of arrival.
Source: Service-Public F15813 · France Visas
Spain
The au pair route runs through the student stay
Under the Reglamento de Extranjería (RD 1155/2024), “colocación au pair” falls under the estancia por estudios, not a standalone au pair visa. The placement agreement is limited to one year, extendable up to two years maximum, with a cap of 5 hours of tasks per day and at least one full day off per week.
Source: BOE — RD 1155/2024 · Strasbourg Convention (1969) · Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores
Germany
National visa and Federal Employment Agency approval
Third-country nationals file a national visa before departure. The placement must be approved by the Bundesagentur für Arbeit and rest on the Au-Pair-Vertrag model contract. Bundesagentur für Arbeit guidance caps tasks at 30 hours per week (6 per day) and grants 1.5 days off per week, including at least one Sunday per month.
Source: Auswärtiges Amt · Bundesagentur für Arbeit
United States
J-1: the sponsor remains the entry point
The J-1 au pair programme is governed by 22 CFR §62.31. The designated sponsor registers the placement and issues the DS-2019; the family does not file the application. Minimum insurance (USD 100,000 per accident or illness, USD 25,000 repatriation, USD 50,000 medical evacuation) comes from 22 CFR §62.14.
Source: eCFR — 22 CFR §62.31 and §62.14 · j1visa.state.gov
6. Frequently asked questions about au pair visas
Does an EU citizen need an au pair visa?
Not for France, Germany or Spain: free movement removes the visa requirement. You still sign the placement agreement or contract and, in France, declare the family employment to Urssaf within 8 days. The United States is different: the au pair programme runs on a J-1 visa whatever your nationality.
When should I start the process?
Allow three to six months before your intended arrival. France accepts applications at the earliest three months before departure; other consulates set their own appointment windows. The right marker is to check the status and age first, then sign the contract before booking the consular appointment.
Can I travel on a tourist visa and regularise afterwards?
No. The visa must match the real purpose of the stay. A Schengen short-stay visa or a US B-1/B-2 does not allow an au pair stay. Undeclared work exposes both the family and the au pair to refusal of entry, removal or a re-entry ban.
Does this document list guarantee a visa?
No. It prevents omissions and round trips, not a negative decision. The consulate assesses the coherence of the project, the family’s resources, accommodation and the file as a whole. The competent consulate’s official list always prevails over a generic list, including this one.
What if the visa is refused?
Read the stated ground and correct exactly that point: missing document, insufficient resources, inconsistency in the project or in the contract. Depending on the country, an appeal or a fresh application is possible. Refiling an identical file without fixing the ground usually produces the same outcome.
Official sources checked in October 2026: Service-Public F13348 ; Service-Public F15813 ; France Visas ; Auswärtiges Amt ; Bundesagentur für Arbeit ; BOE — RD 1155/2024 ; BOE — Strasbourg Convention (1969) ; 22 CFR §62.31 ; US Department of State — Au Pair. AuPair Connect cannot be held responsible for changes after the verification date or for the interpretation of the quoted texts.
Prepare the file without missing anything
AuPair Connect brings together profiles, messaging and verification options to prepare the project; the placement agreement and the visa remain between the family, the au pair and the competent authority. The app is available on the App Store and Google Play.
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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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