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Au Pair in France
Stagiaire aide familial étranger
Age: 18 to 30 years (some official sources mention that it is possible to become an au pair up to the age of 27 or 28)
Preconditions: The au pair must be unmarried. You need prior knowledge of French and you come to France to develope your language skills. Young French people cannot become au pair for a family in France because French is their mother tongue. In return for board and lodge the au pair cares for the host family's children and helps with light household duties.
Au pairs shall be considered as family members and should be treated as such. The au pair and the host family should eat meals together. The au pair should have his/her own room.
The host family must have at least one child who is younger than 14 years old. For children who are younger than 2 years of age, an additional form of childcare must be provided (daycare worker, day nursery, crèche, grandparents, parents at home etc.).
Travel costs: The au pair must pay for his/her own travel expenses. If the host family wants to bear a part of these costs, it is advisable to do this after a successful stay of the au pair of at least 50% of the stipulated time.
Duration of stay: The au pair contract can be concluded for at least 3 months and for up to 1 year. But the duration of the stay can be prolonged for a further 6 months.
Pocket money: 230 € to 285 € per month (Different official sources mention different amounts also in this matter.) The host family is not obliged to contribute to the au pair's tickets for public transportation. However, many families bear a part of these costs (or even the whole costs).
Working Hours: up to 5 hours per day and not more than 30 hours per week
The working hours should be arranged in a way that allows the au pair to take part in his/her language course.
Spare time: one day off per week (once a month this should be a Sunday)
Holidays: There are no uniform regulations about holidays for au pairs. Most families accept 1 week of holiday for au pairs who stay 6 months.
Language course: Au pairs have to take part in French lessons for foreigners. The au pair must pay for the fees herself/himself. The family, who surely knows her own city, has to enrol the au pair for these lessons.
French lessons are offered by: universities, adult education centres or organisations which offer all-year courses, semester courses or summer courses of French lessons.
Unfortunately Aupair World cannot provide addresses of organisations or language schools who offer language courses.
During semester break an enrolment into a language course is not necessary if the au pair has already studied in France for at least one year.
Insurance and contributions to social security: In the event of illness, accident or maternity the au pair receives social security benefits.
Therefore the au pair is insured by the French health insurance assurance maladie maternité and the assurance accidents du travail. He/she has to be registered at the local social security of the host family's place of residence. The host family has to pay for the contributions.
Formalities in this context: The host family has to register the au pair as a „Stagiaire Aide Familial“ at the URSSAF (Unions de Recouvrement des cotisations de Sécurité Sociale et d'Allocations Familiales) (authority which collects social security contributions) which is responsible for them and to declare him/her at the local insurance Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie within the first 8 days of his/her arrival.
The contributions to the URSSAF have to be paid by the host family and they are not tax-deductible.
It is advisable to expand the family's third party insurance to the au pair. An independant insurance can also be effected.
Extra information: To be an au pair in the Alps, it is necessary to have a driver's license. Because most families don't live in the center of a city and the children will have to be driven to school or friends by car.
Dealing with formalities
The family and the au pair have to sign a contract „Accord européen pour le placement au pair“ before the au pair can leave his/her country.
Some documents need to be handed in to the French employment office DDTEFP (Direction Départementale du Travail de l'Emploi et de la Formation Professionelle):
- 4 samples of the au pair contract which has been signed by the host family and by the au pair candidate,
- a certificate of residence of the host family,
- a certificate of studies which the au pair has carried out in his/her country of origin,
- a certificate that the au pair is enroled in a French course with at least 3 - 10 hours of lessons per week (unfortunately we have found contradictory information in this matter, please contact the DDTEFP for further information),
- a health certificate issued within the last 3 months (au pairs from non-EU countries need to go to the French migration authority OMI -Office des Migrations Internationales- to obtain their health certificate),
- a copy of the au pair's passport.
The host family needs to hand in these papers at the office of the DDTE's Service de la main d'oeuvre étrangère (Employment office's department for foreigners) of their place of residence.
The DDTE checks the contract and hands 4 samples back to the family.The host family sends 2 of these contracts and the second copy of the enrollment into the language course (*) to the au pair. The DDTE then issues the temporary work permit.
Au pairs from non-EU countries
Au pairs from non-EU countries need a Visa de long séjour. This can be obtained from the French consulate of your country. For this purpose the host family needs to send to the au pair the two contract samples and the certificate of enrolment of the au pair into a French course (see above*). After having received the visa, the au pair can travel to France.
Once arrived in France, the au pair has to register at the Préfecture of the region within 8 days in order to obtain a temporary residence permit for students on presentation of his/her visa and enrolment into a French course. At the migration office OMI -Office des Migrations Internationales- a health check will be made. Then the au pair presents to the office Service de la main d'oeuvre of the DDTE his/her residence permit, 2 copies of the contract (his/her copy and the host family's copy) and the final enrolment into a French course to obtain the temporary work permit.
If you are already a student in France and you would like to become an au pair, you need to obtain a temporary work permit. It is not possible to become an au pair in France if you only have a tourist visa.
Information from the Foreign Ministry of France
Au pairs from EU countries:
Au pairs from EU countries can handle the formalities (see above*) in France. They do not need a visa to travel to France.
The residence permit for students can be obtained from the Préfecture on presentation of the passport and confirmation of enrolment into a French course.
The temporary work permit is not necessary. (This information can be read on the following pages.)
The following links are very useful, too. They lead to French websites which have been made up for children and parents. Information about child care possibilities in France (e.g. au pairing) can be found there among other information:
General website petitestetes.com
Working Holiday Program in France
Regulations that apply for Working Holidaymakers from Canada:
General conditions:
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applicants must be aged between 18 to 35 years at the date of lodgement of an application
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applicants must be Canadian citizens
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applicants must hold a Canadian passport valid for at least 3 months after the end of the stay
Duration of the stay: up to 12 months
Financial requirements: Participants will be responsible for travel, food and accommodation costs, as well as for visa and application fees. They must sufficient funds to cover their expenses during their stay. Holidaymaking in France should be the main purpose of the stay.
How to apply: Visit the website of the French embassy to find which Consulate General of France is nearest you. Note: You must apply to the consulate general of France closest to you for a visa.
Website of the French embassy in Canada
Regulations that apply for Working Holidaymakers from Australia
General conditions:
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applicants must be aged between 18 and 30 years (inclusive) at the date of lodgement of an application
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applicants must be Australian passport holders
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applicants must not have previously participated in this program
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applicants can only participate once in this program
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applicants must hold a 12 months travel comprehensive insurance, regardless of the lenght of the travel plans
Duration of the stay: up to 12 months. The Working Holiday Visa is a multiple entry visa valid for 1 year from the starting date of your twelve months comprehensive travel insurance. The visa cannot be extended or changed to another category of visa whilst in France.
Holidaymaking in France should be the main purpose of the stay.
Financial requirements: Applicants must have sufficient funds at the beginning of their one year stay to cover their expenses (€ 2,100 / A$ 3,400 ) as well as possess a return ticket to the country of residence, a comprehensive travel insurance covering the 12 months duration of the program (regardless of the travel plans decided by the applicant).
How to apply: Working Holiday Visas are only issued by the Consulate General of France in Sydney. Australians outside Australia, but not already in France, may apply by mail to the Consulate on the condition that an Australian address is provided for return of all documents (including passport). Applications are processed on a first-come first-served basis until the quota of visas is filled. Once employment in France is found, Working Holiday Visa holders must apply for a Temporary Work Permit (autorisation provisoire de travail) at the nearest French Labour Department (Direction Départementale du Travail, de l’Emploi et de la Formation professionnelle). A work permit shall be granted for the duration of the position. Working Holiday Visa holders may also study or attend a training course.
Please click here for further information:
Website of the French embassy in Australia
Regulations that apply for Working Holidaymakers from Japan
General conditions:
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applicants must be aged between 18 and 30 years (inclusive) at the date of lodgement of an application
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applicants should have the intention to come to France to discover the country while having the possibility to work
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applicants should have a medical certificate
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applicants should not have obtained this visa before
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applicants should not be accompanied by a child
Duration of the stay: The visa is valid for one year (date of the arrival in France has to be announced to the visa service of the French embassy). The Working Holidaymaker cannot extend his visa or change it to another category of visa whilst in France.
Financial requirements: Applicants must have a return ticket to their country of residence valid for one year or sufficient funds to buy the return ticket and justify their possession of 2 500 Euros.
Once they have found an employment in France, Working Holiday Visa holders must apply for a Temporary Work Permit (autorisation provisoire de travail) at the nearest French Labour Department (Direction Départementale du Travail, de l’Emploi et de la Formation professionnelle).A work permit shall be granted for the duration of the position.
How to apply: Please contact the French Consulate in Tokyo that is competent for the delivery of visa.
Website of the French embassy in Japan
Regulations that apply for Working Holidaymakers from New Zealand
General conditions:
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applicants must be aged between 18 and 30 years (inclusive) at the date of lodgement of an application
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applicants must be citizens of New Zealand
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participants must hold a valid passport
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participants must hold a valid passport and return ticket as well as sufficient funds to purchase these tickets
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all participants in this scheme must be able to provide evidence of holding an insurance policy covering all risks related to sickness, maternity, disability and hospitalisation in the receiving state for the validity of the visa (one year). Participants are not eligible to receive any employment or other social welfare benefits in the receiving state
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applicants must not have participated in the program previously
Participants in this scheme must be motivated by the opportunity to holiday in France and to undertake paid employment to supplement existing funds.
Financial requirements: Participants must show proof of 2,100 Euros or around $NZ 4,200 as sufficient funds to cover expenses at the beginning of their stay
Duration of the stay: The visa is granted for one year from your date of arrival, regardless of time spent out of France during this one year period. This visa will not be extended, as stated on your visa, beyond the duration of one year nor may the status of the working holiday visa be changed during the stay.
How to apply: The multiple entry working holiday visa, valid for one year, can only be issued by the visa section of the Consulate department at the French Embassy in Wellington. The visa may be obtained up to six months prior to entry in France.
Once a New Zealand citizen, in possession of a working holiday visa, has found employment in France, he/she must apply for a temporary work permit (autorisation de travail provisoire) at the nearest Government Employment Service (Direction Départementale de l’Emploi et de la Formation Professionnelle). The work permit will immediately be granted for the expected duration of employment. The permit may be renewed under the same conditions, up to the limit of the authorised length of stay. Participants may study or take a training course in France without restrictions for the validity of their visa.
Interested participants should note that this visa agreement is not valid for New Caledonia or French Polynesia neither for any of the French Overseas Territories (TOM).
Website of the French embassy in New Zealand
We cannot guarantee that all information we gathered is correct or complete even though we have researched on this subject. We appreciate any comments. Thank you.
Au Pair Visa & Regulations in other Countries
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