Au Pair in Germany: The Complete 2026 Guide

Germany is one of the most popular au pair destinations in Europe, and also one of the best regulated. The Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit, BA) publishes the rules that families and au pairs follow: a fixed pocket money amount, clear limits on hours, a mandatory language course contribution and insurance paid by the family. Know them before you talk to anyone, and you will spot a fair offer immediately.

Curious what the day-to-day looks like? Read a day in the life of an au pair in Germany.

Who can be an au pair in Germany

An au pair is a young person who lives with a family, helps with childcare and light housework, and in return gets a room, meals, pocket money and time to learn German and discover the country. It is a cultural exchange, not a domestic job. The BA lists the typical tasks: looking after children, taking them to Kita or school, playing and going for walks, light housework, laundry, preparing breakfast and simple meals, and caring for pets. Caring for sick or elderly family members is explicitly not an au pair task.

The host must be a family in the BA's sense: a couple (married or not) or a single parent, with at least one child under 18 living in the household. Couples without children cannot host an au pair. The au pair must not be related to the host family.

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens

If you hold an EU, EEA (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein) or Swiss passport, you have free movement. You need no visa, no work permit and no approval from the BA. The strict visa conditions (age limit, maximum 12 months, one au pair stay only) are rules for BA approval of non-EU au pairs, so they do not legally bind you in the same way. The rest of the framework, though (pocket money, hours, days off, language course, insurance), is how fair German au pair placements work for everyone, and the BA's model contract applies the same terms.

Non-EU citizens

For everyone else, Germany's Employment Regulation (Section 12 BeschV) sets the conditions:

• Age: at least 18 on the day you join the family, and under 27 when you apply. You must still be under 27 when the immigration office decides, so apply early.
• German: basic knowledge at level A1, usually proven with a recognised certificate (Goethe-Institut, telc or ÖSD).
• Host family: German must be spoken as the native language in the family, and at least one adult must be a German, EU/EEA or Swiss citizen. If German is "only" the everyday family language, you must not come from the host parents' home country.
• Duration: at least 6 and at most 12 months.
• One stay only: after an au pair stay in Germany you cannot be approved again, even if you did not use the full 12 months.
• No family ties: you must not be related to the host family.

Compare destinations in our au pair visa guide, or read why intra-Europe au pairing is the easiest route.

Arriving as an EU au pair: step by step

1. Sign the contract before you travel. Use the BA's model au pair contract (Mustervertrag) and agree hours, tasks, days off and start date in writing. The model contract should be signed before you leave home, at the latest in your first week with the family.
2. Get a medical certificate. The model contract, based on the European Agreement on Au Pair Placement, asks for a general health certificate issued less than three months before you join the family.
3. Register your address (Anmeldung) within two weeks. German law requires everyone who moves into a home to register with the local registration office (Bürgeramt or Einwohnermeldeamt) within two weeks. Bring your passport or ID card and the landlord's confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung), which your host family fills in. Many cities need an appointment, so book one as soon as your arrival date is set.
4. Wait for your tax ID (Steuer-ID). After your first registration, the Federal Central Tax Office sends your personal tax identification number by post, usually within a few weeks. You need it for any paid job and for some banking processes, so keep the letter safe.
5. Open a bank account. Your registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung) makes this much easier. Everyone legally resident in the EU has the right to a basic payment account (Basiskonto), and many online banks also work.
6. Check your insurance. Your host family must insure you. A European Health Insurance Card from home is meant for temporary stays and does not replace that obligation, so make sure the family's policy is active from your first day.
7. Sort out transport and your course. Find out where the nearest suitable German course is and how you get there. The family pays the travel costs to it.

The au pair visa for non-EU citizens

Non-EU au pairs apply for a national visa (D visa) for au pair employment at the German embassy or consulate responsible for the country where they legally live. The visa only becomes valid once the BA has approved the placement, and it entitles you to do this au pair job and no other work. Do not start working before you hold the visa.

1. Find a family that meets the conditions above.
2. Get your A1 certificate. A recognised language certificate is the most common reason applications stall, so do this early.
3. Prepare the documents. A typical embassy checklist includes: the visa application form, passport, biometric photo, the signed contract based on the BA model (6 to 12 months), the BA au pair questionnaire completed by the host family, proof that the family covers pocket money, course contribution and course travel, your CV and a motivation letter, the family's registration certificate and the host parents' passport copies, your A1 certificate and proof of health insurance. Always use your own embassy's checklist.
4. Attend the appointment and pay the fee. The national visa fee is €75. Expect processing times of several weeks, because the embassy has to wait for the German authorities involved.
5. Arrive and register. Register your address within two weeks, like everyone else.
6. Apply for the residence permit. The entry visa is usually issued for three months. Before it expires, apply to the local immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) for the residence permit for the rest of your stay.

Citizens of Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, South Korea, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States can enter without a visa and apply for the residence permit in Germany, but they still need BA approval and must meet the au pair conditions.

Do you need an agency? No. German law does not require one: families and au pairs may find each other directly. Agencies are optional, and if one charges the au pair, the fee is capped at €150 including VAT, payable only once a valid contract exists (for non-EU au pairs, only after the residence permit has been granted).

Pocket money and the real value of the placement

Au pairs in Germany do not receive a wage but pocket money (Taschengeld) of €280 per month, regardless of how many hours you actually help within the limits. The amount is not subject to social insurance. That number alone undersells the deal, because almost all your living costs are covered:

• your own room in the family's home, with heating, electricity and Wi-Fi
• all meals, the same food the family eats
• €70 per month towards your German course (€840 for a year)
• travel costs to the nearest suitable course
• full health, accident and pregnancy insurance

Many families go beyond the minimum, for example by paying the Deutschlandticket (€63 per month in 2026, valid on local and regional public transport across Germany) or a gym membership. Those are extras you can negotiate, not legal obligations, apart from the course travel. As a rule, you pay your own travel to and from Germany. See how Germany compares in our au pair salary by country overview.

Hours, days off and holidays

• Hours: at most 6 hours a day and 30 hours a week, babysitting included. The limit may be exceeded only occasionally and by prior agreement, and overtime must be compensated with time off. Tidying your own room does not count.
• Days off: at least one and a half full days off per week. They do not have to be at the weekend, but at least one Sunday a month must be free.
• Evenings: at least four free evenings per week.
• Freedom: the family must let you attend language courses, religious services, cultural events and excursions.
• Paid holiday: four weeks for a full year, otherwise two working days for each full month. Joining the family on holiday only counts as your holiday if your tasks are insignificant and you are not required to be present. You may not work for another family (neighbours, friends) during your free time.
• Public holidays: Germany has nine nationwide public holidays, and the states add their own (Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg have the most). Agree in your contract how public holidays are handled.
• Sickness: if you fall ill, the family continues to provide room, board and care until the necessary arrangements have been made. Agree in writing how sick days are handled.

Insurance

An au pair placement is not subject to social insurance, so you are not automatically covered by public health insurance through the family. Instead, the host family must take out an insurance policy for you that covers illness, pregnancy and birth, and accidents, and must pay the full premium. According to the model contract, the cover should pay doctor's treatment, medicines and hospital stays as fully as possible.

Liability insurance (Haftpflicht) is not legally required, but the BA notes that many brokers recommend it, and it is worth it: it covers you if you accidentally damage something belonging to someone else. Specialised au pair policies usually combine all three. For non-EU au pairs, proof of German health insurance is part of the visa application. Before you sign, ask the family for the insurer's name and what is covered.

Language course and studying

Learning German is the core of the exchange. Every au pair must have the chance to attend a German course in their free time. The family contributes at least €840: either €70 per month for the whole placement or a one-off €840. The obligation applies to costs actually incurred, so you need to actually attend a course. The family also pays the necessary travel costs to the nearest suitable course.

Options include intensive and evening courses at language schools, adult education centres (Volkshochschule, VHS), which tend to be affordable, and university preparation courses. Many au pairs finish with a B1 or B2 exam, useful for studying or working in Germany later. Learn more in skills au pairs develop in a year abroad.

For host families: obligations and costs

An au pair gives German families flexible help with pick-ups, afternoons and the morning rush, but comes with clear obligations. Make sure you:

• are a family with at least one child under 18 in the household;
• provide a private room (the model contract says "if possible", but in practice a private room is expected) and full board;
• pay €280 pocket money per month on time;
• pay the €70 per month course contribution and travel to the course;
• take out and fully pay for health, pregnancy and accident insurance (liability recommended);
• respect the 6 hour / 30 hour limits, 1.5 days off, the free Sunday each month and four free evenings;
• sign a written contract (ideally the BA model contract) before the start;
• confirm the au pair's registration with a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung.

For non-EU au pairs you also fill in the BA questionnaire and provide your registration certificate and passport copies for the visa. You do not need an employer number with the BA.

Monthly cost estimate

The total is our own estimate, not an official figure. Calculate your own numbers with the au pair cost calculator and read the full au pair cost breakdown. To find an au pair on DearAuPair, families pay a one-time membership of €9.99 for 1 month, €19.99 for 3 months or €29.99 for 6 months, with no auto-renewal and no agency fee. See the plans.

Being a great host family

• Write down a weekly schedule and stick to it. Unclear hours cause more conflicts than anything else.
• Plan the first week as an introduction: routes, Kita and school, house rules, emergency numbers.
• Hold a short check-in every week, especially in the first month.
• Speak German at home; that is why your au pair came.

More in our guide for families, the host family first-month handbook and how to find the right au pair.

Contract, notice and ending early

The BA expects a written contract before the placement starts. The easiest way is the BA's model contract, which covers family details, room, pocket money, course contribution, days off, insurance, holiday and hours. You can also start from our host family contract template or the au pair contract guide, but make sure the German minimums are in it.

Notice: the model contract allows either side to end the placement with two weeks' notice, and with immediate effect in case of serious misconduct or serious circumstances. If your contract has no notice clause, it can only end early by mutual agreement. A formal trial period is not part of the model contract; if you want one, agree on it in writing. The BA advises not to give up in the first days: culture shock is normal and usually passes.

Non-EU au pairs: your residence permit is tied to the au pair placement. If it ends early, contact the immigration office straight away. A move to a new host family may be possible within the 12 months, but it requires approval again, so do not simply move in with another family.

Where au pairs live: cities and regions

• Berlin: international, creative and huge. Many course options and an excellent public transport network.
• Munich: one of the most expensive cities in Germany, which matters for your free time. In return: the Alps, lakes and a very high quality of life. Bavaria also has many public holidays.
• Hamburg: port city with plenty of water, parks and a well-developed transport network; weather is often grey and windy.
• Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main region: a finance hub with many international families and very good connections, including the airport for trips home.
• Cologne, Düsseldorf and the Rhine-Ruhr: densely populated, with many cities close together. Ideal for exploring with the Deutschlandticket.
• Stuttgart, smaller towns and the countryside: often lower living costs and very close family life, but fewer course options and longer journeys. Ask whether you can get to the course without a car, or whether you will need a driving licence.

With the Deutschlandticket you can use local and regional trains, buses and trams anywhere in Germany, which makes weekend trips cheap. Are you comparing destinations? Have a look at Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

Common problems and red flags

• Too many hours: 40 hours a week, constant evening babysitting or no real days off. That is no longer an au pair placement. Write down your hours.
• Heavy housework instead of childcare: deep cleaning, cooking for guests or care for the elderly are not au pair tasks.
• No insurance: ask for the policy before you arrive. "We will sort it out later" is not good enough.
• No written contract.
• Less pocket money or deductions: €280 is the standard; the family cannot charge you for room or food.
• No language course: the course contribution is mandatory, not a bonus.
• Tourist visa instead of an au pair visa: for non-EU citizens, au pairing without the correct visa is illegal work, and the risk falls entirely on the au pair.
• Upfront fees: a placement agency may charge an au pair at most €150, and only after a valid contract exists. Never pay to "reserve" a family.

If problems come up, talk openly first; in an emergency call the police (110). Before you say yes, read our red flags guide and the safety guide.

Finding a family or au pair on DearAuPair

On DearAuPair, au pairs are completely free: create a profile, browse German families and apply directly. Families verify a card (no charge) and pay a one-time membership from €9.99, with no auto-renewal and no agency fee. Chat on the platform and hold a video call before you decide, then sign a contract based on the official model.

Coming from a specific country? See the routes from Spain, Italy, Poland and Romania. Getting ready? Our guide for au pairs, the first-week survival guide and the packing list will help. Ready? Create your free profile.