Au Pair in the Netherlands

The Netherlands is one of the easiest countries in Europe to settle into as an au pair: almost everyone speaks English and you can cycle almost anywhere. It also has some of Europe's strictest au pair rules: a cultural exchange scheme run through agencies recognised by the IND (Immigration and Naturalisation Service), with firm limits on hours, pocket money and age. This guide explains them for au pairs and Dutch host families, including what it means to arrange an au pair year without an agency.

Who can be an au pair in the Netherlands

The official au pair conditions come from the IND. For the au pair residence permit you must:

• be 18 or older but younger than 26 when the application is submitted (the limit was lowered from 30 in October 2022);
• be unmarried, not in a registered partnership, and not have (foster) children in your care;
• never have held a Dutch residence permit for cultural exchange before;
• not have worked for the host family before, even abroad, and not be related to a member of the family up to the third degree (you both sign an Au Pair Awareness Declaration);
• not care for people with special care needs that require specific skills;
• not have paid a deposit, not have signed a contract with fines, and not have paid more than €34 in total for registration, mediation or a preparatory course.

The host family must consist of at least two people, live lawfully in the Netherlands and have sufficient, lasting income. For the second half of 2026 the IND income requirement for a couple is a gross salary of €3,505.50 per month without holiday allowance (€3,785.94 with it), and €2,804.40 (€3,028.75 with holiday allowance) for a single parent.

There is no formal Dutch language requirement. English is enough for daily life in most families, though learning some Dutch makes the year much richer.

EU au pairs: arriving step by step (and the agency question)

If you are a citizen of the EU, the EEA (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein) or Switzerland, you do not need a visa, work permit or residence permit for the Netherlands. A valid passport or ID card is enough to travel.

Once you know which route you are on, the practical steps for an EU au pair are:

1. Register with the municipality (gemeente). If you will stay longer than four months, you must register in the Personal Records Database (BRP) at the town hall of the place where you live, within five days of arriving. Bring your passport or ID card and, depending on the municipality, a birth certificate (legalised or with an apostille if needed). Book the appointment before you travel.
2. Get your BSN. Your citizen service number (burgerservicenummer) is issued when you register. You need it for insurance, banking and anything official.
3. Apply for DigiD. With a BSN and Dutch address you can request DigiD, the government login for tax, health insurance and municipal services. The activation code arrives by post at your host family's address.
4. Open a bank account. Most Dutch banks ask for your BSN and address. Pocket money should be paid by bank transfer, not cash.
5. Sort out health insurance. Take out Dutch basic health insurance (basisverzekering) within four months, backdated to your arrival date (see the insurance section). Your home country's European Health Insurance Card is not a substitute once you are covered by the Dutch system.

Non-EU au pairs: MVV and residence permit

If you are not an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, you can only come to the Netherlands as an au pair with an au pair residence permit, and the application always goes through an au pair agency recognised by the IND as a sponsor. You cannot apply yourself, and the host family cannot apply either. The IND publishes a public register of recognised sponsors. DearAuPair is not one: you can meet a family here, but the permit must be handled by a recognised agency, which checks you and the family against all conditions.

1. The agency checks the match. Age, marital status, family income, the signed schedule and the Awareness Declaration.
2. The agency applies to the IND. For most nationalities this is a combined application for the MVV (entry visa) and the residence permit. The agency pays the IND fee, which is €423 in 2026 for a first au pair or exchange application. The IND usually decides within two weeks of a complete application; the legal maximum is 90 days.
3. Collect the MVV. If approved, you collect the MVV at the Dutch embassy or consulate within three months and then have 90 days to travel.
4. Collect your residence permit. Within two weeks of arrival, at the IND desk the agency tells you. You may only start au pair tasks once you have the permit card.
5. TB test, municipal registration and insurance. Unless your nationality is exempt, you take a tuberculosis test at the municipal health service (GGD) within three months. You also register with the municipality (bring a legalised and translated birth certificate) and take out Dutch health insurance within four months.

The permit is valid for at most one year and cannot be extended. You may switch to another host family or recognised agency at any time without a notice period, and the permit stays valid as long as the new placement meets the conditions. Applying for Dutch benefits leads to withdrawal of the permit. For a wider comparison of permit routes, see our au pair visa guide.

Pocket money and the real value of the placement

Under the au pair scheme the host family provides accommodation, food and pocket money. The pocket money may not be higher than the amount set by the Belastingdienst, which is €340 per month in the 2026 payroll tax handbook. More than 90% of what the au pair receives must consist of board and lodging, insurance and that cash amount, which is also meant to cover costs such as travel and visa. If so, the family does not withhold payroll taxes. €340 is a ceiling, not a minimum, so agree the amount in writing; most families pay the full amount.

The cash is only part of the picture. A typical placement also includes:

• a private furnished room in the family home, with utilities and Wi-Fi;
• all meals at home;
• Dutch health insurance, usually paid by the family;
• very often a bike, and sometimes a public transport card or travel budget;
• sometimes a contribution to a Dutch course.

Compare how this stacks up against other countries in our au pair pocket money by country comparison. If the arrangement is treated as employment instead (see the EU section above), the pocket money cap no longer applies and minimum wage rules take over.

Hours, days off, holidays and sick days

The hour limits are where the Netherlands is strictest, and where most problems start:

• Maximum 8 hours per day and 30 hours per week of light household tasks and childcare. Babysitting evenings count towards the 30 hours.
• At least 2 full days off every week.
• A daily schedule for all seven days, drawn up and signed by the au pair and the family. Under the permit route, the agency keeps it and must report if it is not followed.
• No extra hours, not even for extra payment, no tasks at a second address (for example grandparents or friends), and no tasks during a holiday with the host family.
• Only light household work: tidying, simple meals, laundry and looking after the children. Heavy cleaning or running a household alone is not au pair work.

Holidays: the au pair scheme does not set a number of paid holiday days. Agree it in the contract; many families agree on around two weeks of paid holiday a year. Agree in advance whether Dutch public holidays such as King's Day, Easter Monday, Ascension Day and Christmas are free days.

Sick days: if you are ill, you rest; in a fair arrangement your pocket money continues. Agree this in writing too. To get a feel for how the hours fit into a normal day, read a day in the life of an au pair in the Netherlands.

Health, liability and accident insurance

Health insurance. The SVB states that you are insured under the Long-term Care Act (Wlz) if you work as an au pair in the Netherlands and receive payment or board and lodging. People insured under the Wlz must take out Dutch basic health insurance with a Dutch insurer, at the latest four months after arrival; if you are late, you are not covered retroactively and you can be fined. This applies to EU au pairs too. If unsure, ask the SVB for an assessment of your Wlz status.

Dutch basic insurance comes with a compulsory annual deductible (eigen risico) for many types of care. Agree in advance who pays the premium and the deductible; most host families cover both. Agencies often also require a special au pair package.

Liability and accident insurance. Not prescribed by the IND, but strongly recommended and usually paid by the family. A liability policy (aansprakelijkheidsverzekering, often called AVP) covers damage the au pair causes to others, for example while cycling with the children. Check whether the family's policy covers a live-in au pair.

Learning Dutch and studying

Unlike some other countries, the Netherlands does not oblige host families to pay for a language course. Many families still contribute. Language schools, community centres and libraries in most cities run Dutch courses for newcomers; ask your municipality or library.

You can study alongside your au pair tasks as long as your schedule leaves room for it. On the permit you may not take another job.

For Dutch host families: obligations and costs

An au pair is not a cheap nanny, and does not qualify for childcare benefit (kinderopvangtoeslag). Within the official scheme, your obligations are:

• a private room, meals and pocket money of no more than €340 per month, paid by bank transfer;
• a signed seven-day schedule within the hour limits, light tasks only, at your own address;
• meeting the IND income requirement and household conditions (for the permit route);
• making sure the au pair is insured and registered with the municipality;
• giving the au pair a real chance to get to know Dutch society: that is the legal purpose of the scheme.

For an EU au pair found without an agency, read the box in the EU section above: either use a recognised agency or follow employment rules. The Belastingdienst au pair exemption covers payroll tax only; it does not settle whether minimum wage law applies.

Monthly cost overview (au pair scheme)

Put your own numbers into the au pair cost calculator, and read the full au pair cost breakdown to compare with daycare and a nanny.

Being a great host family means a schedule you stick to, a warm first week, including your au pair in family life and regular check-ins. Our host family guide and first-month handbook cover this in detail.

Contract, trial period and ending early

Always sign a written agreement. Include pocket money, the seven-day schedule, free days, holidays, sick days, insurance, house rules and notice periods. You can start from our host family contract template or the au pair contract template and adapt it to Dutch rules.

Dutch au pair rules do not set a trial period, so agree one yourselves; a few weeks with a short notice period is common. For permit holders, the IND is clear that you can change family or agency at any time and there is no statutory notice period. If the placement ends and no new family under a recognised sponsor is found, the permit is withdrawn and the au pair must leave the Netherlands. Families should never withhold pocket money or put an au pair out on the street; give fair notice.

Where au pairs live: cities and regions

• Amsterdam and Amstelveen: the most international area, with many expat families. Housing is very expensive, which makes the free room especially valuable.
• Utrecht: a historic student city and the main rail hub.
• Rotterdam: modern architecture, a big port and a young, multicultural feel.
• The Hague (Den Haag): government and international organisations, many international families and the beach at Scheveningen.
• Leiden, Delft, Haarlem and Amersfoort: smaller canal cities with good train links.
• Eindhoven, Groningen and the east and south: tech and university cities, often calmer and more Dutch-speaking.

The Dutch rail network is dense and trains, trams and buses accept contactless bank cards on most routes, as well as the OV-chipkaart. For school runs and errands, a bike is the default.

Common problems and red flags

• Hours creep: extra evenings, weekend babysitting or "just helping" during holidays pushing you over 30 hours. That breaks the rules, even if paid extra.
• Heavy cleaning or a second address: cleaning the whole house, working for relatives or the family business.
• Cash only, no contract, no insurance: no protection for either side.
• "No agency needed" for a non-EU au pair: without the permit, the work is illegal.
• Deposits or fines: au pairs may not pay a deposit or sign a contract with fines.
• Taking your passport or limiting your contact with friends and family.

What to do: talk to the family first, in writing. Report problems to your recognised agency, which must help; if it does not, report to the IND, which has a reporting point for au pair abuse. In serious cases, contact the police. See our safety guide and red flags before saying yes.

Finding a match on DearAuPair

DearAuPair is a matching platform for au pairs and host families, with a focus on European au pairs. Au pairs create a free profile, with no credit card. Families verify a card to keep the platform free of spam and message au pairs from €9.99 for one month (€19.99 for 3 months, €29.99 for 6 months). There is no auto-renewal and no agency fee. Use the chat and an in-app video call before deciding. See the plans, or create your profile.

Be clear about what we are not: we are not an IND-recognised sponsor. A non-EU au pair needs a recognised agency for the residence permit, and families hosting an EU au pair should decide between a recognised agency and an employment set-up, as explained above. Our au pair guide helps you prepare either way.

Many European au pairs come from Spain, Italy, Poland and Portugal. Still comparing? Neighbouring options include Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and Denmark.