The Ultimate Au Pair Packing List (2026): What to Bring and What to Leave Behind

You've found your host family, signed the contract, and booked your flight. Now comes the part nobody prepares you for: fitting your entire life into one suitcase. Here's what to pack — and what to leave behind.

If you're still in the planning stage, start with our step-by-step guide to becoming an au pair. If you've already signed your au pair contract and your departure date is circled on the calendar, keep reading. This is the list you'll wish you'd had.

Documents (originals + photocopies, stored separately)

Lose your phone on the train from the airport and you need to be able to reach your host family, prove who you are, and access your money. Always keep originals in your carry-on and photocopies in a separate bag or emailed to yourself.

• Passport or national ID card — check it won't expire during your stay
• EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) — or travel insurance documents if you're coming from outside the EU
• Printed copy of your au pair contract — some countries require this for residence registration
• Host family's full address and phone number on paper — not just saved in your phone
• Driver's licence — if you have one. Some families need you to drive the kids, and an international driving permit costs about €15
• Birth certificate or ID photocopies — needed in Germany, Austria, and a few other countries for your Anmeldung (residence registration)
• 2–3 passport-sized photos — useful for transport cards, language school enrollment, and ID applications
• A bank card that works abroad — check foreign transaction fees before you go. Fintech cards like Revolut or Wise are popular with au pairs in Europe because they charge almost nothing for cross-border spending

Clothes (less than you think)

The biggest packing mistake au pairs make is bringing too many clothes. You will do laundry. You will buy new things. You will realise that half of what you packed sits untouched in a drawer for twelve months.

• 1 week of casual everyday clothes — t-shirts, jeans, leggings, sweaters. You'll be chasing toddlers, not attending galas
• 1 pair of comfortable walking shoes — you'll be on your feet more than you expect, between school runs, playgrounds, and weekend outings
• 1 rain jacket + waterproof layer — Europe is wetter than most people expect, especially northern Europe from October onwards
• Swimsuit — pools, beaches, water parks with kids. You'll use it more than you think
• 1 nice outfit — for family dinners, a weekend trip, or an evening out with other au pairs

Don't pack: formal wear, "just in case" outfits, more than two pairs of shoes. You WILL buy clothes there. European high-street shops are everywhere and sales happen constantly. Leave room in your suitcase — you'll thank yourself in month three.

Electronics

• Phone + charger — obviously
• Universal power adapter — essential if you're coming from outside Europe. Even within Europe, the UK, Switzerland, and Denmark use different plug types
• Laptop or tablet — for language courses, video calls home, job applications, and the Netflix you'll watch during nap time
• Headphones — your sanity during nap time, long bus rides, and those evenings when you need your own world for an hour
• Portable charger / power bank — a full day out with the kids means your phone dies by 4pm. A small power bank fixes this

For your room

Your room in your host family's house is going to be your sanctuary for the next 6–12 months. A few small things from home make it feel like yours.

• Photos from home — printed, not just on your phone. Tape them above your desk for the homesick days that will come, especially in the first few weeks
• A small item from home — a mug, a blanket, a pillowcase that smells like your room. It sounds silly until it's 11pm on day four and you're missing your family
• Earplugs + sleep mask — different house, different noises. Early-rising toddlers don't care that it's your day off

Gifts for your host family

Arriving with a small gift is a lovely gesture and a great icebreaker on your first evening. Don't overthink it and don't overspend.

• Something from your home country — food is always the best option. Chocolate, coffee, sweets, a local specialty, a jar of something your region is known for. People love trying food from other countries
• A small toy or book for each child — nothing expensive, just something they can associate with you and where you're from
• Budget: €10–20 total is perfect. The thought matters infinitely more than the price tag

For the kids

These aren't gifts exactly — they're tools. Things that help you bond with the children in your first week when you're still a stranger in their house.

• A photo book or slideshow of your hometown — kids are naturally curious. Showing them where you come from turns you from "the new person" into someone with a story
• 1–2 simple games or craft supplies from your country — card games, stickers, colouring pages. Anything you can do together
• Songs or rhymes in your language — kids absolutely love learning foreign words. Teach them to count to ten in your language on day one and they'll think you're a genius

What NOT to pack

Every experienced au pair has the same regret: they packed too much. Here's what to leave behind.

• Too many books — they're heavy. You'll find a library, a book exchange, or a Kindle
• Full-size toiletries — buy them when you arrive. European supermarkets and drugstores like dm and Rossmann are cheap and everywhere
• Sentimental items you'd be devastated to lose — things get lost, broken, or forgotten in moves. Leave the irreplaceable at home
• More than 1 suitcase + 1 carry-on — you need to be mobile. Airport transfers, train platforms, walk-ups with no lift. Travel light or suffer
• Snacks that won't survive customs or a warm suitcase — melted chocolate and confiscated fruit are a waste of luggage space

Pro tips from experienced au pairs

These come from au pairs who've done it before — the things nobody tells you until you've already made the mistake.

• Roll your clothes, don't fold them — it saves about 30% of suitcase space and wrinkles less. This is not a myth; it actually works
• Pack your documents in your carry-on, never in checked luggage — if your suitcase gets lost (and airlines lose bags all the time), you still have your passport, contract, and host family's address
• Leave room in your suitcase — you WILL buy things abroad. Clothes, books, souvenirs, that perfect mug from the Christmas market. If your suitcase is full on day one, you're in trouble by month three
• Take a photo of your packed suitcase before you close it — useful for insurance claims if your luggage goes missing, and handy for remembering what you actually brought
• Download offline maps of your destination city before you fly — airport Wi-Fi is unreliable, your new SIM might not work immediately, and you need to get from the airport to your host family's house without panicking
• Wear your bulkiest items on the plane — winter coat, hiking boots, heavy hoodie. Every kilo on your body is a kilo not in your suitcase
• Email yourself copies of every important document — passport, contract, insurance card, driver's licence. If everything gets stolen, you can access copies from any device with an internet connection

The printable checklist

We've put together a downloadable packing checklist you can print and tick off as you pack. Pin it to your wall, screenshot it, or tape it inside your suitcase lid. Whatever works.

You're almost there

Packing is the last practical step before your au pair year actually begins. Once that suitcase is zipped shut, the next time you open it will be in a new country, in a new room, at the start of something genuinely life-changing. If you want to know what that first week looks like, read our first week survival guide — it covers everything from the airport pickup to your first bedtime routine with the kids.

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