Click to expand the information below to learn more about pocket money, holidays, language courses, and more in Germany.
The pocket money for an au pair in Germany is €280 per month.
Au pairs in Germany should work a maximum of 30 hours per week. They can only do overtime if agreed upon previously, and it should be given back as additional holiday time and not as extra pay.
Au pairs in Germany are entitled to 4 weeks of holiday time for a 12-month stay, which should be compensated with 2 days off per month for shorter stays.
At least 1.5 full days should be free per week (at least once a month these should fall on a Sunday) and also 4 evenings.
Additionally, au pairs in Germany are entitled to days off on public holidays. This cannot count toward their holiday time they accrue working as an au pair.
Au pairs in Germany can stay between 6 and 12 months as agreed upon with their host family. They cannot extend their stay as an au pair past the initial 12 months
After the au pair year, however, there are various opportunities to continue the cultural exchange in Germany, e.g. with a vocational training, through a free social year (FSJ or Freies Soziales Jahr) or with university studies.
Au pairs should attend a German language course during their stay. The host family should contribute €70 per month or €840 total per year toward the actual course for the au pair. The au pair is responsible for any remaining costs of the actual course however the host family must also bear the transport costs to and from the language course.
As part of the au pair program, au pairs are entitled to all meals and housing from the host family. They must live in the same house as their host family and should have a private room with a door, window, bed, wardrobe, and desk as well as access to a bathroom.
Their room should be able to lock and be heated. Their food and living quarters are included if they become sick or are on holiday time.
The au pair is mainly responsible for childcare during their working hours which can include some meals, planning activities, and pick up from school. They cannot work during the night.
They can also contribute to light household tasks especially those that relate to the children such as doing the dishes, organizing toys, or doing the children’s laundry. Their responsibilities do not include heavy household work such as scrubbing bathrooms or vacuuming the whole house.
Au pairs with driver’s licenses in their home countries can drive for the first 6 months of their au pair stay with an international license or official translation. Host families can apply to extend this to the full 12-month stay if they can prove the au pair’s German residency is for a maximum of 12 months.
Au pairs from within the EU can drive throughout their stay as an au pair as long as their license has not expired.
Au pairs in Germany are required to have insurance for sickness, pregnancy, or accidents. It is the responsibility of the host family to pay for this insurance throughout the au pair’s stay.
