Au Pair in Germany: Visa, Pocket Money and Host Family Rules

By the GoGermany Editorial Team · 2026-07-27

Everything about becoming an au pair Germany welcomes: the D visa, €280 pocket money, working hours, host family duties and how to apply step by step.

Becoming an au pair Germany host families welcome is one of the cheapest and safest ways to spend a year living inside a German household, learning the language and testing whether the country is right for you. You get a private room, meals, health insurance and monthly pocket money in exchange for helping with childcare and light housework. This guide breaks down the visa, the exact money involved, the working-hour limits and the rules both you and your host family must follow.

Who can become an au pair?

Germany's au pair programme is aimed at young people who want cultural exchange, not cheap labour, so the eligibility rules are strict.

• Age: you must be between 18 and 26 (you have to start before your 27th birthday).
• Language: basic German at A1 level is required, proven with a certificate from an institute such as the Goethe-Institut or telc.
• Marital status: you cannot be married with children of your own, and you must not be related to the host family.
• No prior long stay: you generally cannot have lived in Germany as an au pair before.

The stay lasts a maximum of 12 months and cannot be extended. If you fall in love with the country, plan your next step early — many former au pairs switch to an Ausbildung Visa Germany: Get a Vocational Training Permit or enrol in a language and study track.

The au pair visa: which one and how to apply

If you hold an EU/EEA or Swiss passport you need no visa at all — just register your address (Anmeldung) after arrival. Everyone else needs a National D visa issued for the purpose of "au pair". This is a long-stay visa, not a tourist Schengen sticker; if you are unsure of the difference, read National D Visa vs Schengen Visa: Which Does Germany Need? before you book anything.

You apply at the German embassy or consulate in your home country. Typical documents:

• A signed au pair contract with your host family (the core document).
• Valid passport plus biometric photos.
• A1 German certificate.
• Proof of the host family's health, accident and liability insurance for you.
• Completed national visa application form and the €75 fee.
• Motivation letter and, in some countries, proof of childcare experience.

Processing usually takes 4 to 12 weeks, so start early. To avoid the classic scramble of missing paperwork, run your file through our Document Checklist before the appointment. After you arrive, you convert the visa into a residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel) at the local Ausländerbehörde.

Pocket money and what the host family pays

Au pair pay in Germany is fixed by guidelines, so the numbers are the same whether you live in Munich or a small town.

• Pocket money (Taschengeld): €280 per month, paid regardless of how many hours you actually work.
• Free accommodation: your own furnished, lockable room in the family home.
• Free full board: all meals, including on your days off.
• Language-course subsidy: the family must contribute at least €50 per month toward a German course.
• Insurance: the family pays for your health, accident and pregnancy insurance for the whole stay.
• Travel: many families also cover a monthly transport ticket.

That €280 is spending money on top of free housing and food, so it stretches further than it looks. To see how far it goes in different cities, try our Living Cost Calculator. If you later move into paid work, our City Comparator helps you weigh salaries against rent.

Working hours, time off and duties

The rules protect au pairs from being treated like full-time nannies or cleaners.

• Maximum 30 hours per week, and no more than 6 hours per day.
• Duties are limited to childcare and light housework connected to the children (tidying their rooms, preparing simple meals, laundry, school runs). Heavy cleaning, gardening or caring for elderly relatives is not allowed.
• Babysitting in the evenings can count toward your hours, up to two evenings per week by arrangement.
• Time off: at least one full free day every week (a whole free weekend at least once a month) plus four free evenings weekly.
• Paid holiday: if you stay a full year you get four weeks of paid vacation; for shorter stays it is two weekdays of paid leave per month.

Everything should be written into the contract. The RAL quality seal from the Gütegemeinschaft Au pair is a good sign a family and agency follow the rules.

Host family rules and requirements

The programme is a two-way street; families must qualify too.

• The household must include at least one child under 18.
• German must be the everyday language spoken at home — this is the core of the cultural-exchange idea.
• The family cannot be related to the au pair.
• They must provide a private room, full board, insurance, the language subsidy and reasonable free time.
• They should help you integrate: introduce you to the neighbourhood, help with the Anmeldung and support your German course.

Good families treat the au pair as part of the household, not an employee. A short trial video call and a clear contract prevent most conflicts, and reputable agencies will let you speak with a former au pair before you commit. If a family refuses to put terms in writing or pressures you to start before your visa is issued, walk away — those are the clearest warning signs of a placement that will go wrong.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Skipping the A1 certificate. Without proof of basic German, the embassy will refuse the visa outright.
• Accepting a vague contract. Insist on written hours, duties, pocket money and holidays before you sign anything.
• Applying with a Schengen visa. A tourist visa cannot be converted; you need the National D au pair visa from the start.
• Ignoring the insurance clause. Confirm the family has arranged health, accident and pregnancy cover before departure.
• Treating it as a job. Au pair is cultural exchange with strict hour limits — a family demanding 40-hour weeks or heavy cleaning is breaking the rules.
• Choosing an unvetted agency. Look for the Gütegemeinschaft Au pair RAL seal and read reviews.

Your year in Germany starts here

An au pair year is a low-cost gateway: free housing and food, €280 in your pocket, real German practice and a front-row view of daily life. Nail the contract, secure your A1 certificate and lodge a clean National D visa application, and you could be settling into a German family within a few months. Explore our free tools and guides to plan every step — and to map out what comes after your au pair year, from Ausbildung to a full work visa.

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