Au Pair in Germany: How to Apply for the Au Pair Visa at a German Embassy or Consulate Overseas
If you are looking to work as an au pair in Germany, then follow our complete guide on how to apply for the Au Pair Visa at a German embassy or consulate overseas (i.e outside of Germany)
Working as an au pair in Germany is a fantastic opportunity to learn the German language and experience Germany’s culture. Through living with a host family for up to 1 year, you will be immersed in all things German – while being provided with accommodation, food, health insurance and spending money.
If this sounds like something you would be interested in, then see below to find how you can become an au pair in Germany.
Who is this page for?
🌍 This page is for applying for the Au Pair visa at a German consulate or embassy before entering Germany. You can apply up to 90 days prior to your intended arrival in Germany.
If you are from Australia, Canada, the United States, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Israel, or the United Kingdom, you also have the option of applying for the Au Pair Visa after entering Germany. Citizens of these countries can enter Germany without a visa for up to 90 days and apply at an immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) in Germany during this period. We’ve put together a guide on how you would do this at the immigration office in Berlin.
Citizens from all other countries must apply for an Au Pair Visa at a German consulate or embassy before entering Germany.
Who can apply for the Au Pair Visa for Germany?
If you are wanting to work as an au pair in Germany, you still need to meet some basic, general requirements:
✔️ You must be between 18 and 26 years old. You are eligible to apply right up until the day of your 27th birthday.
✔️ You must have a basic understanding of German (at least A1). A confirmation of language course completion is often required when applying at a German embassy or consulate.
✔️ The host family you intend to work for should speak German at home but do not need to be German citizens. However, at least one adult family member must be a German citizen or a citizen of an EU/EEA member state or Switzerland.
If the host family does not speak German as a mother tongue but uses it as a 'family language', an Au Pair Visa may still be granted so long as the host family does not come from the same country as the au pair.
✔️ You must obtain an au pair contract prior to applying. This contract must contain the following specifications as a minimum:
Exact description of the parties to the contract (au pair host family and au pair).
Start date and duration of the contract.
General responsibilities of the host parents and the au pair.
Agreement regarding the 'pocket money' that will be paid to the au pair (at least €260 per month).
Agreement regarding the working hours (at most 6 hours per day and a maximum of 30 hours per week).
Details of the health insurance provided by the host family which must cover the au pair in the event of illness, pregnancy and birth as well as an accident.
Au pair's holiday entitlement.
Number and age of the children to be minded.
At the bottom of this page, we’ve listed a wide range of au pair agencies in Germany that can help you find a suitable host family and assist you with your au pair contract.
Working Conditions for Au Pairs in Germany
👩👧👦 Here are some guidelines for working as an au pair in Germany as well as some general working conditions that should be followed.
The daily work of an au pair varies from host family to host family, but in general it includes:
Light housework – washing and ironing clothes and keeping the home tidy.
Preparing simple meals.
Looking after young children (e.g. supervising them in the home, taking them to kindergarten or school, taking them to the park).
House sitting and taking care of pets.
Your tasks as an au pair should not extend to looking after sick or elderly family members.
Working conditions generally follow the European Agreement on Au Pair Placement, which lays out regulations regarding language learning, working and living conditions, insurances, etc. These regulations (and certain norms in the au pair sector in Germany) have been expanded on below and should form the basis of your au pair contract.
✔️ Duration of contract – your au pair contract should be for at least 6 months but no longer than 1 year. You are not able to extend the period even if you did not initially apply for the full year.
✔️ Work and time off – an au pair can work for a maximum of 6 hours a day and no longer than 30 hours per week. If these working hours are exceeded, then this must be agreed in advance and the additional hours worked must be paid back in the form of additional time off.
The au pair should have at least 1 full day off a week. While this can be on any day of the week, the au pair should have at least one Sunday a month completely off. On top of this, the au pair should have at least 4 free evenings per week.
✔️ Holidays – if working as an au pair for a full year, you are entitled to 4 weeks of paid holiday. If working for a shorter period, you are entitled to 2 working days of paid holiday for every full month you work.
If an au pair joins a family holiday, then this is not considered as the au pair's own holiday if they are required to carry out specific responsibilities like taking care of the children. If you do not join your host family on their family holiday, then you are not permitted to carry out au pair work for another family during the time they are away.
✔️ Language learning – au pairs should be offered the opportunity to do a German language course in their spare time as well as participate in scholarly or cultural activities. The host family is required to pay €50 per month towards the cost of the language course (on top of the monthly 'pocket money' payments).
✔️ Travel – in general, the au pair bears the cost of their travel to and from their home country.
✔️ 'Pocket money' – as the primary purpose of working as an au pair in Germany is to better your language skills, improve your knowledge and understanding of German culture, and gain work experience, you do not receive a salary for your work but rather 'pocket money'.
As a minimum, this should be €260 per month, and is not linked to the number of hours of work you perform.
✔️ Accommodation and meals – the host family is responsible for providing accommodation and meals, and costs associated with this. The au pair is generally provided with their own room in the family home and eats with the family.
Any dietary requirements should be clearly laid out in the au pair's application.
✔️ Pregnancy, health and accident insurance – the host family must take out insurance which covers the au pair in the event of illness, pregnancy and birth as well as an accident.
✔️ Ending the au pair contract – the au pair contract ends on the agreed contract end date. If there is no notice period specified in the au pair contract, then it is possible to terminate the contract earlier only in the case of mutual agreement. Usually, it is agreed that the au pair will stay until they are able to find a new host family.
In exceptional cases, the au pair contract can be terminated without notice, although it is expected that the au pair and host family will first work together to try and smooth out any initial differences they may have. If the relationship between au pair and host family is unworkable, then the au pair agency should be informed immediately.
How to Apply for the Au Pair Visa at a German Embassy or Consulate Overseas
Pre-requisites – Secure an au pair contract. Prior to applying for the Au Pair Visa for Germany, obtain an au pair contract with a host family that meets the conditions laid out above.
1️⃣ Apply for a temporary Au Pair Visa at your local German embassy or consulate overseas.
2️⃣ Move to Germany. Start working as an au pair and officially register (Anmeldung) at your host family’s address.
3️⃣ Upgrade temporary Au Pair Visa to a full Au Pair Visa at an immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) in Germany.
4️⃣ Collect your German Au Pair Visa at the immigration office in Berlin.
1️⃣ Apply for a temporary Au Pair Visa at your local German embassy or consulate overseas
How to book a visa appointment at your local German embassy or consulate
📅 The first step to working as an au pair in Germany is to apply for an Au Pair Visa at your local German embassy or consulate. To do this, you will first need to schedule a visa appointment. You can find your local German embassy or consulate on this link.
Once on the relevant German embassy/consulate website, you must make an appointment for a national visa – on embassy/consulate websites, this is possible by navigating to the web page that is usually called 'National Visas', 'Long-term Visas' or 'Visas for more than 90-day stays'. Here you’ll be able to access the appointment booking platform for the consulate/embassy.
Once you’ve booked a visa appointment, you will receive a confirmation email that will provide you with details of where and when you must attend your visa appointment at the German embassy or consulate.
The next step will be to attend your appointment and submit the application documents below.
Essential documents for your Au Pair Visa application
We have put this list together having spoken to a wide number of embassies and consulates. These are the standard documents required for the Au Pair Visa for Germany but the requirements vary depending on where you apply.
However, in general, you will be required to provide the following documentation at your visa appointment:
✅ A valid passport and photocopies of your passport data page.
Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months longer than the intended stay, have at least 2 free pages, and not be older than 10 years old. You must also provide two photocopies of your passport data page.
✅ Three current biometric passport photos
Guidelines recommend a 35 mm x 45 mm frontal shot with neutral facial expression, closed mouth, looking straight into the camera, with a light background. We recommend having these taken in a passport photo booth.
✅ Two fully completed and signed au pair contracts
See guidelines above about what should be included in the au pair contract.
✅ Two completed visa application forms (Antrag auf Erteilung eines nationalen Visums)
You can download a blank copy of the form here.
✅ Two completed declarations of accuracy of information
The declaration is often included as the final page of the visa application form.
✅ Evidence of basic knowledge of German (level A1)
For this, you can submit a certificate showing that you have completed a German language course.
✅ CV in German format
The CV can be written in German or English.
✅ Two copies of the German/EU passport of one member of the host family plus a copy of their address registration certificate in Germany (Anmeldebestätigung or Meldebescheinigung).
✅ Invitation letter from your host family
You must provide the original letter plus two copies.
✅ Health insurance confirmation
Prior to your appointment at the German embassy, your host family should arrange an appropriate health insurance policy for you. For this, they can usually have you added to their own German health insurance policy.
As an au pair in Germany, your policy needs to cover you in the event of illness, pregnancy, childbirth and accident. You must bring a copy of the policy confirmation and your policy documents with you to the visa appointment at the German embassy or consulate.
Note: Two identical sets of documents have to be submitted. Originals will be returned to you after they have been examined. All documents must be in either English or German.
If you need help translating any of your application documents into English or German, we recommend using lingoking, who can provide fast and efficient translations of your application documents.
Processing of your Au Pair Visa at the German embassy or consulate
📄 Once you have submitted all of the correct documents, the German embassy or consulate will send your application to the relevant German authorities for assessment. Approval can take between 1 and 3 months so make sure you factor in this processing time when planning your move to Germany.
Approval for an Au Pair Visa from the German embassy or consulate
If and when the embassy/consulate receives approval that they can issue you an Au Pair Visa, you will likely receive a temporary, 90-day Au Pair Visa that will need to be upgraded to a full Au Pair Visa once you are in Germany (step 3 below).
In certain instances, you may receive an Au Pair Visa for the entirety of your stay. This is up to the discretion of the relevant embassy/consulate that you apply at.
🎉 Congratulations! At this stage, you are permitted to move to Germany and start working as an au pair. For details of how to upgrade to a full Au Pair Visa once in Germany, see steps 3 and 4 below.
2️⃣ Move to Germany. Start working as an au pair and officially register (Anmeldung) at your host family’s address
As mentioned above, if your Au Pair Visa is approved at the embassy/consulate, this will likely be a 90-day temporary Au Pair Visa that entitles you to move to Germany and start working.
During this 90-day period, it’s essential that you complete the following step in order to stay longer-term in Germany:
🏠 Complete your Anmeldung at your host family’s address
To upgrade your temporary Au Pair Visa at an immigration office in Germany, you must first have officially registered at an address in Germany, a process that is known as Anmeldung. Without an Anmeldung certificate, you won’t be able to upgrade to a full Au Pair Visa (see step 3 below).
Once you’ve completed your Anmeldung at your host family’s address, you’re ready to move on to step 3 and upgrade your temporary 90-day Au Pair Visa to a full German Au Pair Visa at an immigration office in Germany.
3️⃣ Upgrade temporary Au Pair Visa to a full Au Pair Visa at an immigration office in Germany
As a Berlin-based relocation provider, we have provided details instructions of how to upgrade your Au Pair Visa at the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) in Berlin. If you are living elsewhere in Germany, then we recommend that you also get in touch with your local immigration office, although the application requirements will likely be similar to those laid out below.
Making an Au Pair Visa appointment at the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) in Berlin
Follow the link to book an Au Pair appointment on the immigration office's online booking platform.
Once on the booking platform, click on the ‘Book Appointment’ button to start the process.
Select the visa you wish to apply for. You will then be shown a calendar with available appointments:
Available appointments show up in blue. Select an available appointment from the calendar and enter your personal details in the appointment booking form to complete the booking.
If there are no appointments currently available, you will be shown the following message:
If you are shown this message, you need to wait for the next batch of appointments to be released by the immigration office. Visa appointments are released sporadically throughout the week so we recommend checking the appointment booking platform multiple times a day from around 7 a.m.
Once you have secured an appointment, you will receive a booking confirmation in your inbox that will detail the time, date and location for your Au Pair Visa appointment:
📅 For more detailed instructions, see our guide on how and when to book an Au Pair Visa appointment at the immigration office in Berlin.
Where do I upgrade my temporary Au Pair Visa to a full Au Pair Visa in Berlin?
🧭 As of 01.03.2020, the Au Pair Visa is processed at the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) located at Friedrich-Krause-Ufer 24, 13353 Berlin.
The immigration office at Friedrich-Krause-Ufer 24 is split into a number of 'Haus' (Houses) depending on where you are from. On your visa appointment confirmation, it will specify the exact 'Haus', floor and waiting room that you must go to at the time of your appointment. For example, if you are Australian, you are required to go to Haus B, 3rd floor, waiting rooms E 1.1 and E 1.2.
Below is a picture of the immigration office so that you know you’re in the right place when you map to the address:
Essential documents for upgrading your Au Pair Visa at the immigration office in Berlin
At your visa appointment at the immigration office in Berlin, you should submit the following documents in order to be upgraded to a full Au Pair Visa for Germany:
✅ A valid passport
Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months longer than the intended stay, have at least 2 free pages, and not be older than 10 years old.
✅ One current biometric passport photo
Guidelines recommend a 35mm x 45mm frontal shot with neutral facial expression and closed mouth, looking straight into the camera with a light background. You can obtain a biometric photo from the silver photo booths at the main train stations in Berlin. There are three photo booths located at Alexanderplatz train station.
Here is a useful map of all places you can obtain passport photos in Berlin.
✅ Au pair contract with the host family
See the guidelines above about what should be included in the au pair contract.
✅ Completed 'Application for Issuance of a Residence Permit' form (Antrag auf Erteilung eines Aufenthaltstitels)
You can download the form here.
✅ Proof of main residence in Berlin (address registration certificate)
See the Anmeldung page for details about how to register your address and receive your address registration certificate (Anmeldebestätigung or Meldebescheinigung).
✅ Health Insurance
Your host family will already have added you to their health insurance policy prior to your initial visa appointment at the German embassy or consulate (step 1). Therefore, just remember to bring the policy documents with you to your appointment at the immigration office in Berlin.
While your host family will arrange your German health insurance policy, if you also plan to travel around Europe while au pairing, we suggest also having a European-wide travel insurance policy that covers travel-related expenses. We think World Nomads is a good choice for this purpose.
Processing of the German Au Pair Visa at the immigration office in Berlin
📅 As mentioned above, once you have successfully booked an appointment at the immigration office, you will be emailed a booking confirmation detailing the date and time you must attend your immigration office appointment. The confirmation will also include your Waiting Number (Vorgangsnummer):
When arriving at the immigration office at Friedrich-Krause-Ufer 24, bring a copy of your visa appointment confirmation to show the security guard. Go to the waiting rooms specified on your visa appointment confirmation and wait for your Waiting Number (Vorgangsnummer) to be displayed on the screen.
When your number is displayed, it will be accompanied by a room number, which is where your full Au Pair Visa will be processed. All you are required to do is go to your designated room and hand over all of the documents to the immigration office staff member. The immigration office staff member will now process your application.
Will the Au Pair Visa be provided on the spot at the immigration office in Berlin?
In most cases, no. Your physical Au Pair Visa will take 4 to 6 weeks to be prepared from the date of your appointment. You will be contacted by the immigration office once your Au Pair Visa is approved and ready for collection.
In some circumstances, your full Au Pair Visa will be mailed to your registered address. If this is the case, you will not be required to return to the immigration office to collect your visa.
4️⃣ Collect your German Au Pair Visa at the immigration office in Berlin
As mentioned above, the immigration office will contact you with regards to collecting your German Au Pair Visa. This will likely be 4 to 6 weeks after your initial appointment. When returning to the immigration office, ensure you bring your passport and your address registration certificate.
The German Au Pair Visa costs €100 and must be paid for in cash or with a German EC card.
🎉 This is the final step in the process to becoming an au pair in Germany!
Agencies that can help you become an au pair in Germany
While not mandatory to use an au pair agency to find a host family in Germany, this is generally recommended. The agency will not only match you with potential host families but also help you prepare and complete the au pair contract, and may help you with other administrative tasks related to your application.
We recommend that you only employ the services of an au pair agency which promises to assist you throughout your stay, e.g. in the event that you run into problems with your host family. In Germany, au pair agencies are restricted to charging au pairs a maximum fee of €150 for placement with a host family, which is only payable when the au pair contract comes into effect.
We recommend contacting Jeanne Michel (aupair@euroconnections.de) who runs Euroconnections. Jeanne has been placing au pairs with families in Berlin for over 14 years – she works with some great families and we have been in contact with her for a number of years.
Below, we have provided a list of some other au pair agencies that can help you find a suitable host family in Germany:
👍 Betreut
Facebook groups