An au pair is in charge of taking care of the children. He or she will get food and accommodation provided by the family free of charge, and a small allowance in addition (sort of pocket money). Being an au pair is an ideal way to get a first impression and understand the German culture and lifestyle. In Germany, you need to be between 18 and 25 years to be an au pair.

There are a number of conditions that both host family and the prospective au pair need to fulfill before making the move to the Germany. For more detailed information on documents and conditions, costs and time involved click on the following link - http://aupair-visa-germany.greataupair.com/

What the au pair must know

The au pair is an extra pair of hands to help you take care of your children. Having said that, an au pair is not a professional nanny. She will have some basic skills and can look after children but for any specialized care or concerns, please ensure that you have the right person on the job. In general, an au pair does the following:

• Speaks the language, at least enough to understand and talk with the family
• Ensure the children get up on time; dress the children
• Take them to school/nursery/activity classes...,
• Play with them, entertain them
• Be in charge of their meals,
• Tidy up their rooms,
• Baby-sit as arranged, up to 3 evenings per week.

What the family has to do

The family has to welcome the au pair in thinking that she is not an employee but a home help for the children. Therefore they will make sure:

• The au pair has her own bedroom and free board
• The au pair will work to a maximum of 30 hours a week (5-6 days per week, up to 5 hours per day)
• The au pair will have at least 1.5 days off per week and at least once a month, the free day will be in a weekend
• The au pair has four weeks of vacation with pocket money paid for a stay of 12 months
• The opportunity to attend a language course (at own cost)
• A monthly ticket for public transport or the possibility to use a car
• Medical insurance will have to cover the au pair in case of sickness or accident,

Her possessions should also be registered on the house insurance.

Some addresses...

If you want to register as an au pair or as a family, you can contact:

• IAPA (International Au Pair Association): http://www.iapa.org
• IAPO (International Au Pair Organisation): http://www.au-pair.org
• http://www.workingabroad.org/au-pair/germany-berlin.html
• http://europa.eu/youth/working/au_pair/index_de_en.html
• http://www.scotia-personnel-ltd.com/aupair_Germany.htm
• http://www.europa-pages.com/au_pair/german.html

Searching for an Au Pair

• Au Pair Search: http://www.aupairsearch.com
• GreatAuPair: http://www.greataupair.com
• Au Pair Box: http://www.au-pair-box.com
• S-Au Pair: http://www.saupair.com
• Au Pair Connect: http://www.aupairconnect.com/
• Au Pair Agency: http://www.aupair-agency.com/

Usually agencies will ask registration fees from the family, the au pair or both.