Costs of an au pair stay: What does the au pair pay, what does the family pay?
(Also to be found with keywords Costs for host family, Costs for au pair and Au pair stay cost overview)
The costs of an au pair stay can differ somewhat for the host family and the au pair depending on the legal arrangements in the particular host country. The following cost overview gives basic information about the general costs au pairs and host families can expect as a first orientation for planning purposes.
Costs for the host family
| Placement fee | At AuPairWorld there is no placement fee. Premium Membership is nonetheless necessary for host families to establish personal contact with au pairs. |
| Pocket money | The amount of pocket money paid to the au pair is fixed per country. |
| Household budget | During the au pair stay the household budget will increase due to the addition of another adult into the family. The host family must supply the au pair with meals and should also expect an increase in the cost of household bills (water, electricity, etc.) |
| Mobility | So that the au pair can accompany the children of the host family to school or to other activities, the host family must ensure their mobility and subsequent costs (tickets for public transport, fuel for the car, a bike etc.) |
| Insurance | In the majority of host countries, the host family must ensure that the au pair is insured for the full duration of their stay. Usually the family must pay the entirety of the insurance fee. - Health insurance : if the au pair's cover is not valid in the host country, the host family must subscribe them to a private health insurance - Motor insurance : if the au pair has to drive the family car, the family must contact their motor insurer to ask to include the au pair on their insurance policy |
| Language course | In certain countries the host family is responsible for paying a part of the cost of the au pair's language course. In other countries, they advise that the family pays the full amount. |
| Travel costs | Au pairs pay their own travel expenses. Even if the host family wishes to pay for the au pair's travel expenses, we strongly recommend that no money is paid (or air tickets purchased and sent) before the au pair's stay begins. In any case, we advise the host family to pay for the au pair's return home if they are satisfied with their au pair. The costs can vary greatly depending on the distance between the country of origin and the destination country. |
| Telephone | The au pair pays for their own private communication. The host family can provide their au pair with a mobile phone if they wish to. In this case the au pair and family discuss with one another the method of its use. |
Further useful information
- In certain countries and under certain conditions financial support is offered to the host family by the government. It can take the form of a tax reduction (in Germany) or a grant (in New Zealand).
Costs for the au pair
| Placement fee | At AuPairWorld there is no placement fee. Au pairs can use the full service of AuPairWorld free of charge. Host families, on their part, must pay a Premium Membership to establish personal contact with au pairs. |
| Travel costs | The au pair is responsible for all travel costs, regardless of whether they are travelling by plane, train or car. Again, the costs for travelling to and from the host country can vary greatly depending on the destination country the au pair chooses. Nevertheless, it is possible, for example, that the host family will offer to pay for the return flight. However, this is up to each family to decide. |
| Language course | In most countries, the au pair must pay for their language course. The costs vary widely depending of the number of hours of the course, the host region and the quality of the establishment. To give a general idea, a course of six hours per week costs 100 to 200 euros per month. |
| Insurance | In the majority of host countries, the host family must ensure that their au pair is covered for the full duration of their stay. In certain countries, the au pair must be responsbile for the insurance fees. The best thing to do is to enquire about the legal arrangements in your host country. - Health insurance: if the au pair's cover is not valid in the host country, they can ask their family to contribute towards their necessary private healthcare subscription. - Travel insurance: the au pair can take out this insurance to prevent the risk of theft or loss of their baggage or medical repatriation. |
| Administration fees | The au pair submits the visa application and must pay the related costs of obtaining the visa/ residence permit. The costs generally vary between 60 and 150 euros depending on the country. Other administrative fees may also be requested. |
| Activities and going out | The au pair should keep aside some of their pocket money to go out, discover the neighbouring region or carry out their hobbies. |
| Telephone | The au pair pays for their own personal communication in the host country. If they use the telephone of the host family or a phone for their own use, they should discuss the use of it with the family. |
