An au pair can be a great help in everyday life with childcare, household help and cultural enrichment for your family, but what are the costs of hosting an au pair?

Before an au pair is granted a visa, the authorities check whether the host family has enough income per family member and whether the family's livelihood is secure. This is a prerequisite for issuing a residence permit.

• An au pair receives a monthly pocket money, which varies from country to country. The pocket money is paid by the host family.
• You insure your au pair; there is a special insurance combination for au pairs that includes health, accident and liability insurance for about 30-40 euros per month (information on au pair insurance).
• The au pair pays for the language school, the host family pays an additional 50 Euro per month for the language course.
• The costs for public transportation to the German course or the children's kindergarten/school are covered by the family (often a monthly pass or an annual subscription is cheaper)
• The au pair has the right to a heated room.
• The au pair shares meals with the family and does not have to pay for them..
• Travel costs to and from the host family are covered by the au pair. However, the host family usually contributes to these costs..
• All costs incurred by the authorities in Germany (electronic residence permit, registration confirmation, driver's license renewal, etc.) are borne by the host family.

Use of telephone, Internet and mobile Phone

The use of telephone is at the discretion of the host family. This should be made clear at the beginning of the stay. In any case, the au pair should be allowed to inform the family in her/his home country by telephone immediately after her/his arrival in Germany. Free access to the Internet is an important selection criterion for au pairs when choosing a host family. Providing the au pair with a prepaid cell phone subscription ensures that the au pair can be reached and that you and the au pair have appropriate cost control.

Health

If your au pair becomes ill, the host family should take care of the au pair, including providing rest and recuperation and seeking medical attention. Please talk to the insurance company about this. Please remember that the au pair is treated as a member of the family. Pocket money will be paid for up to 6 weeks.

DrivingLicense

According to the current legal situation, driving licenses for au pairs from countries outside the EU are only valid for 6 months. However, this can be extended to 12 months. The application must be made informally and in writing to the relevant driving license authority. If the au pair will be using the family car, it is advisable that the insurance cover of the car be adjusted to protect everyone from unwanted surprises.

Tax Advantages

Please note and consult your tax advisor on how to correctly claim childcare costs and placement fees for tax purposes. It is important to have pocket money, language course allowance and travel allowance paid into a bank account.