The library
Everything nobody tells you beforehand.
31 plain-English guides on visas, money, paperwork, daily life and safety — written for au pairs and host families who want the detail, not the brochure.
25 guides
Getting started · 6 min read
What an au pair actually is (and isn't)
A cultural exchange with childcare at its centre — not a nanny contract, not a cleaner, not a cheap babysitter. Here is the line, and why it matters legally.
Read the guideGetting started
The first month: a week-by-week settling-in plan
Most placements that fail, fail in the first four weeks. This is the structure that prevents it — what to agree on day one, week one and week four.
Both sides7 min readMoney
Au pair pocket money by country: pay, hours & costs in 2026
Compare au pair pocket money and pay in Germany, France, Austria, Australia and the UK, with official sources, hours, family costs and a stay calculator.
Both sides9 min readMoney
What hosting an au pair really costs a family
A full monthly budget including pocket money, food, insurance, transport and the language course — plus how it compares to a nursery place or a nanny.
For families6 min readVisas and paperwork
The paperwork a host family needs to get right
The agreement, the insurance, the registration and the tax position — the four things that turn an informal arrangement into a legal one.
For families7 min readGetting started
Writing a profile that actually gets replies
The specific details that make a profile stand out, the phrases everyone uses that mean nothing, and how to write a first message that gets answered.
Both sides6 min readGetting started
40 questions to ask before you say yes
The video-call questions that surface problems early — for au pairs interviewing families, and families interviewing au pairs.
Both sides8 min readDaily life
House rules that prevent arguments
The unspoken expectations that cause most household friction — food, guests, noise, screens, phones — and how to write them down without sounding like a landlord.
For families5 min readSafety
Safety, scams and red flags
How to spot a fake profile, the money scams that target au pairs, and the warning signs in a real family that mean you should walk away.
Both sides7 min readSafety
When a placement isn't working
How to raise a problem before it becomes an ending, what fair notice looks like, and how a rematch actually works.
Both sides6 min readCountry guides
Being an au pair in Germany
The German au pair system is one of the most clearly regulated in Europe. Here are the rules, the money, the registration steps and the culture.
Both sides7 min readCountry guides
Being an au pair in Spain
Later days, bigger families, warmer weather and a looser framework than northern Europe — what that means in practice.
Both sides6 min readDaily life
Driving as an au pair: licences, insurance and nerves
Whether your licence is valid abroad, how the family should insure you, and how to handle driving children safely in an unfamiliar country.
Both sides5 min readContracts & templates
The au pair agreement, clause by clause
Most countries require a written agreement before they grant the visa — and every good placement starts with one. Here is what goes in it, clause by clause, with a free template.
Both sides8 min readContracts & templates
The weekly schedule: how to write one that holds
'About thirty hours, flexible' is where placements go wrong. A one-page weekly grid fixes hours, duties and handovers before they become arguments. Free template included.
Both sides6 min readVisas and paperwork
Au pair insurance: what must be covered, and who pays
Health cover is a visa condition in most host countries, and car insurance is the question families forget until the first school run. Here is the full checklist.
Both sides7 min readGetting started
Au pair vs nanny: the honest comparison
One is a cultural exchange guest, the other is an employee. The cost difference is real, but so is the difference in what you can ask of them. Here's how to choose.
For families8 min readGetting started
Au pair duties and hours: what's normal (and what's out of bounds)
Childcare and light housework — but how many hours, which chores, and where's the line? A clear picture of a normal au pair week, with the hour caps for the main countries.
Both sides7 min readMoney
Au pair pay and salary explained: pocket money by country (2026)
How much does an au pair get paid? Official pocket money rates and weekly hours for 20+ host countries, what's included on top of the money, and how to agree a fair amount.
Both sides6 min readSafety
Au pair scams: how to spot a fake family or au pair
The most common au pair scams, the warning signs, and the simple checks that keep families and au pairs safe.
Both sides5 min readGetting started
What to do after you match: step-by-step to arrival day
You've found your family or au pair. Here's the order to do everything in — from signing the agreement to the first day.
Both sides5 min readDaily life
Au pair room requirements: what host families must provide
The private room is part of the au pair's package. What the rules require, what's expected, and the extras that make a difference.
For families4 min readMoney
Au pair travel expenses: who pays for flights and transport?
Flights, visa fees, local transport and trips with the family — what's typical, what some programmes require, and how to agree it.
Both sides4 min readMoney
Paid holidays for au pairs: how much time off by country
How much paid holiday an au pair gets, how days off work each week, and how to plan holidays around the family.
Both sides4 min readVisas and paperwork
Au pair requirements by country: age, language and visa rules
Who can become an au pair where — age limits, language and experience requirements, and maximum stay for popular host countries.
Both sides6 min readBrowse by topic
- Getting started9
- Money5
- Visas and paperwork5
- Contracts & templates2
- Daily life5
- Safety3
- Country guides2