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Find out whether your family meets the basic requirements for hosting an au pair in Germany — including children in the household, private accommodation, legal working hours, monthly costs, health insurance, and cultural exchange.
Use the quick eligibility check to identify whether your family appears to meet the main statutory requirements before starting the matching process.
In general, a host family in Germany must meet a set of clear statutory conditions. These include having at least one minor child permanently living in the household, providing appropriate private accommodation, following the official regulations on working hours and mandatory rest periods, and treating the stay as a family cultural exchange rather than domestic employment.
Answer these 5 quick questions to get a clear first indication of whether your household meets the legal German au pair criteria.
Official standards for hosting an au pair in Germany under the guidelines of the Federal Employment Agency (BA).
German regulations permit diverse family structures, provided the household conditions foster a genuine cultural exchange.
Married couples, registered civil partnerships, and cohabiting couples with one or more minor children residing full-time in the household are eligible.
Single mothers and single fathers qualify just like two-parent families, provided the au pair has a dedicated private room and schedule limits are observed.
Patchwork families and rainbow families are welcomed under German au pair rules. The key criterion is that the family speaks German together as their daily language.
Essential practical pillars every host family should prepare before inviting an au pair into their home.
The au pair needs their own bedroom inside your family home or apartment (not shared with children). It must have natural light, heating, a bed, wardrobe, and a desk for study.
Minimum 8–9 m² required by authoritiesTotal monthly expenses typically range from €800 to €1,000, covering €280 pocket money, private au pair health/accident insurance, €70 language subsidy, transit pass, and food.
View full cost breakdown →Working hours are capped at 30 hours per week (max. 6 hours/day), including babysitting evenings. Au pairs are entitled to 4 weeks of paid vacation for a 12-month stay.
Min. 1.5 consecutive days off per weekThe programme is not a domestic employment contract; it is a cultural exchange. Your family must allow schedule flexibility for German classes and cultural immersion.
Read visa & language requirements →Au pair arrangements have clear legal boundaries in Germany to prevent exploitation and guarantee safety.
Deepen your preparation with our complete guides on costs, insurance, visa procedures, and matching.
Detailed monthly pocket money, board, transit, and tax deductibility in Germany.
Mandatory health, accident, and liability insurance requirements for families.
Embassy appointments, A1 German certificate, and visa entry processes.
Filter verified candidates by nationality, language skills, and earliest start date.
Quick, legally accurate answers for prospective host families in Germany.
Yes. Single parents can host an au pair in Germany, provided at least one minor child permanently resides in the household, the family has adequate accommodation (separate private room), and can financially support the au pair.
Yes, this is a mandatory legal requirement under the Federal Employment Agency regulations. The au pair must have a private, lockable, furnished room of at least 8–9 square meters with a window to the outside and heating. Sharing a room with children or adults is strictly prohibited.
The household must include at least one child under the age of 18. Households with only adult children or without children do not qualify for the official German au pair visa and programme.
No. Au pairs are not domestic servants, professional nannies, or cleaning staff. Their duties are limited to light household tasks and childcare assistance up to a maximum of 30 hours per week and 6 hours per day.
Families should budget roughly €800 to €1,000 monthly. This covers the official €280 pocket money, private health/liability insurance (~€50–€80), the mandatory €70 language course subsidy, local transit pass (~€49 Deutschlandticket), and food/utilities.
Yes. Under official German regulations, German must be the spoken language within the family household. If German is not the mother tongue of the parents, at least one parent must speak fluent German so the au pair can actively improve their language skills.
Once your family meets the basic statutory conditions, the next step is discovering verified candidates whose childcare experience, availability, and expectations match your family.
Find Au Pairs on Auost →