An au pair is a young single person aged between 18 and 26 years old from another country, who lives with a host family and helps the host family for a maximum period of 12 months. The au pair’s main objective is to get to know the Belgian language and culture. An au pair legally resides in Belgium with a work permit and Visa and is limited to 4 hours of work per day, 20 hours per week. A European au pair does not need a work permit nor Visa. The au pair can fulfill different roles that meet the needs of the family: take care of the children, entertain them, do homework, do light housework and when necessary, take care of pets. Usually, an au pair has no formal training as a childcare provider but does need to have a high school diploma. An au pair has a private bedroom, board and lodging, monthly pocket money and health insurance.
Sign up procedure
- You are motivated, reliable, proactive, energetic, sporty, and independent
- You are unmarried and have no children
- You have not yet had a work permit in Belgium
- You have a good knowledge of English, French, Spanish, Dutch or German
- You are very interested in learning one of the regional languages during your stay
- (depending on the region of placement)
- You must have followed high school until at least 17 yrs. of age
- You have a high school diploma that gives you access to higher education
- You have sufficient financial resources to pay your own share of the costs
- You can provide references that demonstrate your experience and passion for children
- Non-European au pairs: you are available for 12 months
- European au pairs: You are available for at least 2 months during the summer or the ski season
- You have no criminal record, and you provide the medical certificate
- You are (willing to be) fully vaccinated with a vaccine approved by the European Medicines Agency
- You have good cycling and swimming skills, and you know how to cook
- You are a non-smoker
- Having a driving licence is a plus
Au Pair Office gives priority to au pairs working through a partner agency. As soon as your application is received at Au Pair Office, our team will inform you whether we can place you through our services or whether we can refer you to a partner agency. Are you a young person living in Belgium and looking for an au pair adventure abroad? Apply now, Au Pair Office will gladly assist you.
Au pair costs
- The medical certificate
- Extract from criminal records
- Translations in Dutch, German, French, legalizations, apostille of official documents
- Consular fees to be paid at the embassy for Visa
- Compulsory language lessons, in consultation with host family
- Bus pass, local transport costs, telephone pass, fitness pass
- Travel costs to the home- or other country consultation with the host family
- Participation in Au Pair Office events, in consultation with the host family
Advantages of becoming an Au Pair Office au pair
- Au Pair Office listens to the au pairs and gives professional advice
- Our team supports and offers help and provides follow-up emails
- We refer the au pairs to the relevant authorities
- We make sure that the essential documents are delivered to migration and embassy
- Au Pair Office mediates between au pair and host family
- We create contacts between au pairs and organise fun events
Agreement
- Non-European au pairs and host families sign the official Belgian au pair contract
- European au pairs and host families sign an official European contract
- The au pair commits not to be employed in any other way in Belgium, both during the period of placement as au pair and after the expiry of the work permit and commits to leave Belgium as from that moment
- It is important that all expectations are discussed beforehand and communicated to Au Pair Office so that we can include them in the official contract
- Au pairs are allowed to work 4 hours a day (including babysitting) which means 20 hours a week, divided over maximum 6 days a week. The work schedule must be agreed upon in advance and must be clear to both parties
- One day off per week is mandatory. It must always be possible to freely engage in religious expression
- Holidays of au pairs are not regulated by law in Belgium; during holidays payment continues There are no official regulations concerning public holidays for au pairs
In case of early termination
- The au pair contract remains valid for the entire duration of the au pair stay. However, it is possible to terminate the contract prematurely for well-founded reasons
- Au Pair Office recommends, in agreement with the different official institutions and inspection services, to respect a notice period of 14 days if this is possible for both parties and by mutual consent. The au pair contract can also be terminated immediately without notice for very serious reasons
- In Belgium, the au pair is entitled to a one-time rematch if the au pair has not yet reached the age of 26
Pocket Money, board & lodging
- Au pairs must open a bank account upon arrival
- Au pairs receive at least 450 euros pocket money per month, also during inactivity or holidays
- An au pair is entitled to board and lodging, a private bedroom and free access to the host family’s house
Insurance
- Non-European au pairs: Each host family is obliged to take out an insurance for the au pair during the entire period of the stay. The insurance covers the medical, pharmaceutical and hospitalization costs. In addition, this insurance must cover the possible early repatriation of the au pair due to illness or accident
- European au pairs: The au pair must verify with the health insurance company whether the cover for the stay in Belgium is provided. The host family should also take out an additional insurance that covers all medical costs and repatriation
- Host families can take out these policies via Au Pair Office
Language Course
- All au pairs must follow language courses during their entire stay. Depending on the region, the au pair will attend Dutch, French or German language courses organized by recognized language institutes
- The course must be offered by a recognized institution: private lessons or distance learning are not accepted by the Belgian authorities
- If the au pair does not have a basic knowledge of one of the regional languages, he/she will follow an intensive language course upon arrival in Belgium
- The time allocation will be organized in such a way that the au pair will have the opportunity to follow courses
Driving
- It is not possible to drive with an international driving licence as a resident
- You can drive as an au pair with a recognized European or recognized non-European driving licence and convert it to a Belgian driving licence during your stay
- Questions concerning liability and insurance are answered by an insurance broker
