General Questions

Can Au Pairs work more than 45 hours?

No. Every country has its own regulations for how many hours/week the Au Pair is allowed to work, and they correspond to a specific monthly pocket money. In some countries, like the USA, this includes extra babysitting hours. In other Host Countries it depends on the agreement between Au Pair and Host Family. 

How do I become a senior caregiver?

Create a profile on AuPair.com as a senior carer and search for suitable employers. There are different types of employment, which involve different amounts of work.

How many hours a week can an eldercare worker work?

Senior carers usually work 40 hours a week with a five-day week. However, the working hours can be adapted to the senior's needs.

What are the tasks of an eldercare provider?

A senior caregiver helps older persons in their everyday life. This includes doing the shopping, cooking and eating meals together and keeping the household clean. A senior carer may provide basic care, but may not carry out medical activities, such as giving medication or injections.

Is AuPair.com safe?

Yes! We do our best to check every user of our platform. Nonetheless, AuPair.com follows the same rules as many other Internet communities. This is why we recommend to arrange a video-call and ask about all the important details in person. In case you feel uncomfortable, get in touch with us! You can find our contact form here. 

Is AuPair.com reliable?

Yes, we are! AuPair.com is a registered company located in Cologne, Germany. If you have any questions you can always reach us via e-mail (info@aupair.com) or phone. Since we provide customer support in different languages you can have a look at our phone numbers in different countries here. 

Do Au Pairs need an insurance?

Depends - if the Au Pair is an EU citizen and wants to work in an EU country, she won't need an additional insurance. In almost every other case the Au Pair will need an insurance. You can read more about the European Health Insurance Card here. 

What’s the difference between Premium and Basic accounts?

The Basic Membership is free. It gives you the possibility to browse Au Pair profiles on the website and send standard messages to our members. The Premium Membership offers you the possibility to create free form messages. It’s the quickest way to find an Au Pair, because you can send personalized messages and exchange contact details with all Au Pairs.

Can I edit my Au Pair profile?

Yes. You can always edit the categories below of your profile from the main page: 

• Contact details
• Personal details
• Job requirements
• Letters and further details
• Manage your pictures

To change your e-mail address, send us a message.

I can’t access my account. What has happened?

Either there is something wrong with your login details or the account was blocked by our administrators. In the first case, try to reset your password and access the account once again. If our system informs you that the account has been blocked, get in touch with us through our contact form! 

How to avoid scammers?

If you are contacted by someone who seems to be unreliable, pay attention to the following:

• If there is an email address in the profile picture. 
• You have been asked to make a transfer through MoneyGram, Western Union, or to set up some deposit account.
• You have been contacted by some agency or a lawyer. They might have sent you a visa application or sample contract.
• Someone advises you to pay rent for a flat. 
• The Au Pair just asked you to pay for the flight ticket. Although some Au Pairs expect Host Families to help them with travel costs, there are certain rules of cost refund. 
• The Host Family contacts you on Facebook. 

These are some of the most popular scam situations. If you encounter any of these before our administrators, or if you ever feel uneasy, please get in touch with us so we can take measures against scammers. Learn more about Au Pair scam schemes that might happen.

How can I delete my account?

You can delete your account by entering "My AuPair.com", "Settings" and clicking the "Delete my account" link on the bottom right corner of the page. You can also drop us a message about stopping the service through our contact form. Your account will disappear from the Google search results within a few weeks after deletion. If you would like to refund any payment done at AuPair.com, don’t delete your account after submitting this type of request. We will need to check your case according to our refund policy, thus we will need your account to be active. 

Why can’t I include my contact details in the letters?

There are two main reasons. Firstly, it is for your security. AuPair.com checks all registered users on a daily basis. Fake accounts are usually blocked within minutes, but even a small delay allows scammers to proceed further. If your contact details are visible in your profile, they could fall into the wrong hands. Be careful when you are sharing contact and personal details. The second reason is our payment policy.

How long does it take for the Premium Membership to be activated?

It depends on the payment method. If you use credit card or PayPal, the account will be upgraded right away. Sometimes you might need to log in once again to your profile to get the access to all advanced features of the Au Pair service. If you send money through a bank transfer, your account will be upgraded within 1-2 days after the payment receipt. You can always contact us after making the payment. We will upgrade your account for few days in advance! Western Union payments are the most troublesome ones. You need to provide us with all the details required to pick up your payment. We need a transfer control number, your name, surname, country, email address and possibly your account ID number. In such cases, the account will be upgraded within one week after the payment receipt. 

Do I need to cancel my Premium Membership?

No. Our Premium Membership is a one-off payment and after reaching the end date it expires on its own. You won't need to do any cancellations. If you don’t make another payment to extend your membership, we will never charge your account automatically.

How can I deactivate my account?

Of course you can. Make sure you are logged in and click on "My AuPair.com", followed by the section "Settings". Under the heading "My profile is" you will be able to deactivate your account there. You can always reactivate it if you need it in the future.

I submitted a wrong email address. What should I do?

The email address is the only detail in your profile that you can’t change on your own. Send us a message through our contact form with your account ID number and your valid email address. We will help you as soon as we receive your message.

Do you check your users?

Yes! Although we can’t interview them personally as an online matching agency, we do our best to check as many details as possible. Nonetheless, AuPair.com follows the same rules as many other Internet communities. To ensure that you are in touch with a real, reliable person, arrange a video-call and ask about all the important details in person. If you ever feel uneasy, contact us! We will be glad to share our feedback about any user if you find him/her suspicious.    

Who should pay for the travel expenses?

We recommend Host Families to help Au Pairs with travel expenses, though it’s not their obligation to do so. In any case, the Au Pair needs to cover the travel costs initially. If the Host Family would like to support the Au Pair, they can repay the ticket price in monthly installments that will be added to the Au Pair's salary during 10 months. In the case of Au Pair USA and China, the ticket will be covered by the Host Family. We recommend to discuss this topic before the Au Pair’s arrival and note down the conditions in the Au Pair contract. Learn more about other Au Pair costs to participate in the program or Host Family costs for hosting an Au Pair.  

How can an Au Pair get a visa?

AuPair.com is an online matching agency, therefore this question is beyond our scope of responsibility. But we will do our best to help you nonetheless! Usually the best source of information is the embassy of the host country placed in the Au Pair’s homeland. Requirements vary depending on both the Au Pair’s nationality and the host country, but usually a letter of invitation from the Host Family and a signed contract are needed to start the visa application. Other documents may be different depending on each individual case, and in case of the US, assistance of a local full-service Au Pair agency is also necessary.   

Au Pair's Questions

My Au Pair stay went wrong! Can you help me?

We always recommend to have an honest conversation with your Host Family about the problems occurred and find a solution together. Most of the troubles can be solved through communication and feedback! If you can’t find a way out, you can consider contract termination. We recommend you to respect the notice period that is mentioned in your Au Pair contract. During this time both you and your Host Family can find an alternative solution. E.g. you can reactivate your profile at AuPair.com and try to find another Host Family. Be supportive to each other in any case.  AuPair.com can’t help you personally in this case as we are an online matching agency with no external offices in the host countries.

I want to be an Au Pair in the US! What should I do?

The Au Pair Program in the USA has specific requirements. One of them is a mandatory registration through a full-service agency. There is a special list of agencies recognized by the US Government and entitled to help you with the J-1 visa. AuPair.com can help you find a Host Family, but remember that further documentation and formalities should be done through a local US agency.  

I can’t send a request to a Host Family. Why?

This is most likely happening due to the Host Family’s preferences. The Host Family might be searching for Au Pairs from specific countries, thus they will receive only requests matching their criteria. Though such cases happen rarely, remember that the Au Pair program is about cultural exchange. Get in touch with other suitable families and check out our Au Pair guide to find a Host Family faster. 

How can I get the Au Pair Certificate?

It's super easy! Just login and click on "My Profile", scroll down and click on "Services". There you will find the option "Apply for Au Pair Certificate". You will have to write an experience report about your Au Pair year and insert some details of your stay. The Certificate, if approved, will be issued in a few days!

How much does elder care cost per month?

Elderly caregivers receive the minimum wage or more. You can negotiate the hourly wage and should write everything down in the contract. Note that elder care is subject to the labour law of the respective country.

Can an Au Pair have a second job?

It depends. If the Au Pair is an EU citizen and is staying within the EU, then he/she can have another job. For the rest of the cases, it depends on the visa the Au Pair holds, the amount of hours she already works and the specific labour laws of the Host Country. 

Can I become an Au Pair?

The Au Pair program accepts participants who meet mainly education, family and age requirements. Please take a look at the full list of Au Pair requirements.  If you meet them, register as an Au Pair today and find a Host Family that matches your criteria.  

How long does it take to find a Host Family?

It depends on several factors. Create your profile and make it attractive for other users. Check that you meet the Au Pair requirements set by the Au Pair program. Be active and contact 20-30 Host Families per day. While contacting the Host Families, make also sure that you fulfil the family’s expectations. Be active, open minded and try to convince families that the time spent with you will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for their kids! Generally speaking, it takes from one week up to a few months to find a Host Family. 

Can you help me with the paperwork and the placement process?

Unfortunately, we can’t help you with it. We are an online matching agency, thus we can’t interfere in your searching or placing process. We are happy to provide you with all our searching and matching tools and the information about the Au Pair experience. As our platform is available worldwide, we are unable to take care of all the applications we get daily. Feel free to use our service to visit your dream destination and find a great Host Family. We will be also glad to get your feedback! If you have any ideas or comments, get in touch with us. 

How can I contact a Host Family?

You need to visit the Host Family’s profile and drop a message there. If the family is a Premium Member, they will be able to read your message and answer it in no time. You can also add a Host Family to your hotlist. The families will immediately get notified that you are interested! Please find more information here. 

Host Families Questions

How can I find a candidate that is already located in my country of residence?

Some Host Families need support very promptly. Therefore, we often get the question how to find candidates on our platform who are already located in the family’s country of residence and want to change Host Family.

 

To do this, you need to:

 

1) go to the dashboard menu on the left side after logging into your profile

2) click “Search” and then “Search criteria”

3) select for the option "Candidates currently living in" your country of residence 

4) select "all” for the option “Nationality“

5) tag the box “Save preferences” and click on “Find”

6) make sure that your “preferences” match your search criteria

What if I don’t want to get notifications from all users?

You have the possibility to block some countries. Au Pairs from these countries won’t be able to contact you as long as you don’t contact them first. It’s one of our anti-spam systems that helps to save some time and effort. In order to do so, please click on "Job Profile" in your account and then check all of the countries which you would like to exclude from your search. 

We can’t get along with our new Au Pair. What should we do?

Try to speak honestly with your Au Pair about the problems occurred and find a solution together. Most of the troubles can be solved through feedback and conversation! If the case is too serious and you can’t find a way out, you can terminate the contract. Don’t forget about the notice period that is mentioned in your Au Pair contract. During this time both sides can find a solution to the problem. Try to be supportive of each other in such cases. 

What are the requirements to host an Au Pair?

There are three most important requirements: the Au Pair accommodation, full board and monthly/weekly sum of pocket money. We recommend to go through the full list of requirements for Host Families. If you meet them, you can register as a Host Family today and find an Au Pair that matches your criteria.

How long does it take to find an Au Pair?

It depends on several factors. Make sure your profile is full and interesting for other users. Make sure that you meet the Host Family requirements set by the Au Pair program. Be active and contact about 10-15 Au Pairs per day. If you follow the three tips above you can find a suitable match within one to four weeks. Check out our Host Family guide for more advice and ideas on how to find an Au Pair faster.

How can I contact an Au Pair?

You need to visit the Au Pair’s profile and drop a message there. You can also add an Au Pair to your hotlist. In both cases, the Au Pair will get notifications from you instantly. If you have a basic account, you can send standard invitations to Au Pairs. The Premium Membership allows personalized messages as well. Please get more information here.