Employing an au pair in New Zealand
Employment Relations Act + Holidays Act
Last reviewed
This is general guidance, not legal advice.
Employment law changes, varies by region and depends on your exact arrangement. Figures below are researched from official sources but go out of date — always confirm the current position with the official body linked on this page, or with a qualified labour adviser, before you rely on it.
In New Zealand every employee — including a nanny — must have a written employment agreement by law, and the Holidays Act sets leave. Confirm details with Employment New Zealand.
Pay floor
NZ$23.95 per hour (adult)
Effective 1 April 2026; the starting-out and training rates are NZ$19.16, exactly 80% of the adult rate. Reviewed each 1 April. Verified against Employment New Zealand on 2 September 2026.
What to get right
There is no cultural-exchange exemption in New Zealand
An au pair here is an employee, and New Zealand is unusually clear about it. Even the approved work exchange scheme — the arrangement that looks most like a cultural exchange — requires organisers to ensure conditions “comply with the minimum employment requirements as provided for under New Zealand employment law”, including paying no less than the appropriate adult or youth minimum wage. A written employment agreement, holiday and leave compliance and health and safety obligations all apply.
Board and lodging come off as a percentage
Where there is no specific agreement on the cost of accommodation, an employer may deduct 15% of wages for board (accommodation plus meals) or 5% for lodging (accommodation only), calculated at the relevant minimum wage rate. On a 30-hour week at the adult rate that is about NZ$107.77 for board or NZ$35.93 for lodging. Importantly the deducted amount still counts as wages for Minimum Wage Act purposes — it does not push someone below the minimum.
Leave: four weeks and ten sick days
Employees are entitled to four weeks’ paid annual holidays after 12 months of continuous employment, and to 10 days’ sick leave a year. The sick leave minimum doubled from five days to ten in 2021, so older guidance still quoting five days is out of date. There is no statutory overtime premium in New Zealand — extra hours are whatever the employment agreement says.
Written agreement (required)
A written employment agreement is a legal requirement — not providing one carries a penalty. Use the contract template in the NannyTank app as a starting point.
Minimum wage
The adult minimum wage applies to all employees, including casual and part-time. It is reviewed on 1 April each year — confirm the current rate.
PAYE & KiwiSaver
Register with Inland Revenue (IRD), deduct PAYE, and handle KiwiSaver (including employer contributions) where the employee is enrolled.
Leave (Holidays Act)
At least 4 weeks’ paid annual leave after 12 months, paid public holidays, and 10 days’ sick leave after 6 months.
Official sources
Check these for the current position — they are the authority, this page is not.
An editable contract template for New Zealand
NannyTank includes a downloadable employment contract template that references Employment Relations Act + Holidays Act — you fill in the agreed pay and hours. Available in the app, along with hours, overtime and claim tracking.
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NannyTank is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. This page is a starting point to help you know what to look into; it may be incomplete or out of date, and it does not account for your specific circumstances. Confirm anything you rely on with the official bodies above or a qualified adviser.