A cultural exchange, not a job
This is a guide, not legal or immigration advice.
Rules change, vary by region and depend on your exact arrangement and nationality. Everything here was researched from official sources and dated, but figures go out of date — check the official links on this page before you rely on any of it, and get proper advice on your own visa position.
Where you stand
The Federal Employment Agency puts it plainly: au pairs do not receive wages as such, they receive spending money. An au pair placement is not employment and is not subject to social insurance. That means the German minimum wage does not apply to you — which sounds bad until you see everything the family has to provide on top.
What makes Germany different: If you work extra hours you are compensated with time off, not money. There is no overtime pay in a German au pair placement, so protecting your hours matters more than counting them.
Worth knowing before you agree to anything
Being paid more than the spending money does not simply make you better off. It turns the placement into employment, which does not comply with your au pair residence permit.
The numbers
Pocket money
€280 a month
regardless of hours worked
Hours
30 a week
and no more than 6 a day
Overtime
Time off, not money
Overtime hours must be compensated with time off, not money.
Language course
at least €840
or €70 a month
Can you go?
You must be at least 18 when you join the family and under 27 when you apply for the residence permit. You need basic German — level A1 — and you cannot be related to the host family.
The family must be a couple or a single parent with at least one child under 18 living with them; single people and childless couples do not qualify as host families. Placements run from six months to a year.
Three things worth doing
The language course is money, not a favour
The family must contribute a set amount towards a German course, payable monthly across your stay or as a lump sum, plus your travel to the nearest suitable course. It is an obligation, not a gift.
They must insure you
The host family has to take out cover for sickness, pregnancy and birth, and accidents, and pay all the premiums. Ask to see it before you travel.
Count your time off, not just your hours
You are entitled to at least one and a half full days off a week, four free evenings a week, and one free Sunday a month — and they must release you for your language classes.
Check it yourself
Every figure on this page came from these. Rules change — if something matters to you, read it at the source.
Keep your own record
Whatever the rules say where you are, they only help you if you can show what you actually worked. NannyTank counts your hours as you work them, works out overtime at the legal rate where there is one, and turns the month into a claim your employer approves in one tap.
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Researched from official sources and last reviewed 2 September 2026. Employing an au pair instead? See the rules for host families in Germany.