For people who are going to be hosted temporarily by a family in France to be an au pair for more than 3 months, it’s possible to apply for a visa, also called a temporary residence permit for young au pairs (carte de séjour temporaire jeune au pair). You are concerned if you are a non-European foreigner. Indeed, for European people (including Switzerland), you can stay in France for more than three months without a residence permit but it can be useful to have it.
However, the French government requires that you meet certain conditions in addition to signing an agreement with your host family.
The visa process
Requirements
For the French government, you need to meet some requirements to be an au pair in France. In fact, you have to:
- Be from 18 to 30 years old,
- Be hosted by a French family with which you don’t have any family ties, for improving your language skills,
In addition to your current situation matching the conditions above, you also have some obligations. You must meet the following requirements:
- Prove a basic knowledge of the French language by writing a motivation letter in French / be registered in French courses,
- Have an au pair agreement.
Then, the French government will issue you a long-stay visa valid as a residence permit, subject to formalities on arrival in France.
⚠ This visa will be valid for only one year. If you want to continue your au pair experience, you can extend your “au pair” stay in France for just 1 year. Indeed, the maximum duration of being an au pair in France can’t exceed 2 years.
Good to know about au pair agreement
The au pair agreement (convention) is the contract between you and your future host family, defining the rights and obligations of both parties. It specifies the conditions of employment, remuneration and the arrangements for taking French courses. It will also indicate the terms of subsistence, accommodation and insurance.
You need it before your departure for France, it’s one of the necessary requirements you have to meet for obtaining your visa. This agreement specifies the following points in particular:
- The amount of your pocket money (minimum €320 a month),
- The schedule (with at least 1 day off per week) and tasks you have to do (maximum 25 hours per week),
- Your accommodation (minimum room size of 9 m2 with at least one window)
- The pension
N.B: This agreement lasts only 1 year, if you extend your stay you need to have another one for the same duration.
