Au pair in Germany

In Germany, minimum age requirement for the aupair is 18 years old.

If she is EU citizen, she can be up to 30 years old. These countries are:
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, UK (England, Scotland and Wales), Finland, France ,Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Spain, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden and Switzerland.

If the aupair is not a citizen of the above mentioned countries, she can not be older than 25 years of age.

An au pair may work in Germany 12 months at the longest. People who already worked in Germany as an au pair may not work as an au pair in Germany again no matter how long their previous stay was. Au pairs normally work 30-35 hours a week.
Au pairs who are not the EU citizens must have basic knowledge of the German language. Proof of basic German language knowledge may be required by the authorities.

If the aupair is not from USA, Canada, Australia, EU countries, Liechtenstein, or Switzerland, a residence and work permit for Germany is also required. Aupair must apply for the residence permit at the German embassy or consulate. This permit is the visa and restricted to one year. It is granted only once to the same person and can not be extended.

In every case, the visa is first granted for 3 months and then extended to one year. To apply for a visa, aupair needs a letter of invitation from the host family. This is a contract of employment with the host family. Letter must include the complete addresses of the family and of the au pair, duration of the stay, description of the au pair job, maximum working hours, amount of the pocket money, type of accommodation, health insurance and third party insurance for the au pair. Au pair goes to the embassy or consulate to get her au pair visa with this letter.