Finding an Au-Pair in France: The Guide for Host Families (2026)
France has an official Au-Pair program with fixed rules. Au-Pairs from outside the EU (status jeune au pair) are 18 to 30 years old, receive at least €320 pocket money per month, work no more than 25 hours per week, and need a long‑stay visa. Au-Pairs from Europe (status stagiaire aide familial) are 17 to 30 years old, help no more than 5 hours a day and attend a French language course. In both cases the host family must register the Au-Pair with Urssaf within 8 days and pay social contributions.
This guide is intended for families in France looking for an Au-Pair — for the first time or this time without an agency. All information comes from service-public.gouv.fr, the official French government portal (as of June 2026). The Au-Pair’s perspective is described on our country page Au-Pair in France.
The rules at a glance
| Topic | Au-pair from outside the EU (jeune au pair) | Au-Pair from Europe (family helper trainee) |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 18 to 30 years | 17 to 30 years |
| Pocket money | at least €320 per month | typically €326.25 to €391.50 per month |
| Hours | up to 25 per week | up to 5 per day |
| Leisure | at least one full day off per week | 1 full free day per week, at least 1 Sunday per month |
| Course | Time for courses of your own choice | Enrollment in a French course is mandatory. |
| Duration | 3 months to 1 year, extendable up to a maximum of 2 years | 3 months to 1 year, extendable up to a maximum of 2 years |
| Contract | Convention (Cerfa form 15973), signed before departure | Convention signed on the form before departure |
| Insurance | general social insurance, contributions are paid only by the family | general social insurance, contributions are paid only by the family |
| Visa | Long‑stay visa (visa de long séjour) | no visa |
Sources: service-public.gouv.fr, pages F13348 (Foreign family assistant trainee and young au pair, accessed June 1, 2026) and F15813 (Young au pair, accessed May 1, 2026); Arrêté of March 4, 2019 (€320) on legifrance.gouv.fr; Cerfa form 15973 on france-visas.gouv.fr. Retrieved in September 2026.
How much a host family in France costs per month
In France more is regulated than in Italy or Spain — but you can plan the costs well:
- Pocket money: at least €320 per month for Au-Pairs from outside the EU; for Au-Pairs from Europe usually €326.25 to €391.50.
- Board and lodging: full meals and a private room. For Au-Pairs with a visa, service-public requires at least 9 m² of living space with at least one window.
- Social contributions: The Au-Pair is covered by the general French social security system (health, maternity, work accident, basic pension). The contributions are paid solely by the host family; the Au-Pair pays nothing. They are not calculated on the actual pocket money but on a statutory flat rate: 13 times the minimum wage hourly rate (SMIC) per week, currently €160.03, or 56 times per month, currently €689.36. This is the calculation basis, not the amount you actually pay. Additional contributions go to the supplementary pension at Ircem.
- Language course: Au-Pairs from Europe must be enrolled in a French course, Au-Pairs with a visa need time for courses. Whoever pays the fees should be stated in the Convention.
- Optional: Navigo or other monthly pass, mobile phone contract, share of travel costs.
There is also a one‑time search fee. On AuPairMatch it is free for host families during the startup phase, including contact initiation. Well‑known other platforms charge from €49.70 per month for contact initiation (AuPair.com) or €49.90 (AuPairWorld) as of September 2026. Agencies cost more and provide pre‑selection and support.
The paperwork for host families
1. The Convention. Before the au‑pair’s departure, both parties sign an agreement on the official form. It sets out rights and obligations: duties and hours, days off, accommodation, meals and pocket money. For au‑pairs from outside the EU the form is Cerfa 15973; the au‑pair submits the Convention to the French consulate with the long‑stay visa application. Without a signed Convention there is no visa.
2. Registration with Urssaf. Within 8 days of arrival you register the au‑pair with the employer declaration for family employees (Form Cerfa 11469) at Urssaf. This also initiates enrollment in social security.
3. The quarterly declaration. Afterwards Urssaf sends you a simplified declaration each quarter, on which the contributions are calculated.
In addition, for au‑pairs with a visa: they must have a different nationality than the host family and may not take any side job besides the work for the family.
Legal Pitfalls in France
Anyone who does not register an au-pair with the Urssaf violates the reporting obligation, and the au-pair will then not be covered by social insurance. The convention must be signed before departure; otherwise, an au-pair from outside the EU will not receive a visa. The limits are binding: a maximum of 25 hours per week or 5 hours per day, and a minimum allowance of €320 for au-pairs with a visa. This overview does not replace legal advice; the current forms can be found on service-public.gouv.fr.
How to Find Your Au-Pair: Step by Step
In six steps to becoming an au-pair in France
Clarify wishes
Timeframe, children's ages, hours, languages, driver's license — and whether an Au-Pair from Europe or outside the EU is suitable. These factors determine the status and formalities.
Create family profile
Describe your daily routine, the room, school hours, free days, and pocket money. The more specific you are, the more suitable requests you’ll receive.
Search on your own or hire an agency
On self-search platforms you contact au-pairs directly; an agency handles preselection and paperwork for a fee. Using multiple methods in parallel is common.
Get to know each other via video
At least one detailed conversation, preferably with the children. A second conversation provides reassurance.
Sign the convention
On the official form, before departure. Au-pairs from outside the EU need it for the visa.
Sign up and settle in
Register with the Urssaf within 8 days of arrival and choose a French course together.
Getting to know candidates well through a video call
In conversation, what matters is how someone talks about children. Ask specifically: What have you already done with children of this age? What do you do when a child doesn’t settle down after school? How much French do you speak, and what do you want to learn in France? Speak honestly about your daily life: school hours, Wednesday afternoons, holiday care. Ask for references from previous child care.
On AuPairMatch you start the video meeting after the match directly in the app, without exchanging phone numbers — up to 75 minutes, extendable once by 60 minutes.
Why AuPairMatch for families in France
On AuPairMatch you do the searching yourself: create a profile, view Au-Pairs with a match score and contact them directly — free for host families during the launch phase, contact included. Messages and profile texts are automatically translated into your language, with the original just one click away. This also lets you write to Au-Pairs who speak little French. Through the Au-Pair community, your Au-Pair on site can find other Au-Pairs nearby.
AuPairMatch launched in 2026 and is growing; established providers have more profiles. Many families therefore search on multiple platforms in parallel — an additional free profile expands your search.
Find your au-pair for France
Create a family profile, view Au-Pairs with match scores, and contact them directly — free during the startup phase.