When do most au-pair years start?

Between August and October, because most families align with their children's school year. A second, smaller start period is in January and February. Those who start in the fall therefore arrive at the same time as most others.

Can I meet other au-pairs before departure?

Yes. On AuPairMatch, after you register your placement, you can see who already lives in the area of your host family, and others will see you as a newcomer up to eight weeks before your start date. As long as you don’t have a family yet, the community shows you Au-Pairs heading to the same destination country. Outside the platform, the cities’ Facebook groups can help.

Can my exact address be seen?

No. Others only see a distance range, such as the same city or a radius of a few kilometers, never an address, no coordinates, and no point on a map. You can turn off visibility at any time.

I found my family through an agency or another platform. Is that still allowed?

Yes. The community is free for au-pairs and explicitly also for those who have found their host family elsewhere. You create a profile, enter the city and dates, and your host family confirms the placement with a single click.

I’m starting in January instead of the fall. Does that also apply to me?

Essentially yes. Fewer people arrive at the same time, but the community still shows you who is coming to the same area within the eight weeks around your start date—and who arrived in the fall and is now familiar with the area.

You’re starting as an au-pair this fall? You’re not the only one.

AuPairMatch

September 13, 2026

5 min read

Cultural Tips

If you start as an Au-Pair in the fall, you will arrive at the same time as most other Au-Pairs. Most Au-Pair years begin between August and October because they align with the host children’s school year. This is your chance: the people you will spend this year with are just as new as you are.

Almost every Au-Pair describes the first weeks as the toughest—not because of the children, but because there is no one to spend the free afternoon with. This article shows you how to find the others who are arriving with you: before departure, during the first week, and in the eight weeks thereafter.

Why autumn is the best time to arrive

In the autumn, no one has a fixed circle yet. Those who arrive in September meet others who also arrived in September — no one has friends yet, no one has to take you into an existing group. A few months later it looks different: cliques have formed, and you are the newcomer joining them.

There are also three practical things. Language courses at community colleges and language schools usually start after the summer holidays, so from the beginning you are in a class with other newcomers. Sports clubs take on members at the start of the season. And the Facebook and WhatsApp groups of the cities fill up during these weeks with people all asking the same question: “Is anyone else new here?”

This window doesn’t close abruptly, but it does narrow. Typically, after about eight weeks the first stable groups have formed. Anyone who spends that time in their room will find it harder afterward — not impossible, but more difficult.

Before departure: Who is flying in the same direction?

You don’t have to wait until you’re in the country. On AuPairMatch you can see for free who is coming to the same area as you—once you enter where and when you’ll start.

Here’s how it works, described honestly:

Still looking for a family? Then the community shows you other Au-Pairs who have the same destination country as you—and highlights the interests you share. This is the pre‑community for everyone who hasn’t been placed yet.
Already have your family? Then you enter your placement: city, time frame, family. From that moment you can see in the community who is already living near your host family. And everyone who is already there sees you in the list of newcomers—up to eight weeks before your start.
Your exact address stays private. Others only see a distance range like the same city or a few kilometres, never an address or a pinpoint on a map. And you can turn off visibility at any time.

This explicitly also applies if you found your host family through another platform or an agency. A free profile is enough.

Outside the platform, the main thing before departure is the Facebook group of your destination city (“Au-Pairs in Munich”, “Au pairs Amsterdam”). Post a short line with your arrival month. Usually someone who lands the same week will reply.

Your roadmap for the first eight weeks

Before departure: register the placement, contact two people.

Create your profile, enter the city and dates, and message two people who are already there or arriving at the same time. No more—two is enough. A “Hi, I’m coming to Cologne on September 14th, are you coming too?” is the whole message.

Week 1: Enroll in a language course, ask the host family.

The language course is the most reliable place to meet peers — and in the fall especially many newcomers attend. Ask your host family in the first days if they know other families with an Au-Pair. Most do and are happy to make the connection.

Week 2: The First Meeting

Arrange a meeting with someone from the community or the course. Coffee, a walk, a trip to downtown—the activity doesn’t matter. Afternoons work better than evenings because other Au-Pairs are also free then.

Week 3 and 4: A set activity

Choose something that happens at the same time every week: a sports class, a choir, a language tandem, volleyball in the park. Friendships are built through repetition, not through a perfect first meeting.

Week 5 to 8: Stay the course, even when it gets tough

Now decide whether acquaintances become friends. Say yes to invitations before you consider whether you feel like it. And check the list of newcomers regularly — the next arrivals need exactly what you would have needed in week one.

The sentence that opens every first meeting

"I'm just arriving, too." That's all that matters between two au-pairs. No one has to explain why one has Tuesday afternoon off, why they're leaving again in ten months, or why the host family is nice but a generation older.

What if no one is displayed in your area yet?

Then you’re the first — and the next one who comes to your area will see you. We’ll be honest: AuPairMatch is new, and the community is growing city by city. It may be that there is no other au‑pair listed in your town yet. That’s not a sign that there aren’t any, just that they haven’t been added yet.

In that case, the list with the same destination country can help you, as long as you haven’t posted a placement yet. And outside the platform the classic routes still apply: your city’s Facebook group, language courses, your host family’s network, and apps like Meetup or Bumble For Friends. A guide that only knows itself won’t help you — which is why the other routes are included here.

We are currently under construction

AuPairMatch launched in 2026. The community is free for au-pairs, and those who sign up now are among the first in their city. If something is missing or not working, let us know — that's exactly what we use to build the next version.

What your host family gets out of it

An au pair who finds a connection stays. Homesickness and loneliness are among the most common reasons why au pair years end prematurely. Your host family therefore has a vested interest in you meeting people in the first weeks — and can help with: contact to other families, a set free afternoon, and a click that confirms your placement. How this looks from the family's perspective is explained in the article “Why Your Au Pair Needs a Connection.”