A Way Abroad Logo
The ultimate resource for women dreaming of a life abroad

7 Things to Know Before You Become an Au Pair in Paris, France

write for us!

Being an au pair was way different than I thought it would be.

I imagined this dreamy job where I would be taking care of children in a foreign country, getting all of my expenses paid for while in the meantime I would be able to save up money and travel on my weekends and days off.

Only some of this is true.

It's definitely a job I love but comes with it's fair share of cons, just like any job does.

While you get to work and live in a foreign country for basically free, it's not a great option if you're goal is to save money. On the bright side, you get to explore all the fun places and all of the great flavors of the country you choose to move to.

For me, I chose to become an au pair in Paris. I've always been interested in France and knew I wanted to learn even more about the country by living here. There's so many interesting facts about France and experiencing them firsthand has been such a cool perk of the job.

Now, let's dive right in and see how you can follow in my footsteps to become an au pair in Paris, France.

1. What is an Au Pair?

An au pair is a young person that moves to a foreign country and lives and works with a native family. The distinguishing fact between being an au pair and being a nanny is that an au pair is typically someone who speaks a different native language than the host family.

Duties range from caring for children, speaking your native tongue, and occasionally doing light housekeeping and laundry.

Duties can depend widely on what the family needs and desires. You could end up working as little as 10 hours a week and up to 35-40 hours. Although the general average is about 25-30 hours.

Working as an au pair is normally seen as a type of foreign exchange where you contribute to your host family's life by providing help with the kids and around the house in exchange for room and board, an allowance and the experience of living in another culture.

Consider being an Au Pair in the Netherlands, as well. Check out the requirements there and see what it's really like.

2. What are the requirements?

  • There are no specific requirements or qualifications

However there are things that will help you find a good family faster.

Having previous childcare experience helps a lot! Although you can find jobs without that experience, too. Don't give up hope just because you have never taken care of children before.

If you want to be an au pair, go for it!

Another way to live in France is by working on a yacht. With this career you'll still work hard and you can have little time off but it is a rewarding career that allows you to see other parts of the world all while getting paid.

happy child getting messy with finger paint
Sometimes the job can get a little messy

Some families are searching for an au pair that has another language skill.

For me, my host family was looking for a native English speaker to teach their children English, so being a native or near-native speaker of English, Spanish, French, German, or another well known language will help in finding a host family.

Also having a base knowledge of the language you will be living amongst will help tremendously! I can say that from experience. I knew no French before moving to France and it has been difficult living in a country where you can not converse with everyone.

Sometimes families are looking for other skills such as sports or musical talents. If you are a sporty person, enjoy music or have other talents and skills it would be a good idea to put that in your profile online.

3. What are an Au Pair's responsibilities?

The duties of the au pair widely range depending on the family.

In my experience, I watch the children for an hour in the morning, get them breakfast, comb the girls hair and then drop them off at school. In the afternoon I pick them up from school and bring them home. Once we get home my host dad is normally home and I am done for the day. If he is not home yet I get them snack and watch them until he is home.

For some families though you will be expected to do light housekeeping, laundry, cooking, bathing the children, and sometimes even driving the children to and from school and activities. You should by law have at least one day off every week. Most times you will get the weekends off.

Some countries have rules about how long an au pair can work every day and requirements on what the au pair can and cannot do.

Some people don't love all the housework and would prefer just spending time with the children.

Some of those people have transitioned into English teachers in Spain. Others have decided that while they love working with children, they'd prefer a career that involves more travel. If that sounds like you, look into working on a cruise ship, specifically in the youth clubs on board.

4. Finding a host family, getting paid & understanding your benefits

*Tips to finding a great host family

Host families come from all different backgrounds and ways of life. Most families that can afford an au pair are doing well financially. However don't expect to be lounging around a pool with a cocktail all day long.

Although, there really are some families where this may be your job description.

Most families though are normal families that live in normal neighborhoods. Most families will offer their au pair a private bedroom and bathroom in their house. Some au pairs will have their own apartment near by the host families home.

*Payment & benefits

The au pair should also receive a weekly or monthly stipend, or allowance. The easiest way to get paid is by opening a French bank account and having your family directly deposit there.

On top of this, the au pair should receive food, transportation, laundry privileges and possibly more perks.

This allowance should depend on how much the host family is already paying for and what you are needing to cover costs for yourself. There are laws about how much the family is to pay the au pair.

For example though, my host family pays for everything I need other then my French classes. Those are 500€ for a trimester and I get paid 100€ a week. Most families also pay for your health insurance. Make sure that you ask about this before you sign a contract. You do not want to get stuck in a foreign country with no health benefits at all. Especially when you are only living on an au pair's salary.

woman holding napping child on a boat
Sometimes your job can really look like this

5. How to get started with the process

Starting the process of finding a host family is exciting!

There are so many different families from so many different countries! Some of them offer the bare necessities while others offer a luxurious lifestyle. Remember that the host families need you more than you need them!

Take your time, talk to several families and pick the one that suits you the best. It's ok to talk to several families at a time. Just let them know that they are not the only family you are considering.

There are so many websites that offer to help match au pairs with families, either for free or for a small fee. Definitely check with the free ones before paying to be part of the paid ones. My personal favorite is AuPairWorld. It is super easy to navigate and they have a huge support group for you once you do become an au pair.

There are also Facebook pages such as Au Pair PARIS or AuPair Worldwide that are a great way to connect with host families and other au pairs.

When you make a profile with any of the agencies make sure you are super specific in your profile. A family is going to be attracted to a full profile, not one that says the bare minimum.

Also consider the location of where the family lives. Do you want to live in the city? If so then find a family that lives close to the center of the city. Living in the city will help with finding friends abroad and a good au pair network. Below I have listed some of the best Au Pair agencies and websites.

-Au Pair World
-Great Au Pair
-AuPair
-FreeAuPair
-EurAupair
-Cultural Care Au Pair

6. All the perks of being an Au Pair

Being an au pair has been one of the best decisions of my life! I love living in France and all that it offers but there were also plenty of things about living in Paris that I wasn't prepared for.

*Local Food

I am a huge foodie so learning all the new flavors and textures of France has been one of my favorite things!

*New Friends

I have also found some of my best friends here in France. Paris is an amazing city with a huge diversity of languages, cultures, food, and sights to be seen. I would have to say that my favorite past time is heading to the Sacre Coeur in the 18th arrondissement, grabbing a crepe and watching all the people coming and going. Paris has a huge network of au pairs so it is always easy to find someone that wants to hang out.

You will probably find your best lifelong friends as an au pair.

Finding other au pairs that are from your own country or that even speak your native language is a lifesaver for staying sane in a country that is not your own! You will make some very deep connections and friends through this.

Getting out on the town and spending time with other English speaking people here in France has been one of the best things I have done. It is so much fun to hang out with people that understand me and my culture. It is so nice to have like-minded people that can laugh with me at all of my mistakes.

To me, finding and making new friends has been the best perk of being an au pair!

*Travel

Another perk of being an au pair is that you normally get to travel with your host family when they go on family trips and vacations.

This year I will be going to Spain and Portugal with my host family. I also get to go to my “host-cousins” wedding this fall. I will actually be part of the wedding. If you find a good family, it is like finding a second family. I have a great relationship with my host parents. I would consider them more as friends!

*Learning another language

The language is also another fun thing about being an au pair. Living in and amongst the French people has taught me a language I never dreamed of learning! It's a great way to learn a language or to sharpen your language skills.

You might even enjoy learning French so much that you'll want to stay in the country longer on a French student visa.

France
Serious about
France
?
browse all articles

a beautiful view of a fountain and the Eiffl Tower on a sunny day
You too can live in beautiful Paris

7. Use all your resources

One of my favorite places to get extra info about being an au pair is through Edwina and Hanna at Au Pair, Oh Paris.

These two girls used to be au pairs in Paris. They now live in Paris and own a small company catering to au pairs needs. They have a website, YouTube channel, host events for au pairs and have even published a book about being an au pair! Thy have an amazing network that has helped me so much and answered so many of my questions when I was looking at becoming an au pair.

Another place that has a great list of topics is Au Pair Wiki. It is part of the Au Pair World's website and they go over almost every topic and question that is out there about being an Au pair.

Also make sure to talk to the former au pars of the family you are interested in working for.

They will be your biggest help in finding out what the family is really like. In my case I am my host families first au pair so I didn't have anyone to talk to about them. But I did as much research as I could. I friended them on Facebook and I FaceTimed and talked to my host mom nonstop! I found out as much as I could about them before I signed the contract.

I hope that you have found this article helpful! Feel free to reach out to me and ask any questions you have. I will do my best at answering them. And if this is something that you decide to do well then I wish you the best of luck in finding an amazing family that suits you perfectly!

Read our disclaimer & privacy policy here.

keep a way abroad fueled!
Consider making a donation

A lot of effort went into making this amazing piece of journalistic genius. If it helped you out, send us a quick thanks by buying us a coffee. All the money donated through Ko-Fi goes towards keeping A Way Abroad awesome. Big thanks!

xx,
Pick an image to pin it!
Go back up arrow