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Walk through the Scottish highlands, have some tea with your friends in a trendy London café or explore the career of the Beatles in Liverpool. Become an au pair in England and enjoy the British way of life!

Au Pair in England - At a Glance

  • Age: between 18 and 30 years old
  • Duration of Stay: at least 3 months, preferably 10-12 months (or longer, up to 24 months)
  • Working Hours: 25-30 hours per week
  • Holidays: one week of paid vacation per 6 months (two weeks per 12 months); at least 1 1/2 days off per week
  • Travel Expenses: you travel at your own expenses
  • Insurance: same as in home country (European!)
  • Pocket Money: weekly pocket money of 70-85 GBP
  • Visa Requirements: residents of EU countries do not need a visa; just make sure that your ID is valid until the end of your stay; citizens of non-EU countries need to travel under the Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme or enter on a student visa.

Can I become an Au Pair in England?

There are a few requirements you need to fulfill to become an au pair in England/UK:

  • You are between 17/18 and 30
  • You are in good health and you don't smoke
  • You have a good knowledge of English

What are my duties as an au pair?

Your duties and responsibilities as an au pair in England depend a lot on what your host family needs and how old your host children are.
However, your main responsibility will be to care of your host family's children. You should play with them, read a book to them, take them to the library or do crafts with them.

Childcare should be your main task and it is important that you love to spend time with  children.
Nevertheless, your duties and responsibilities as an au pair in England also include light household chores such as cleaning up the children's rooms, preparing light meals and snacks for them, doing the children's laundry or emptying the dishwasher.

As an au pair in England, you usually work around 30 hours a week (working hours of an au pair in England are between 25-30 hours per week).

Visa Requirements 

No visa needed for citizens of any EU country.
If you are a resident of one of the EU countries you only need your identification card or passport to enter the UK and work as an au pair in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales.
Make sure to check the validity of your passport in advance of your entry. Your passport/identification card needs to be valid until the end of your stay.

Citizens of a non-EU country

If you are a citizien of a non-EU country, you need to apply for either a student visa or travel to the UK under a so called Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme, depending on what country you come from and if you entered the UK under the Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme (former "Working Holidaymaker") in the past.

How much pocket money will I get?

Working Hours per Week Paid Weekly? Weekly Pocket Money
Around 30 hours per week Yes 70-85 GBP

If you work as an au pair in England or another part of  the UK, you are entitled to a weekly pocket money of 70-85 GBP. This should also be expressed in the au pair contract which you and your host family sign in advance of your stay.

You will also get a room at your host family's house that is provided to you free of charge. You also eat your meals with your host family, which are free of charge as well.
Hence, you can spend your entire pocket money according to your own liking, for instance for travelling across the country.
As an au pair in the UK, you have at least 1 1/2 days off per week and get two weeks of paid vacation per year (one week of paid vacation per 6 months).

What about my insurance?

If you should get sick during your time in the UK, you should turn to the National Health Service (NHS), as they are responsible for public health care.

If you come from a country of the European Economic Area, you only need to contact your local health insurance company in your home country so that they can send you the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).
Once you have obtained your European Health Insurance Card, you are entitled to the benefits from the NHS for the duration of your stay.
Be aware that the health care system in the UK may differ from the benefits of your local health insurance in your home country. Make yourself familiar with the benefits of the NHS in advance.

If you are a citizen of a non-EU country or a country that is not in the European Economic Area, you need to make sure that you have an individual health and accident insurance prior to your arrival in the UK.
You should also inform yourself prior to your arrival, if your home country has a reciprocal healthcare agreement with the UK. To these countries belong, among others: Australia, Belarus, Macedonia, New Zealand, Russia, Serbia and the Ukraine. You can find a more detailed list of countries that have a reciprocal healthcare agreement with the UK here.
If you belong to a country which has a reciprocal healthcare agreement with the UK, you are entitled to NHS hospital treatment, which is, however, usually limited to emergency treatments and you need to bear the costs of hospitalisation. Therefore, you need to take out an additional health and accident insurance.

 

This post is also available in: German

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