Becoming an Au Pair in France: All the Host Country Rules

In France, an au pair is not considered a domestic worker, nor simply a guest: the law grants her the status of stagiaire aide familial étranger, meaning an au pair trainee. This distinction is not merely formal — it determines the hours you may work, the language course you are required to attend, and the fact that your host family must register you with the social security system. Here are all the French rules, point by point.

Who can apply

Age: 18–30. The limit is checked when you apply for your visa and is strictly enforced.
French level: A1 minimum, proven by a certificate or a test. This is not a bureaucratic detail: the French programme is built around language study.
Single, with no dependent children.
No family relationship with the host family.
Experience with children, documented with references.
A clean medical certificate and criminal record: both are required documents.

The key document: the accord de placement au pair

Everything revolves around one official form, the accord de placement au pair (form CERFA 15973). It is a written agreement between au pair and family setting out duration, hours, duties, pocket money, days off and the language course. It must be signed before departure and it is the document your visa application is based on.

Without this agreement you cannot enter France as an au pair: no informal understanding with the family can replace it.

Working hours and time off

These are the figures that set France apart from other European countries, and they are worth knowing by heart:

a maximum of 25 hours per week — five fewer than in Germany;
normally no more than 5 hours per day;
at least one full day off per week, including at least one free Sunday per month;
the schedule must leave genuine time to attend the French course and to study.

Permitted duties are childcare and light housework relating to the children. General cleaning of the house, cooking for the whole family, gardening or caring for elderly relatives fall outside the stagiaire aide familial status.

Argent de poche

The minimum argent de poche (pocket money) is €320 per month for non-EU citizens. For EU citizens the amount is calculated as 75 to 90 times the "minimum garanti", a benchmark linked to the French minimum wage that is revalued periodically: in practice it falls roughly between €315 and €380 per month.

Because this is an index-linked figure, check the current year's value on the URSSAF website before signing any agreement.

The French course: compulsory, but at your expense

This is where France differs most, and where the costliest misunderstandings arise.

Attending a French course for foreigners is compulsory — roughly at least 10 hours per week — and proof of enrolment is one of the documents required for the visa. But unlike Germany, where the family pays a fixed contribution, in France the course fees are normally borne by the au pair. The family's role is to help with enrolment and to arrange the schedule so that attendance is possible.

Budget for this from the outset: it is the expense most often underestimated.

Board and lodging

These are free and provided by the family. You are entitled to a private bedroom for your exclusive use and three meals a day, including on your days off. No rent, no reimbursement, and nothing deducted from your argent de poche on this account.

Social security: the URSSAF declaration

This is the French obligation that protects au pairs the most. The host family must register you with URSSAF — the social security contributions agency — within 8 days of your arrival, and pay the contributions due under the stagiaire aide familial scheme.

Your health and insurance cover flows from that declaration. A comprehensive private insurance policy is also required. If a family suggests "skipping" the URSSAF declaration, the arrangement is irregular: without it you are left unprotected.

Length of stay

The initial contract runs from 3 to 12 months. Unlike Germany, where 12 months is an absolute ceiling, France allows one renewal up to a combined maximum of 24 months. The new agreement must be filed 10–12 weeks before the current one expires.

Visa and residence permit (non-EU only)

If you are not an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen you must apply for the VLS-TS "jeune au pair" visa, a long-stay visa that doubles as a residence permit. The cost is around €99. You apply at the competent French consulate with your passport, the signed CERFA agreement, your French language certificate, proof of enrolment in a language course, a medical certificate, a criminal record extract and evidence of resources.

Once in France you must validate the visa with OFII (Office français de l'immigration et de l'intégration) within 3 months, paying a reduced fee of about €150. EU/EEA and Swiss citizens need neither a visa nor a residence permit, but the compulsory French course and the family's URSSAF declaration still apply.

At a glance

Age: 18–30
Language: French at A1 level, with a certificate
Legal status: stagiaire aide familial étranger
Document: accord de placement au pair, CERFA 15973
Duration: 3–12 months, renewable up to 24 months in total
Hours: max 25 per week, max 5 per day
Time off: at least one full day per week
Argent de poche: from €320 per month
French course: compulsory, around 10 hours a week, paid by the au pair
Board and lodging: free, private room and three meals a day
Social security: URSSAF declaration within 8 days, by the family
Visa (non-EU): VLS-TS "jeune au pair" plus OFII validation within 3 months

How to spot an irregular offer

Three signals matter more than any other check: a schedule exceeding 25 hours a week, argent de poche below €320, and the absence of the URSSAF declaration. According to the organisations working on au pair protection, these are also the most frequently reported breaches in France. If even one of the three does not add up, ask for clarification in writing before signing the agreement.

The amounts and requirements given here are those in force at the date of publication. Argent de poche for EU citizens is index-linked and changes when the minimum garanti is revalued. Before you leave, always check the current information through official channels: URSSAF, Service-Public.fr, France-Visas and the French consulate responsible for your country of residence.