Au Pair in Spain: rules, requirements and visa for everyone

Want to be an au pair in Spain? The rules depend on just one thing: whether you have citizenship of a country in the European Union (or the European Economic Area and Switzerland) or not. If you are an EU citizen you do not need a visa; if you come from a non-EU country you must apply for a study visa before you leave. The conditions of the experience (hours, pocket money, contract) are the same for everyone. The framework is set by the Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones and the foreigners' regulations, the Real Decreto 1155/2024, in effect from 20 May 2025.

Requirements to be an au pair in Spain: who can apply

Age: maximum 30 years old. The minimum is 17 years according to the Washington consulate and 18 according to the San Francisco one: the consulates are not aligned, so check the one competent for you. In practice, agencies select candidates who are of legal age.
Spanish: basic knowledge is required. There is no mandatory certified level, but a family will choose more readily someone who can communicate.
Relationship with the family: you live in the same house and your role is collaborative, not as an employee.
Study: for non-EU citizens the experience is linked to a Spanish course (see below).

What it means to be an au pair according to Spanish law

According to consular guidance you are an au pair when there is a collaborative relationship and not an employment one: you live with the family, household chores and childcare tasks are complementary to the main purpose (learning the language and experiencing the culture) and you do not receive a salary. If they ask you to replace a full-time housemaid, it is not au pair.

Working hours and days off

The limits indicated by Spanish consulates are these:

Maximum 5 hours a day of tasks, including babysitting.
At least one full day off per week.

Agencies generally indicate 25–30 hours per week as the practical ceiling and recommend at least one Sunday off per month, in line with the European au pair agreement (Strasbourg). These are market guidelines: what matters is what you write in your contract.

Pocket money, food and accommodation

The contract must indicate a monthly amount as pocket money, not as a salary. The law does not set an equal amount for everyone. Industry portals report an average of 280–320 euros per month, with some sources reaching 70–90 euros per week (approximately 280–360 euros per month). The amount tends to increase if you work near the maximum hours. In addition the family provides you with accommodation and full board.

Language course

The family must commit in writing to give you sufficient time to attend courses. For those arriving from outside the EU the course is the basis of the visa: it must be in Spanish, at an authorized school, of at least 20 hours per week and last at least as long as the au pair period. For an EU citizen it is not a legal requirement, but it remains the most useful part of the experience. Ask the family if they contribute to the costs: there is no set amount.

Length of stay

The placement agreement can last up to one year. According to some consular guidance it is possible to continue for up to two years overall, with an agreed extension. For a shorter stay (for example the summer) you can arrange with the family a shorter duration.

Contract: what it must contain

The au pair placement agreement (acuerdo de colocación au pair) must include at least:

names of the parties and duration;
working hours and weekly rest day;
address of the residence where you will live with the family;
family's commitment to allow you to attend courses;
monthly amount of pocket money;
two weeks' notice for both parties in case of termination.

The contract must be at least in Spanish. Notarization before a Spanish notary is recommended by some consulates and required by others for the visa: ask for confirmation from the competent one.

Health insurance

If you are an EU citizen, industry portals indicate the European health insurance card as basic coverage: before you leave verify with your ASL if it covers a long stay and consider additional coverage. If you are coming from outside the EU you need instead health insurance issued in Spain, with no deductibles and with repatriation coverage: travel insurance is not accepted.

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens: no visa, but registration

You enter Spain with an identity card or passport, without a visa. If you stay more than three months you must register though: within three months of arrival apply in person for the certificate of registration of EU citizen, which assigns you the NIE (identification number for foreigners). You need the EX-18 form, a valid identity document, proof of tax payment (form 790, code 012) and documents proving you meet the residence requirements. You submit it to the Oficina de Extranjería of your province or to the Comisaría de Policía, by appointment.

Non-EU citizens: the study visa

From 20 May 2025 the regulations no longer provide for a specific au pair visa: you apply for a study visa linked to a Spanish course, at the Spanish consulate of the country where you reside, before departure. Applications start at most 180 days before travel and processing can take 5–8 weeks, so do not buy your flight before approval. Typical documents, according to consulates:

application form, passport photo and passport valid for at least one year;
letter of admission from an authorized Spanish school (at least 20 hours per week);
au pair contract signed by family and au pair;
Spanish health insurance with no deductibles and with repatriation;
financial means: at least 100% of the monthly IPREM, an amount updated every year;
criminal record certificate and medical certificate (not older than three months), legalized and translated according to consulate instructions;
payment of the consular fee.

If the stay does not exceed six months, the visa covers the entire period and you do not need a foreigner's identity card. For longer stays check with the consulate what formalities to complete after arrival. Document lists vary from consulate to consulate: always use the one from yours.

In summary

Age: maximum 30 years; minimum 17–18 depending on the consulate.
Visa: not required for EU/EEA/Swiss citizens (registration beyond 3 months); study visa required for non-EU.
Hours: maximum 5 hours per day; practical standard 25–30 hours per week.
Time off: at least one full day off per week.
Pocket money: approximately 280–320 euros per month according to industry portals, not set by law.
Food and accommodation: provided by the family.
Duration: up to 1 year; extension up to 2 according to some consular guidance.
Language course: at least 20 hours per week for non-EU; the family must give you time to attend it.
Contract: in writing, at least in Spanish, two weeks' notice.

How to recognize an unusual offer

Be wary if they ask you for more than 5 hours a day, if you do not have one day off a week, if there is no written agreement or if they do not allow you time to attend a course. Also a very low pocket money or full-time domestic worker tasks are red flags, as is someone proposing you arrive as a tourist and