Au Pair in Ireland: Rules, Requirements and Your Rights

Being an au pair in Ireland works differently from many other European countries: Irish law has no special au pair status. Someone who lives with a family and looks after the children is treated as a domestic worker, with the same rights as any other employee: a written contract, minimum wage, holidays, rest periods and a payslip.

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can go without a visa and without a work permit; for people coming from outside the European Economic Area, however, the door is practically closed. Here you will find the rules in force in October 2026, with the official sources.

In short: the rules for au pairs in Ireland

Status: domestic worker, not a separate category. Calling the role au pair does not change your rights.
Who can go: EU, EEA, Swiss and UK citizens without a work permit. For everyone else there is no suitable permit.
Minimum pay: €14.15 an hour from 1 January 2026 for those aged 20 or over.
Maximum hours: 48 hours a week on average, with 11 consecutive hours of rest in every 24 hours and 24 consecutive hours of rest every week.
Holidays: at least 4 weeks of paid leave a year, plus 10 public holidays and 5 days of paid sick leave.
Accommodation: a private, secure bedroom with a bed.
Contract: in writing, with hours, pay, duties and leave.
Tax: income tax, PRSI and USC like any other employee.

What Irish law says about au pairs

The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), the body that deals with workers' rights, makes it plain: calling someone an au pair, or describing the arrangement in some other way, is not enough to show that the person is not an employee. People who work in other people's homes have the same protection as other workers, including the right to be paid at least the minimum wage.

The reference text is the Code of Practice for Protecting Persons Employed in Other People's Homes. It is not an au pair guide, but it sets out what families can and cannot do. For you this means something very concrete: if a family offers you an informal arrangement, your rights are still those of an employment contract.

Who can become an au pair in Ireland

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens. If you hold an Italian passport or one from another EU country, you can go to Ireland and work without a work permit. The same goes for citizens of Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. When you receive a job offer you need a PPS (Personal Public Service) number and to register with the Irish tax authority.

Non-EEA citizens. To work in Ireland you need an employment permit, but none is granted for work in a private home: the official list of ineligible occupations includes the entry Work in the private home, Domestic worker. Citizens Information sums up the situation in the same way: in general, non-EEA citizens cannot get employment permits for jobs in private homes.

Non-EEA students. People with a student permission (Stamp 2) may work up to 20 hours a week during term time and 40 hours during holidays, but the main purpose of their stay must remain study. This is not a route to working as a full-time au pair: always check with the Immigration Service before agreeing to any arrangement.

Age, language and experience. Irish law sets no minimum age and no specific level of English for au pairs: these are decided by the family and, if there is one, the agency. For under-18s, special protections for young workers apply and the minimum wage is lower.

How much does an au pair earn in Ireland

There is no fixed pocket money: what counts is the national minimum wage, which since 1 January 2026 is:

Aged 20 and over: €14.15 an hour
Aged 19: €12.74 an hour
Aged 18: €11.32 an hour
Under 18: €9.91 an hour

Budget 2027 announced an increase to €14.94 an hour from 1 January 2027 for those aged 20 or over, but legislation is still needed.

Food and accommodation can be counted towards the minimum wage only within precise limits: €1.27 an hour for meals and €33.42 a week (or €4.77 a day) for accommodation. The deduction must be set out in the contract and notified in writing.

An indicative example: with 30 hours a week at €14.15, the minimum value of pay is €424.50 a week. Part of it can be covered by food and accommodation, but only if this is written into the contract and only up to the legal limits; the rest must be paid in cash. A fixed allowance far below this for that kind of schedule is a red flag.

Working hours, rest and breaks

The legal limit is 48 hours a week on average (calculated over a reference period of 4 months): it is a ceiling, not a recommended schedule. The actual hours are set by the contract, and the family must keep a record of them.

Daily rest: 11 consecutive hours in every 24 hours.
Weekly rest: 24 consecutive hours a week.
Breaks: 15 minutes after 4.5 hours of work, 30 minutes after 6 hours.
Sundays: if you work on a Sunday you are entitled to a premium or to compensatory time off.

Your duties must be those set out in the contract: extra tasks require your prior agreement, unless they are already provided for in writing. Accepted domestic duties include childminding, cleaning and cooking.

Holidays, public holidays and sick leave

Annual leave: at least 4 weeks of paid leave a year if you work full time, with the right to take 2 weeks in a row.
Public holidays: 10 paid public holidays, or another paid day off, or an extra day's pay.
Sick leave: 5 days of paid sick leave provided for by law.

The golden rule: if you go on holiday with the family, that is work and you are entitled to full pay. It cannot be counted as your annual leave.

Accommodation and life with the host family

If you live in the home, the family must give you a private, secure bedroom with a bed. A shared room is acceptable only with your consent. Here are the other fixed points of the Code of Practice:

nobody may keep your passport, visa or other personal documents;
they may not stop you from joining a trade union;
they must respect your dignity and privacy and make it easy for you to pursue your interests outside working hours;
if surveillance is planned in the home, it must be stated in the contract;
expenses you incur on the family's behalf must be reimbursed promptly.

Contract, payslip and tax

You are entitled to a written contract. It must state at least:

the names of the employer and the employee;
duties and place of work;
hours and pay;
annual leave and the start date.

The family cannot change these terms without your agreement. Every payment must come with a payslip showing the hourly rate, any overtime and tax and social-insurance deductions. Other deductions, such as for breakages, are allowed only if provided for in the contract and notified in writing.

As for tax, au pairs pay income tax, PRSI and USC like other employees. A family that pays €40 a week or more for domestic work must register as an employer with the Irish tax authority and deduct tax. Employment records must be kept for 3 years.

If the arrangement ends, you are entitled to a minimum notice period; after one year of work you are also protected against unfair dismissal.

How to spot a suspicious offer

These are warning signs you should not ignore:

no written contract, or vague hours and duties;
a fixed amount far below the minimum wage for the hours requested;
holidays with the family unpaid or counted as your own leave;
a shared room you did not agree to, or one without a lock;
a request to hand over your passport;
an offer of au pair work in a private home if you are a non-EEA citizen: there is no work permit for this.

If you are not sure, you can contact the WRC: its inspectors check domestic workplaces and the WRC examines complaints.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa to be an au pair in Ireland if I am Italian?

No. EU, EEA, Swiss and UK citizens can work in Ireland without a visa or a work permit. You do need a PPS number to be employed and pay tax.

Can an au pair be paid less than the minimum wage because they live with the family?

Only in part. Food and accommodation can count towards the calculation, but only if provided for in the contract and up to €1.27 an hour for meals and €33.42 a week for accommodation.

Can I be an au pair in Ireland on a student permission?

With Stamp 2 you can work within the limits of the permission (20 hours during term time), but the main purpose remains study. It is a different situation from full-time au pair work, and it is best to ask the Immigration Service for confirmation.

Conclusion

In Ireland an au pair is a worker in every respect: if you stick to the contract and the family respects the law, you have guaranteed hours, rest, holidays and a minimum wage. Before accepting an offer, always ask for a written contract and check that hours and pay are consistent with the minimum wage.

If you are comparing several destinations, also read our guides to au pair rules in Germany, au pair rules in Spain, au pair rules in Austria and au pair in the United Kingdom.

Always check the official sources. Amounts and requirements change: those in this article are in force as of October 2026 and do not constitute legal advice. Sources: Citizens Information, domestic workers' employment rights; WRC, Domestic Workers; WRC, Code of Practice; Citizens Information, minimum wage; Citizens Information, coming to work in Ireland; Ineligible Occupations List; Immigration Service Delivery, student permission.