Pocket money, working hours and au pair contract in Italy

There is no official au pair contract for Italy. You can use the official European contract template and modify it according to your needs:

Au pairs and families should discuss their mutual expectations together prior to commencement of the au pair stay. These points should be specified in a written au pair contract.

Downloads
For au pairs requiring a visa, we advise that you use the European au pair contract in Italian to avoid problems at the embassy.

• The official European aupair contract in Italian (translation of the English contract)
• The official European au pair contract in English

Termination
The au pair contract can be terminated giving two weeks' notice. In serious circumstances, the contract can be terminated with immediate effect.

The primary responsibility of an au pair is to help with taking care of the host family's children. Additionally, take care of some light household chores. Au pairs and host families should clarify beforehand what these tasks will be and include these points in the au pair contract.

More information on the topic:

• What exactly are the responsibilities of an au pair?
• Using a schedule to organise au pair activities

There are no official regulations when it comes to the amount of pocket money au pairs receive in Italy. Based on our experience, we recommend that host families pay their au pairs 250-300 euros per month.

Note: The pocket money paid by the host family should not be seen as a salary in any official sense.

More information on this topic:

• Is there extra pay for babysitting?

In addition to pocket money, au pairs will receive free board and lodging with their host families. Au pairs, of course,  continue to receive these benefits also in the event of illness.

More information on the topic:

• How should an au pair room look like?

In Italy, au pairs and host families may flexibly agree upon the au pairs' working hours per week. However, au pairs may not work more than 30 hours throughout 6 days per week at most (babysitting in the evening included). Per day they may not work more than 5 hours.

More information on the topic:

• What are working hours and what is free time?
• How are public holidays handled?

In Italy, au pairs get at least one day off per week. At least once per month this day should fall on a Sunday.

In Italy, there are no official rules governing the holidays for au pairs. Therefore, au pairs and host families should reach their own agreement on this point in advance. In general, au pairs are entitled to a paid holiday of 2 weeks when employed for six months.

There are no official regulations with regard to public holidays for au pairs. We recommend that au pairs have a day off on public holidays. Only in exceptional cases should au pairs should work on public holidays. The host family should discuss this with their au pair beforehand.

More information on the topic:

• Family holidays and your au pair – What works best?
• Going on family holidays without the au pair - how to handle?

Au pairs should have sufficient free time and the opportunity to participate in a language course. Au pairs are responsible for paying for the costs of language instruction. The host family can help in finding a suitable language course for the au pair. 

Au pairs coming from non-EU countries who intend to enter Italy on a student visa, should make sure to check that the institution offering the course is on the list of approved schools which are recognised in connection with a student visa. In addition, the language course needs to be for a minimum of 20 hours per week.

More information on this topic:

• Do au pairs have to attend a language course?
• Which language level do I need to become an au pair?

To be safely and fully insured, au pairs from all countries (EU and non-EU) need to have a comprehensive private au pair insurance for au pair stays in Italy. The costs for this insurance are to be borne by the host family.

AuPairWorld recommends the PROTRIP-WORLD insurance package for this purpose. It is especially designed for au pairs and other young people spending time abroad. Among other benefits, this insurance covers the full costs of inpatient and outpatient medical care (often not covered in full with the EHIC card for EU au pairs), plus return transport to the home country for medical reasons (not covered at all with the EHIC card).

More information on insurance:

• Expert advice and online insurance purchase from AuPairWorld's partner DR-WALTER.
• How should I be insured as an au pair?

Au pairs who wish to work in Italy generally bear the cost of their travel to and from Italy themselves.

Au pairs and host families should clarify in advance whether the au pair will need to drive in the course of the au pair stay. Should this be the case, it should be checked in the au pair's driving licence is valid in Italy. It may be necessary to apply for an international driving licence. In addition, au pairs and host families should make arrangements for handling possible damages resulting from an accident while the au pair is driving and specify these in the au pair contract.

More information on this topic:

• Do au pairs really need a driving licence?