Pocket money, working hours and au pair contract in Italy

Find out the details of how au pairs and families work together in Italy. How much pocket money does an au pair receive, how are holidays organised, should the family and the au pair have a contract? All the important conditions for an au pair stay in Italy are  presented here.

Young woman with a wallet in her hands

  • Au pair contract

    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.

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

  • Au pair duties

    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:

  • Pocket money

    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:

  • Board and lodging

    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:

  • Working hours

    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:

  • Free time and holidays

    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:

  • Language course

    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:

  • Au pair insurance

    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:

  • Travel costs

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

  • Driving licence

    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:

Info for host families in Italy:

What costs should we expect when hosting an au pair?

Accommodating an au pair results in higher household expenses owing to the fact that an additional adult will be living with you throughout the placement period.

Au pairing costs

Pocket money ca. 250 - 300 EUR per month
Household expenses ca. 50 - 100 EUR per week (depending on the household expenses of the host family)
Insurance ca. 25 - 50 EUR per month
Language course The au pair usually pays for the language course herself/himself. However, the host family should help to find a suitable language course and can contribute to the costs if they wish.

Total:

  • Au pair costs per week: Approx. 115 EUR
  • Au pair costs per month: Approx. 450 EUR

 

Codice fiscale

This tax number is necessary to:

  • be employed in the context of a regular employer-employee relationship
  • be covered by the Servizio Sanitario Nazionale within the framework of private insurance
  • open a bank account

Au pairs must apply for their personal Codice fiscale at the local tax office (Ufficio provinciale delle imposte). For this purpose, the au pair must provide the following documents:

  • a valid residence permit (permesso di soggiorno)
  • a copy of the ID-card/passport

Further information on the au pair stay in Italy

Information and requirements for au pairs and host familiesEntry requirements and visa in Italy
We are continually researching and updating our host country information, but cannot guarantee that all material provided is complete and correct. If you notice gaps or inaccuracies, we would like to hear from you.