Last modified: 23 April 2026
Previous version of AuPairWorld's Terms of Service
Terms and Conditions
of AuPairWorld GmbH, Friedrich-Ebert-Str. 10, 34117 Kassel, Germany
E-mail: info@aupairworld.com
Telephone: +49 (0) 561 31 0561 - 0
HRB 15442, District Court (Amtsgericht) Kassel
Managing Director: Heike Fischer
1. AuPairWorld
1.1 “AuPairWorld” and the associated websites app.aupairworld.com, aupairworld.com and/or their subpages are operated by AuPairWorld GmbH (hereinafter also referred to as “AuPairWorld”, “we”, “us”, “our” or similar).
1.2 AuPairWorld is an online portal (https://www.aupairworld.com and/or app.aupairworld.com) for self-matching of (prospective) au pairs and host families (“users”). Users have the opportunity, for themselves:
- to find a suitable host family in order to be hosted there as an au pair, or
- as a potential host family, to recruit an au pair.
1.3 For this purpose, users create profiles on AuPairWorld in which they introduce themselves and contact each other using AuPairWorld’s communication tools.
1.4 AuPairWorld only provides the infrastructure for the profiles and communication. The creation of profiles and the communication are carried out under the users’ own responsibility. AuPairWorld assumes no liability for their content. AuPairWorld has no general obligation to actively monitor content. However, AuPairWorld will, of course, investigate specific indications of legal violations.
1.5 AuPairWorld does not guarantee a successful match.
1.6 If an au pair and a host family find each other, they must arrange and regulate everything else themselves under their own responsibility. The au pair contract is concluded exclusively between the host family and the au pair.
2. Costs
2.1 Use of AuPairWorld is free of charge for au pairs. However, AuPairWorld reserves the right to offer additional features for a fee.
2.2 Host families can register on AuPairWorld free of charge and use the platform with limited functionality during a free trial period. AuPairWorld may make continued use of the platform conditional upon the purchase of a paid Premium Membership. AuPairWorld reserves the right to stop displaying the profiles of host families who use AuPairWorld without a Premium Membership to other users and may restrict or completely suspend their ability to use certain features of the platform.
2.3 Unless stated otherwise, prices are in euros and include VAT.
2.4 Users may choose from the following payment methods: (1) PayPal or (2) credit card.
3. Registration - Activation - Premium Membership
3.1 If you wish to use AuPairWorld, you must register via our website by providing your personal data. Section 4 contains further provisions on what must be observed when registering.
3.2 By registering, you agree to these Terms and Conditions. These Terms and Conditions apply to the entire use of AuPairWorld. Any differing terms and conditions of our business customers that have not been expressly agreed to by us in writing shall not be binding on us.
3.3 Registration does not automatically grant you access to our online portal. Access will only be granted once we have activated your account. The contract is concluded only upon activation. Activation is granted at our sole discretion.
3.4 We recommend that you print out or save these Terms and Conditions. We also store the contract text after the contract is concluded. Upon request, we will make it available to you.
3.5 After activation, host families have only limited functionality. Full functionality is unlocked only upon the purchase of a Premium Membership and remains available for the duration of the Premium Membership.
3.6 A Premium Membership can be purchased for a one-time fee for a specified period. It expires automatically at the end of that period; no separate cancellation is required. The current fee and duration of the Premium Membership are published on the website. The Premium Membership is activated only after payment has been received. Premium Memberships are non-transferable and are tied to the user for whose profile they are purchased.
4. Registration
4.1 Any natural person seeking an au pair to care for one or more minor children (up to and including the age of 16) who permanently live in their household may register as a host family. In justified cases (e.g. if a child has a disability), AuPairWorld may allow exceptions to this age limit.
Any natural person seeking a host family for themselves may register as an au pair.
4.2 Before registering, host families must ensure that they are permitted to host an au pair under the regulations of their country of residence. Likewise, au pairs must ensure that they are legally permitted to enter and stay in the desired host country as an au pair under the applicable regulations.
Both host families and au pairs must also ensure that they comply with AuPairWorld’s “Au Pair concept”.
4.3 Each registration must be carried out personally by the respective user. Registration by an authorized third party is not permitted. Each person may register only once as a user. Multiple registrations of the same host family by several persons are not permitted.
4.4 The data requested during registration must be provided completely and correctly, including, for example, first and last name, current address (no P.O. box), telephone number, and a valid E-Mail address. The data must be provided exactly as stated in the official identification documents of the person registering.
AuPairWorld reserves the right to verify the accuracy of the information provided in individual cases and, if necessary, to request appropriate supporting documents from the user (e.g., copy of ID card, passport, credit card(s), or telephone bill).
If any of the provided data changes after registration, each user is obliged to correct the information immediately themselves or inform AuPairWorld accordingly.
4.5 Registration is permitted only for natural persons of full legal age.
An exception applies to persons who are shortly before reaching the age of 18 and are seeking a host family for an au pair stay that will begin after their 18th birthday. In such cases, the user declares that they are acting with the consent of their legal representative and shall provide proof of such consent to AuPairWorld without delay upon request. If such proof is not provided, we will exclude the user from our platform until they have reached the age of 18.
Owners and employees of au pair agencies, as well as their spouses or partners and other competitors of AuPairWorld, are not permitted to register.
4.6 Au pairs may register up to a maximum age of 30 years.
5. Self-search only
5.1 Registration and use of AuPairWorld are permitted exclusively for the purpose of independently searching for au pairs and host families (see Section 1.1).
5.2 AuPairWorld seeks to ensure that the platform is used only for the aforementioned purpose. Therefore, any form of advertising for third-party products or services on AuPairWorld is prohibited.
In particular, advertising for other platforms or agencies for au pairs and/or host families is prohibited. Advertising within the meaning of this provision is to be interpreted broadly. Any mere mention already constitutes advertising.
Other platforms or agencies for au pairs and/or host families may therefore not be mentioned at all. This applies in particular to profile texts, but also to messages exchanged via the AuPairWorld messenger.
5.3 AuPairWorld aims to enable direct contact between host families and au pairs. To ensure this “directness”, the following rules apply:
- Each user must register personally. Registration on behalf of third parties is not permitted.
- Each user may search only for themselves. Searching on behalf of third parties is not permitted.
- Each user must conduct the search themselves. They may not engage third parties for the search. In particular, the involvement of professional agencies is prohibited.
- Contact details received by users through communication on AuPairWorld may only be used for their own purposes. Disclosure to third parties is prohibited.
6. Scope of Services
6.1 Users may create their own page on AuPairWorld (“profile”). Each user has the opportunity to describe themselves and to formulate the expectations they have regarding their desired host family / desired au pair.
The profile may be individually designed with personal texts and photos. After activation, the profile is visible to other users.
6.2 With “EasyFind”, all users are provided with an up-to-date, personalised list of suggested matches with other users. In addition, all users are regularly informed by email (“Daily Update”) about other users who have newly registered and may be a suitable match.
6.3 All users may exchange predefined standard messages via the messaging system.
6.4 Au pairs may also write and read personal messages. Host families may do so only as long as they have an active Premium membership.
6.5 User profiles and messages are stored by AuPairWorld, but not indefinitely. Reference is made to Sections 9.5 and 9.6.
6.6 We may also offer “third-party products” from our cooperation partners, which are provided to our users in their own name and for their own account. These third-party products are intended to best support au pairs and host families before and during their au pair stay.
Such third-party products may include, for example:
- Preparation courses / language courses for au pairs and host families
- Support and assistance services for au pairs and host families
- Visa services for au pairs and host families
Information on how to purchase the respective third-party product is provided in the relevant offer on our website.
Important: The cooperation partner is primarily responsible for the content, quality and proper performance of the third-party product (e.g. the proper delivery of a foreign language course).
6.7 AuPairWorld is a continuously evolving online service. Against this background, AuPairWorld reserves the right to modify, supplement, or remove platform functions to a reasonable extent where this is necessary for valid reasons — for example, due to technical developments, improvement of user-friendliness, security reasons, or implementation of legal requirements.
Material changes that significantly impair contractual use of the platform will only be made if they are reasonable for the user, taking the user’s interests into account, and if a special right of termination is granted.
The user may terminate the contractual relationship with AuPairWorld by E-Mail within 4 weeks after receiving the notification E-Mail informing about the change. In this case, Premium membership fees will be refunded on a pro rata basis.
7. Restrictions during the Trial Phase
During the trial phase — i.e., before the host family purchases a Premium membership — the scope of services is limited:
- The host family may only send predefined messages.
- The host family may not write personal messages and may not read personal messages from au pairs.
- The host family is shown only limited information about au pairs.
8. Rules of Conduct
Users of AuPairWorld undertake to comply with the following rules of conduct:
8.1 Each user shall observe the “Au Pair Basic Idea”, the au pair regulations of the respective host country, as well as other applicable legal provisions, official regulations, and standards of good conduct.
This applies both to the use of AuPairWorld itself and outside of AuPairWorld in connection with the initiation or existence of an au pair relationship.
8.2 Use of AuPairWorld is permitted exclusively for personal use. Any transfer of access to third parties (e.g., sharing login credentials or passwords) is prohibited.
8.3 Data made accessible to a user (in particular contact details and personal messages) of au pairs or host families must be treated as strictly confidential and may not be published elsewhere (especially on other websites or media) or disclosed to third parties.
Disclosure of contact information to other users or third parties is not permitted.
8.4 Each user warrants that the content of their profile and communication does not violate statutory provisions, official prohibitions, public morals, or the rights of third parties.
In particular, offensive, discriminatory, or sexual content is prohibited. Copyright and personal rights of third parties must not be infringed.
8.5 Each user warrants that the information provided in their profile, in standard and personal messages, and in all other profile texts is accurate and corresponds to the facts.
8.6 Entering contact details, links, or references to other websites in fields or texts not expressly intended for this purpose is not permitted. This applies in particular to free text fields (e.g., “Dear family”, “Dear au pair”, etc.).
8.7 AuPairWorld values and respects the diversity of political, ideological, or religious beliefs—but places great emphasis on neutrality. For this reason, the expression of political, ideological, or religious opinions is prohibited on AuPairWorld. This does not apply to the abstract and factual statement of personal basic attitudes (e.g., conservative/progressive or religious/non-religious), insofar as these are relevant to the selection of an au pair or a host family. However, the expression of specific opinions derived from these basic attitudes (e.g., support for or opposition to same-sex marriage, etc.) remains prohibited in all cases.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Contact details include any information that enables users to contact each other directly while bypassing the Premium Membership.
9. Obligation of Use, Deactivation and Deletion of Profiles and Chats
9.1 The quality of AuPairWorld as a communicative online platform depends on users actively searching for host families or au pairs and communicating accordingly.
9.2 Therefore, the user is obliged to inform AuPairWorld immediately if, due to the conclusion of an au pair relationship or for other reasons, they are no longer available to other users as an au pair or host family.
In this case, the user’s profile will be deactivated and will no longer be displayed to other users.
9.3 The user is further obliged to check and respond to messages received via AuPairWorld at regular and appropriate intervals.
9.4 If a profile shows little or no activity or if the user does not respond to messages regularly, this may result in the profile no longer being displayed to other users or the right to send messages being restricted.
9.5 If a profile shows no activity at all as described in Section 9.3 (“inactivity”), the following applies:
Silencing:
After 14 consecutive days of inactivity, the profile will no longer be displayed in general searches but may still be accessed directly by other users.
Deactivation:
After 3 months of uninterrupted inactivity, the profile will be deactivated. This means it will no longer be displayed (as with silencing) and can no longer be accessed by other users. The user may still access their own profile unchanged and reactivate it. For host families, reactivation may be made conditional upon the purchase of a Premium membership.
Deletion:
After 3 years of uninterrupted inactivity, the profile will be deleted. The profile will then no longer exist and cannot be reactivated.
9.6 Individual chats within a profile are generally deleted 6 months after the last communication in that chat.
10. ID Check and AuPairWorld’s Right of Review
10.1 At the user’s request, a paid ID check may be carried out at the time of registration or at a later date upon presentation of suitable proof of identity (passport or ID card).
The current fees and detailed procedure can be found on our website.
The ID check is displayed on the user’s profile and serves as a quality indicator for other users.
However, even after an ID check has been carried out, AuPairWorld cannot guarantee that the stated identity is actually correct.
10.2 AuPairWorld is also entitled — independently of such a request — to verify the personal data provided at registration as well as any other information provided by the user, and to request appropriate documents (e.g., ID card) or carry out an ID check in accordance with Section 10.1.
10.3 AuPairWorld may investigate complaints about users and request a statement from the user concerned.
10.4 The user is obliged to cooperate in the review process by submitting appropriate documentation within 2 weeks of being requested to do so in accordance with paragraphs 1 or 2, or by providing a substantiated response to any complaints.
11. Exclusion from Use by AuPairWorld
11.1 In the event of a violation of these Terms and Conditions — in particular of the obligations set out in Sections 4 (Registration), 5 (Self-search only), and 8 (Rules of Conduct) —, infringement of third-party rights, or other legal violations, a user may be excluded from AuPairWorld with immediate effect.
In the case of minor violations, the user will first receive a warning and will only be excluded in the event of a repeated violation.
11.2 Exclusion may also occur if the user fails to cooperate in a review under Section 10 within the specified time limit.
11.3 In the event of exclusion, the user shall not be entitled to a refund of the Premium membership fee, whether in whole or in part.
11.4 Once a user has been excluded, they may no longer use AuPairWorld.
The excluded user may not register again.
In the case of a host family, this also applies to the other members of the host family.
11.5 AuPairWorld reserves the right, instead of completely excluding a user, to restrict the user’s access or to remove individual passages from the profile that are inconsistent with the Terms and Conditions.
12. Contractual Penalty
If, after receiving a warning, a user continues to use AuPairWorld in violation of Section 5, AuPairWorld shall be entitled, at its reasonable discretion and taking into account in particular the severity of the violation, to impose an appropriate contractual penalty.
In the event of a dispute, the appropriateness of the penalty may be reviewed by the competent Regional Court (Landgericht).
As a rule, the contractual penalty amounts to EUR 2,500, but may not exceed EUR 10,000.
This contractual penalty is payable irrespective of any actual damage incurred.
AuPairWorld reserves the right to assert claims for damages in addition to the contractual penalty. Any contractual penalty paid shall be offset against such damages.
Each violation may be treated as a separate violation.
13. Indemnification
If claims are asserted against AuPairWorld in connection with a violation of these Terms and Conditions or any other legal violation by a user, the user shall fully indemnify AuPairWorld against such claims.
14. Technical Availability – Disruptions – Interruptions
14.1 The usage options described in these Terms and Conditions are subject to technical availability and are provided in accordance with the current state of the art.
AuPairWorld shall provide an online service corresponding to the usual technical standards.
However, the user is aware that completely error-free software cannot be guaranteed according to the current state of technology.
Users are also aware that desired data may not always, or possibly never, be available.
14.2 In the event of disruptions, interruptions, or data loss at or relating to AuPairWorld, the affected user shall not be entitled to compensation for any resulting damage.
14.3 In the event of disruptions or interruptions attributable to AuPairWorld affecting the promised services, the duration of the Premium membership shall be extended by the duration of the disruption, provided that it has lasted more than 48 hours (consecutively or cumulatively) within a period of 30 days.
15. Users’ Own Responsibility
15.1 AuPairWorld merely provides a platform on which au pairs and host families can connect with each other. AuPairWorld has no further obligations beyond this.
15.2 In particular, AuPairWorld does not guarantee a successful matching.
AuPairWorld also cannot guarantee that:
- users registered on AuPairWorld will match based on their search criteria;
- the information provided by au pairs or host families is accurate;
- au pairs or host families are actually available.
15.3 The au pair contract is concluded exclusively between the host family and the au pair.
AuPairWorld is not a contracting party and is neither responsible for the initiation nor for the performance of the au pair contract.
- AuPairWorld does not verify whether the legal requirements for an au pair relationship are met. Users must inform themselves with the competent authorities whether they are legally permitted to host an au pair or to stay as an au pair in the selected host country. The provision of informational texts by AuPairWorld does not relieve users of their own obligation to verify. AuPairWorld assumes no liability or guarantees that such information is complete, correct, or accurate.
- The selection of au pair and host family is the sole responsibility of the users. We emphasize that we do not personally know the au pairs or host families. Due to lack of personal knowledge, we cannot provide any guarantees regarding the trustworthiness of au pairs or host families or that they will fulfill their promises. Each user independently decides when and with whom to make contact. Whether such contact develops positively or results in damage to one party cannot be influenced by us.
- On our website, we provide general information about what we do to enhance user safety. We also explain what au pairs and host families can do to better assess each other. Additionally, we provide tips on how to make the right choice and what questions should be asked.
- Breaches within the au pair relationship, such as advance fee fraud or inappropriate conduct, concern only the legal relationship between au pair and host family and do not give rise to claims against AuPairWorld.
15.4
The creation of profiles and communication are carried out under the users’ own responsibility. AuPairWorld assumes no liability for their content, any resulting legal violations, or infringement of third-party rights.
AuPairWorld has no general obligation to actively monitor content. However, AuPairWorld will investigate specific indications of legal violations and may exclude users if necessary (see Section 11).
16. Liability
16.1 We shall be liable only in cases of intent or gross negligence.
16.2 In all other cases, we shall be liable only for the breach of a contractual obligation whose fulfillment is essential for the proper performance of the contract and on whose compliance you as a customer may regularly rely (cardinal obligation). In such cases, our liability shall be limited to damages that are foreseeable and typical for this type of contract.
16.3 Our liability for injury to life, body, or health and under the German Product Liability Act shall remain unaffected by the above limitations and exclusions of liability.
17. Term / Termination
17.1 The term of a Premium membership depends on the selected service package. The Premium membership ends automatically upon expiry of the agreed term without requiring termination.
17.2 Basic membership is generally unlimited in time. Reference is made to the restrictions under Section 9 (obligation of use and deactivation of inactive profiles) and the age limit for au pairs of 30 years (Section 4.6). At the latest upon reaching the age limit, the basic membership as an au pair ends.
17.3 Membership may end prematurely by exclusion of the user. Reference is made to Section 11.
17.4 Each user may deactivate their profile at any time and thereby withdraw it from being viewed by other users. Under the conditions of Section 9.4, the profile may be deleted. Upon request of the user, deletion may also occur earlier.
17.5 After the end of the membership term or in the event of exclusion, conversations that have already been started can no longer be continued.
18. Visibility of Profiles
18.1 Profiles and the personal data contained therein are visible only to users registered with AuPairWorld.
18.2 However, AuPairWorld is entitled to publish a short excerpt from profiles on its websites app.aupairworld.com, aupairworld.com and their subpages, so that this excerpt may also be visible to visitors of the website who are not registered users.
The publication serves to provide visitors with illustrative information about AuPairWorld and how it works.
The short excerpt may contain:
- the profile photo (if uploaded by the user),
- the full first name,
- the first letter of the last name,
- nationality or country of residence,
- age of the au pair or the children,
- information about the search period,
- the beginning of the profile text (if provided).
AuPairWorld reserves the right to modify the scope of the short excerpt. Contact details or other identifying information will not be displayed in the short profile.
19. Right of Withdrawal
19.1 After conclusion of the contract, you have a time-limited right of withdrawal (14 days from conclusion of the contract and receipt of the withdrawal notice), about which we inform you below.
— Beginning of Withdrawal Notice —
Withdrawal Notice
You have the right to withdraw from this contract within 14 days without giving any reason. The withdrawal period shall be 14 days from the date of conclusion of the contract. To exercise your right of withdrawal, you must inform us:
AuPairWorld GmbH
Friedrich-Ebert-Str. 10
34117 Kassel
Germany
E-mail: cancellation@aupairworld.com
Telephone: +49 (0) 561 31 0561 - 0
by means of a clear statement (e.g., a letter sent by post, fax, or e-mail) of your decision to withdraw from this contract.
You may use the attached model withdrawal form, but it is not mandatory.
To meet the withdrawal deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your communication concerning the exercise of the right of withdrawal before the withdrawal period has expired.
Effects of Withdrawal
If you withdraw from this contract, we shall reimburse to you all payments received from you, including delivery costs (except for additional costs resulting from your choice of a type of delivery other than the least expensive type of standard delivery offered by us), without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day on which we are informed about your decision to withdraw from this contract.
We will carry out such reimbursement using the same means of payment as you used for the initial transaction, unless you have expressly agreed otherwise; in any event, you will not incur any fees as a result of such reimbursement.
If you requested that the services begin during the withdrawal period, you shall pay us an appropriate amount proportionate to what has been provided until the time you informed us of the exercise of the right of withdrawal, compared to the full coverage of the contract.
Loss of the Right of Withdrawal
Your right of withdrawal shall expire before the withdrawal period has expired if we have begun the performance of the services with your express consent and have fully performed the services before the withdrawal period expired.
— End of Withdrawal Notice —
19.2
In accordance with Section 357a (2) of the German Civil Code (BGB), a user of a Premium membership must pay compensation for services provided until withdrawal.
Compensation shall be calculated on a pro rata basis according to the duration of use until withdrawal. The calculation is made monthly; any month started counts as a full month.
For each month, the amount applicable is the price listed in the current price list for a one-month Premium membership.
The compensation shall be deducted by AuPairWorld.
20. General Information
20.1 An effective and accessible technical means for correcting input errors is the “Back” button (= “one page back” button) of your browser. You may use this button to correct input errors.
An effective and accessible technical means for detecting input errors is, for example, the zoom function of your browser. In some browsers, this function is also referred to as the “zoom” feature.
Please ensure when entering data that what you enter corresponds to what you intend to enter. Always ask yourself whether your intention and your input match. If in doubt, please cancel the process. If you have made an incorrect entry, please correct it. If you have any questions, you may contact us at any time. We will gladly assist you in detecting and correcting input errors.
20.2 The languages available for concluding the contract (contract languages) are German, English, French, Italian, Spanish, and Dutch.
In the event of discrepancies, contradictions, or interpretation doubts between language versions, only the German version of these Terms and Conditions shall be legally binding and authoritative.
20.3 We do not submit to any codes of conduct.
21. Final Provisions
21.1 AuPairWorld is entitled, with four weeks’ notice, to transfer its rights and obligations arising from this contractual relationship in whole or in part to a third party.
21.2 Place of performance is Kassel, Germany.
21.3 If the user is a merchant, a legal entity under public law, or a special fund under public law, Kassel (Germany) (Local Court or Regional Court of Kassel) shall be agreed as the place of jurisdiction for all disputes arising from the contractual relationship.
This shall also apply if the user does not have a general place of jurisdiction within the EU or relocates it outside the EU after conclusion of the contract.
However, AuPairWorld reserves the right to sue the user at any other permissible place of jurisdiction.
21.4 All declarations transmitted within the scope of the user contract to be concluded with AuPairWorld must be made in text form. Such declarations must be addressed to:
AuPairWorld GmbH
Friedrich-Ebert-Str. 10
34117 Kassel
Germany
21.5 All legal relationships between the contracting parties shall be governed by the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany, excluding both international private law and the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods, unless mandatory statutory provisions provide otherwise.
Mandatory consumer protection provisions of the law of the country in which the consumer has their habitual residence shall remain unaffected.
In case of doubt, the German version of the Terms and Conditions shall prevail.
21.6 AuPairWorld reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions at any time without stating reasons.
Any amendments will be displayed and made accessible to the user before the first login after the amendment. By logging in, the user accepts the amended Terms and Conditions.
However, essential contractual elements (e.g., type and scope of services owed, term, remuneration, or contractual penalties) cannot be amended in this way and require the user’s express consent in text form.
Changes to services may also be made under the conditions set out in Section 6.7.
21.7 If any provision of the above Terms is invalid, the validity of the remaining provisions shall remain unaffected.
In such a case, the user undertakes to agree to a provision that comes as close as possible to the invalid clause in economic effect and intent.
Model Withdrawal Form
(Please fill out this form and send it back to us, if you would like to cancel the contract.)
• To:
AuPairWorld GmbH
Friedrich-Ebert-Str. 10
34117 Kassel, Germany
Email: cancellation@aupairworld.com
• I/we (*) hereby cancel the contract concluded by me/us (*) with regard to the purchase of the following goods (*)/provision of the following services:
• Ordered on (*)/received on (*):
• Name of the consumer:
• Address of the consumer:
• Signature of the consumer(s) (only for notification on paper)
• Date:
(*) Delete as applicable.