Duration of the au pair stay
(Also to be found with keywords Duration of stay, Period of stay and Length of stay)
How long will you be allowed to work as an au pair in your host country? It could well be that you'll want to stay forever as soon as you get a taste of the au pair experience. However, as au pair regulations differ from country to country, we would advise you to check the list below for information on the officially allowed duration of stay in your favourite host country. And if the period of stay seems a bit too short to you, you can check for other visa possibilities in our section Info host countries as well. In some cases, different conditions may be available.
| Australia | 1 - 6 months (a change of families is possible for a further 6 months) |
| Austria | EU: no restrictions, non-EU: 6 - 12 months max. |
| Belgium | EU: no restrictions, non-EU: 1 - 12 months max. |
| Canada | 1 - 12 months max. |
| Denmark | EU: no restrictions, non - EU: 1 - 12 months, extendable up to 18 months max. |
| Finland | EU: no restrictions, non-EU: 1 - 12 months max. |
| France | 3 - 12 months, extendable up to 24 months max. |
| Germany | EU: no restrictions, non-EU: min. 6 - 12 months max. |
| Iceland | EU: no restrictions, non-EU: 1 - 12 months max. |
| Ireland | EU: no restrictions, non-EU: 1 - 12 months max. or longer with a student visa |
| Italy | EU: no restrictions, non-EU: 1 - 3 months or up to 12 months with a Working Holiday Visa |
| Liechtenstein | 1 - 12 months max. |
| Luxemburg | 1 - 12 months max. |
| Netherlands | 1 - 12 months max. |
| New Zealand | 1 - 12 months max. |
| Norway | EU: no restrictions, non-EU: 1 - 24 months |
| Spain | EU: no restrictions, non-EU: 6 - 12 months max. or longer with a student visa |
| Sweden | EU: no restrictions, non-EU: 1 - 12 months max. |
| Switzerland | EU: 1 - 12 months, extendable up to 24 months max., non-EU: 1 - 12 months max. |
| United Kingdom | EU: no restrictions, non-EU: 1 - 24 months |
| USA | 12 months min., extendable by 6, 9, or 12 months. |