The Petite Pumpkin au pair agency specialises in finding au pair jobs with families in Germany for au pairs from Canada, the European Union Countries & USA.

Working as an au pair in Germany is an ideal way to learn or improve your German language skills and will give you the opportunity to travel & experience another culture.

Applicants from the EEC countries should be aged 18/27 years old. Applicants from non EEC countries should be aged 18/24 years old.

The maximum duration of an au pair contract in Germany is 12 months and is limited by visa for applicants from non European Union countries.

The number of hours is limited to 30 hours per week (5 times 6 hours or 6 times 5 hours). Extra hours must be negotiated in advance and must be compensated with free time. Baby sitting may be required two to three evenings per week. The au pair must have at least one full day off per week. An au pair who has a one year contract is entitled to 4 weeks paid holiday.

The purpose of the au pair programme is to improve language skills and knowledge of another culture and therefore the au pair receives free food & accommodation and is entitled to receive pocket money which is currently a minimum of Euro 205 per month increasing to a minimum of Euro 260 per month from 1st January, 2006. Actual rates are agreed in advance between the family & the au pair.

No formal qualifications are necessary but applicants should have a genuine love of children. Applicants should have good social skills and be able to work in a family environment. A driving license is preferred but not essential. Applicants are expected to have a good basic knowledge of German. The au pair will be expected to send a hand written letter introducing themselves to the family and fill in an application form (CV/Resume) all written in German. Applicants will be expected to provide character references, a recent medical certificate certifying good health, references about experience in childcare and a criminal record report. All these documents complete with a passport photo should be sent to the agency with the completed application form.

Au pairs from non EU countries or EWR countries require a residence & work permit for Germany & this must be obtained by the applicant in person from a German embassy or consulate. A letter of invitation from the host family along with three passport photos is required by the German authorities. A visa usually takes 4 to 8 weeks to obtain.

The local foreign office at the host family’s town/city has to agree to the Visa. The host family will register the au pair with the local registration office and will help the au pair to find a suitable language course. Time off will be given each week to take a language course.

The au pair should take out short-term health insurance to cover the journey to Germany. After arrival the host family is responsible for insuring the au pair against accident & illness and will bear the cost of this insurance.

The au pair contract is limited to a maximum of 12 months and ends after the agreed date or with the expiration of the visa. A contract can be terminated prematurely with agreement of both sides.

In the case of serious problems the au pair should contact the au pair agency. In case of serious misconduct the contract can be dissolved immediately.

No fee is charged to the au pair.

We charge the family £280 for searching for suitable applicants who meet your criteria. We obtain and check all references.

If you are an au pair looking for a job in Germany or a family in Germany looking for an au pair please contact us for an application form & further details.