Rules and regulation

Au pair requirements

• You must be between the ages of 18 and 29 (both years included) at the time of application.
• You may not be married or have been married before, be in a co-habiting relationship or registered partnership or have been in a co-habiting relationship or registered partnership before. You may not have any children or be pregnant of the time of application.
• Normally, you may not previously have had two or more au pair stays in other Western European countries.
• Normally, you may not previously have held a Danish residence permit.
• Normally, you may not as one or more members of the host family.

Language requirements

The primary goal of an au pair stay is to improve language and other relevant skills, as well as expand au-pair's cultural horizons by learning about Denmark. The requirement that au-pair must have a working knowledge of either Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, English or German ensures that this can happen.

Arrangement

• If you are a citizen of a country outside the EU/EEA and you wish to be an au pair in Denmark, you must apply for a residence permit (it is your own responsibility to obtain it).
• You and your host family must fill out and sign the au pair contract provided by the Danish Agency for Labour Retention and International Recruitment.
• The application for a work permit takes approximately 1 - 3 months. It has to be arranged before you come to Denmark.

Length of stay

Maximum 24 months from the issuing of the residence permit. It can exceed neither the duration of your au pair contract nor the point at which the youngest child living in the family turns 18.

Work permit

The average processing time for au pair case is 2 months. Au Pair may be granted a residence permit for up to 24 months, but no longer than the duration of au pair contract. In exceptional cases, the residence permit can be extended by six months, resulting in a total of two years.

Travel costs

The host family must pay for your trip to Denmark if you live in the country outside the EU/EEA or Switzerland and for your return trip if f you go back home to your country of origin or previous country of residence, and this country is outside the EU/EEA or Switzerland.

Visa fee

You are the one who is responsible to pay Embassy fee, which is aprox. 1.600 DKK (215 Euro).

Changing family

The main idea of the Au Pair program is that an au pair candidate should be happy and be treated as a part of the family he/she is staying with. In case the candidate is not happy with his/her family, he/she can change a family (but you should stay no more than one year with the family in order to find a new one).

• If you wish to stay in Denmark with a new host family, then the new host family is obliged to pay for your trip home (to your country of origin or previous country of residence).
• If you are willing to begin with a new host family you should be granted new residence permit. However, you are allowed to move to your new host family and stay with them as a guest.

Work duties

The basic idea is that the au pair should take part in the host family's daily chores in their house. These chores may especially include, for instance, housework duties, child care, and minding animals.

Working conditions

• Working hours: 3-5 hours per day, 6 days per week. You must work not more than 30 hours per week. This means that if the host family states in the au pair contract that she/he is to carry out chores for 6 hours every day, with the weekend off, an au-pair will not be granted a residence permit.
• You are entitled to one full day off every week and a half-day off per week. (A half gay off means that you can complete your chores of 3 to 5 hours either before or after 2 p.m.)
• You are allowed to have a day off on official Danish national Holidays (simply, red days in calendar).
• The domestic chores should be scheduled in a way that allows the au pair sufficient time to follow language courses and pursuing cultural and professional interests, including participating in religious activities.
• It is the responsibility of the host family to provide the au-pair with appropriate care if she/he should fall ill.

Working conditions

The au pair must be ensured free housing (lodging) for the period being applied for. The applicant must live with the host family for the entire period of employment and have his/her own room.

Pocket money

Minimum 4.850 DKK per month (before taxes if you have applied for an au pair permit after 1.01.2024). The allowance must be paid into a Danish bank account in your name no later than the last workday of each month.

Taxes

Must be paid from the amount of the au pairs' pocket money. The tax percentage is estimated by the au pair's monthly salary and the value of lodge the au pair receives. The au pair has to be registered by the Tax Office.

Family requirements

• The family must consist of at least one parent and at least one child under 18 living at home.
• A host family may only welcome one au pair at the same time. The au pair lives together with the host family and has his/her own room.
• The au pair is not allowed to work for any employer but the host family. The host family must be able to support itself, i.e. it must not receive public assistance.

Language courses

The au pair has to be given the opportunity to attend Danish language courses. When your residence permit is granted the payment for language courses should be made. The family is the one who is responsible to cover language course expenses.

Period of notice

Termination of the contract must be done in writing. You can terminate the contract with two weeks’ notice and your family can do this with one month’s notice. While staying during this period with your family, they must continue to provide you with free food, lodging, and monthly salary.

Registration

You must be registered with the local Citizen’s Service Centre (Borgerservice) as a resident at your host family’s address no later than 5 days after the arrival in order to receive a final residence permit, personal number (a so-called CPR number) and a "health card".

Holidays

You earn paid holiday which you can use from the beginning of your au pair stay.

You earn 2,5 days per month if you work 6 days per week or 2,08 days if you work 5 days per week.

You must enter into a written agreement with your host family about when you will be taking holiday.

When your au pair stay ends, your host family must pay you for any holiday days earned but not used.

Insurance

It is the responsibility of your host family that you are covered by the Danish national health insurance, which entitles you to free medical care. It is also the responsibility of your host family to provide you with appropriate care if you fall ill.

Your family is responsible for taking out three following insurances covering you: insurance against industrial injures, insurance against personal injury outside work, and insurance covering your transportation to your home country in case of death, serious illness and injury.

Social security

The au pair has to be registered with the Social Registration Office in order to obtain a social security number.