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Intern foreigner and au pair family helper

Verified 01 January 2023 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

The foreigners family worker trainee is a young European foreigner who came to France to study. The au pair is non-European. He came to France to deepen his language skills and knowledge of France.

Young European

The foreigners family worker trainee is a young European foreigner who came to France to study. It is hosted by a host family. On the other hand, he performs family or household tasks (childcare, small housework...). This arrangement must not be confused with that of the au pair employee who is covered by the collective agreement of the individual employer.

The foreigner live-in caregiver is housed in a family home. In return for food and accommodation, he performs routine household or household tasks (childcare, minor housework, for example).

He has enough time to attend his classes.

To be a foreigner caregiver intern, you must meet all of the following conditions:

  • Be between 17 and 30 years of age
  • Be European
  • Be enrolled in specialized French courses for foreigners

An agreement must be concluded with a foster family.

The reception of a trainee as a foreigner family worker shall be the subject of an agreement between the trainee and the host family drawn up by means of a form.

Agreement between the au pair and the host family

The Convention defines the following points:

  • Rights and obligations of each party, in particular the conditions of reception of the trainee (individual or non-individual room for example)
  • Benefits due
  • Working hours
  • Conditions of remuneration

It must be established before the trainee has left his country of origin.

The welcome period is from 3 months to 1 year. It can be extended up to 2 years maximum.

The trainee's working time is a maximum of 5 hours per day.

His working hours are arranged so as to enable him to follow the courses to which he is enrolled as well as possible.

It benefits from a full day's rest per week, including at least one Sunday per month.

It is customary for the trainee to be housed and fed as a foreigner caregiver. He must benefit from a monthly amount of pocket money generally between €300.75 and €360.90.

The foreigner family worker trainee is a member of the general social security scheme (sickness, maternity, industrial accident, basic pension). It is also part of the supplementary pension fund for employees of the individual employer (Ircem).

Only the host family is liable for the contributions.

Contributions shall be calculated on a flat-rate basis:

  • 13 times the hourly minimum wage (in effect at 1er calendar quarter day) per week (€146.51
  • 56 times the hourly minimum wage per month (€631.12

The family that receives a foreigner family worker intern must declare it by means of a form.

Declaration of employment of a family job

The family must send the form to the Urssaf of their home within 8 days of receiving it.

Who shall I contact

If it is a 1re declaration, this form also serves as an application for registration. If the trainee does not have a social security number, this form is equivalent to applying for social security registration.

Then, each quarter, the Urssaf sends the host family a simplified nominative declaration (DNS) to be completed. It is used to calculate contributions. In the light of this declaration, the Ussaf sends a notice of the expiry of the contributions due.

In the event of a dispute between the trainee and the host family, the matter must be referred to the court.

Who shall I contact

Other case

The au pair is a young non-European foreigner who came to France to deepen his language skills and knowledge of France. He is housed by a host family for which he carries out family or household tasks (childcare, minor housework, for example). This arrangement must not be confused with that of the au pair employee who is covered by the collective agreement of the individual employer.

The au pair is housed in a family home. In return for food and accommodation, he performs routine household or household tasks (childcare, minor housework, for example).

He has enough time to attend courses or participate in activities to improve his language skills and knowledge of France.

To be au pair, all of the following conditions must be met:

  • Be between 18 and 30 years of age
  • Be a foreign national outside the European Union
  • Be of a nationality other than the host family with which he or she is not related
  • Prove that he has a basic knowledge of the French language, or that he has a secondary education level or professional qualifications

An agreement must be concluded with a foster family.

The reception of a young au pair shall give rise to an agreement between the au pair and the host family, drawn up by means of a form.

Agreement between the au pair and the host family

The Convention defines the following points:

  • Rights and obligations of each party, in particular the conditions of reception of the au pair (individual bedroom, bathroom, individual or not,...)
  • Activities and tasks performed by the au pair
  • Working hours
  • Conditions of remuneration

It must be established before the au pair has left his country of origin. He will have to send it to the French consulate in support of his application for a long-stay visa young au pair.

The au pair must submit their application for a long-stay visa (LSV) mention au pair (no more than 3 months before the scheduled departure) with the French consular authorities of the country where he lives:

Apply for a visa

Who shall I contact

This long-stay visa (VLS-TS) exempts him from applying for a residence card in the prefecture as soon as he arrives in France.

Within 3 months of his arrival in France, he will have to validate his VLS-TS and pay a tax in addition to the visa fee.

The online approach makes it possible to be in regular stay and to be able to cross the border again from the Schengen area.

Validate a long-stay visa as a residence permit (VLS-TS) and pay the tax

The welcome period is from 3 months to 1 year. It can be extended up to 2 years maximum.

The maximum weekly time spent on family tasks is 25 hours per week.

The au pair must be given the time needed to attend courses in the disciplines of his choice. He must have at least one full day off each week

The au pair must be housed and fed. He must receive a minimum monthly payment of €320 of pocket money.

The au pair is affiliated to the general social security system (sickness, maternity, accidents at work, basic pension). It is also part of the supplementary pension fund for employees of the individual employer (Ircem).

Only the host family is liable for the contributions.

Contributions shall be calculated on a flat-rate basis:

  • 13 times the hourly minimum wage (in effect at 1er calendar quarter day) per week (€146.51
  • 56 times the hourly minimum wage per month (€631.12

The family that welcomes an au pair must declare it by means of a form.

Declaration of employment of a family job

The host family must send the form to the Urssaf of their home within 8 days of receiving it.

Who shall I contact

If it is a 1re declaration, this form also serves as an application for registration. If the au pair does not have a social security number, this form is equivalent to applying for social security registration.

Then, each quarter, the Urssaf sends the host family a simplified nominative declaration (DNS) to be completed. It is used to calculate contributions. In the light of this declaration, the Ussaf sends a notice of the expiry of the contributions due.

In the event of a dispute between the au pair and the host family, the matter must be referred to the court.

Who shall I contact

FAQ