How to find an au pair in Luxembourg

What you need to know about hiring an au pair in Luxembourg 

Often regarded as an invaluable source of help for families, welcoming an au pair into your home can be an enriching experience for both parents and children.

In Luxembourg, there is an au pair exchange in place that aims to share Luxembourgish culture with young people from other countries.

The premise of the au pair exchange is that the host family receives help with childcare and in return they host a young person, allowing them to familiarise themselves with the Luxembourgish language and culture.

How to find an au pair? 

In order to prevent abuse, the government has put in place strict regulations around the hosting of au pairs by Luxembourg families. The law stipulates that an au pair enters into a contract with the host family that includes a preagreement on tasks, free time, pocket money, etc., and the rights and duties that apply to both parties.

The SNJ (Service National de Jeunesse), is the body in place to ensure compliance with this contract. It operates under the Ministry of Education, Childhood and Youth (Le ministre de l'Éducation nationale, de l'Enfance et de la Jeunesse),

While the SNJ does not handle au pair search requests, it oversees and manages proper administrative procedures. The SNJs remit is to ensure compliance with the law and process requests, organises information sessions for au pairs and as acts mediators in case of conflict.

An application to be a host family must be filled out here on the SNJ website. A hosting agreement needs to be included outlining details such as the duration of the au pair stay (without exceeding one year); the time dedicated to family tasks and the planned schedules; the days off; the location of where the au pair will be staying and the housing conditions as well as language courses funded by the host family for the au pair.

If you need assistance finding an au pair, specialised agencies can help with the search and matching. There are multiple au pair agencies online where you can register and for a fee find an au pair through their network. The agency will then usually take care of the paperwork requirements.

You can also carry out the search process independently through Facebook groups such as Au pair in Luxembourg, but you will have to do the paperwork yourself.

Important considerations 

Hosting an au pair can be a positive experience allowing for better family management, when well-organised.

However, there are a number of important considerations to bear in mind as well as steps to follow when thinking about hosting an au pair.

Primary tasks involve childcare but may also include light household duties related to the host family’s children.

In order to benefit fully from the cultural exchange, the au pair needs sufficient free time. They can only work a maximum average of five hours per day, 25 hours per week over a month or four weeks.

Typically, the au pair is entitled to one day off weekly and two extra days off monthly. The specific working hours should be agreed upon by the host family and the au pair in the contract.

The SNJ provides helpful guidelines of best practices for welcoming an au pair into your home and ensuring the experience is a successful for both sides.

Below are the obligations of the host family

• There must be at least one child under the age of 13 for the au pair to look after. 

• If you have a child (children) under the age of six proof of external daycare must be provided beforehand.  

• A private room must be available for the au pair. 

• Pocket money equivalent to at least one fifth of the legal minimum wage. 

• Provide meals. 

• Cover the cost of language courses. The host and au pair can decide which school and courses to choose. 

• Sign the au pair up for health insurance as well as accident insurance. 

• Contribute to the cultural awareness and development of the au pair. 

• Introduce the au pair to Luxembourg.

The SNJ also outlines some further important points to know about the spirit of the au pair exchange.

What an au pair is not

• The au pair is not at the disposal of the host family. Their involvement in the family’s daily tasks is not the primary purpose of their stay. The host family should encourage their au pair to engage in the cultural activities of Luxembourg. 

• An au pair is not a housekeeper and should not be expected to clean spaces such as the parents’ bedroom or bathrooms, the garage, the cellar or the attic. Car washing, laundry and gardening are also a no-no. 

• They are not required to prepare meals for the entire family. 

• They are not professional educational assistants. 

• The au pair is not an on-call babysitter, who is available 24-hours a day. 

• An au pair is not an employee. They are fully integrated members of the family. 

 On the side of the au pair there are several conditions that must be met

• The au pair should have a diploma or other proof from their country granting access to higher education or evidence that they attended school until age 17. 

• They should have English or one of the country’s administrative languages (Luxembourgish/German/French) at level A2 and basic knowledge of one of the family’s spoken languages (level A1). If the family speaks a different language than those mentioned, a contract must be agreed upon with an approved host family. 

• They must present a medical certificate proving their mental and physical abilities for childcare and light household tasks. 

• They must not have a family relationship with the host family up to the 4th degree. 

For each new hosting of an au pair, the host family must submit the below documents even if they already have approval.

• A certificate of residence issued within the last three months (issued by the municipality of residence). 

• An extract of the criminal record dated within the last three months for each adult member to provide compliance with moral standards. 

• Evidence that day care for children under the age of six has been arranged for the period of the au pair’s stay. 

For more information check out this website.