How much does an au pair earn in Germany?

Pocket money: 280 euro a month

The host family pays you 280 euro every month. This amount does not change with the number of hours you help. If you work fewer hours in a quiet week, you still receive the full amount.

The figure comes from the administrative practice of the Federal Employment Agency, not from a statute. We say that openly because you will read elsewhere that it is 'the law'. In practice, a placement below this figure is not approved.

Language course: 70 euro a month

On top of the pocket money the family contributes 70 euro a month towards your German course and pays your travel costs to the course. Learning German is part of the programme, not an extra. The family must give you the time to attend.

Room and board are free

You get your own furnished room in the family home, and all meals, at no cost. That is a condition of the programme, not a favour. Your room has to be a real room with a door and a window, not a shared or transit space.

This is why the pocket money figure looks small compared with a German wage: rent, food, heating and internet are already covered.

Insurance is paid by the family

Your host family must take out and pay for insurance covering illness, pregnancy and birth, and accidents. This is set out in the guidance of the Federal Employment Agency and belongs in your au pair contract. For the embassy, the cover must run for your entire stay.

Personal liability insurance is also strongly recommended, but it is not required.

What you pay yourself

Some host families contribute to the flight or pay it in full. That is voluntary. If it is agreed, it will be in your contract before you sign. Plan as if you have to cover these costs yourself.

• Your flight to Germany and back.
• The visa fee, currently €75.
• The medical examination and certificates the embassy requires.
• Certifications and translations, which vary by country.

What you never pay

You never pay a placement fee. German law caps what an agency may charge an au pair at 150 euro and forbids advance payments (§ 296 para. 2 and 3 Social Code III); any agreement that breaks this is void (§ 297 no. 1). We charge au pairs nothing at all, and there is no payment function anywhere in the au pair side of this platform.

If any agency asks you for money before a placement, treat it as a warning sign.

A realistic monthly picture

• 280 euro pocket money, paid in full every month.
• 70 euro towards your language course, plus travel to it.
• Room, meals, heating and usually internet: free.
• Required insurance for illness, pregnancy and birth, and accidents: paid by the family.
• Four weeks of paid holiday over twelve months.