Find au pair from Switzerland

You pay after we’ve found you your perfect au pair.

• The au pair is between 18 and 25 years old (and up to 30 years old for EU and EFTA citizens);
• Their native language is not the same as that spoken by the family and is different from the main language of the specific region of Switzerland;
• The au pair is unmarried and has no children;
• The au pair wants to take part in a language course during their stay in Switzerland;
• They must be willing to register with a recognized au pair agency (SECO);
• The au pair must have a valid passport.

• At least one of your children is of school age or younger;
• You have a Swiss citizenship, a C permit (for “settled foreign nationals”) or a B EU/EFTA permit (for “resident foreign nationals”);
• Your au pair helps with childcare and light housework in your home;
• You have very good knowledge of the language spoken in your region of Switzerland;
• You are of a different nationality and speak a different language than your au pair;
• At least one of the parents can support the au pair during half of their working hours;
• You cover the costs of a language course for your au pair.

It happens! It’s unfortunate, but of course we will do our best to find you another candidate who better suits your family.

Yes, the au pair can do light housework. They can help with vacuuming, emptying the dishwasher, putting in a wash and folding laundry – but no cleaning of the bathroom or cleaning windows for example.

In Switzerland, the amount of pocket money depends on the age of the au pair and the canton in which they live in during their au pair stay. Usually the amount is around 500 to 700 CHF per month.

Au pairs in Switzerland only work for half of the day and can’t work more than 30 hours a week. Usually, that means they will work from Monday to Saturday. For at least half of the time, one of the parents must also be present. Aside from that, the au pair must also be able to take part in a language course.

Au pairs get at least one day off per week. Depending on which canton the au pair lives in, there may be other rules regarding free time.

The holiday depends on the age of the au pair. Up until their 20th year, au pairs get 5 full weeks of holiday per year. Au pairs over 20 get 4 weeks holiday per year.

In Switzerland, there are no official rules regarding public holidays for au pairs. We do recommend that au pairs have a day off on public holidays to experience the Swiss culture!

It depends if you are from a EU/EFTA country or not.

The au pair is from a EU/EFTA country

Au pairs coming from an EU or EFTA country, don’t need a visa to enter Switzerland, just a valid passport or identity card. When they arrive, they need to register at the municipality of residence and, if your stay extends beyond three months, apply for a residence permit.

The au pair is not from a EU/EFTA country

Almost all au pairs can come to Switzerland, except for the ones who come from a country which don’t have a diplomatic relationship with Switzerland. You should contact the cantonal immigration and labour market authorities to find out whether you can apply your au pair.

If they state you can apply, you will have to submit:

• the application form, which varies from canton to canton;
• a copy of the au pair’s passport;
• a statement from the au pair agency, recognised by SECO, showing successful placement;
• the signed au pair contract;
• proof of the au pair’s registration or preregistration for a language course spoken in the canton where you live;
• proof of registration with a health insurance company recognised in Switzerland.

Once the cantonal job market authority has reached a preliminary decision, the documents will be examined by the Federal Office for Migration. This process can take up to four weeks.