Au Pair in Scandinavia

1. PROGRAMME TERMS:
2. Programme duration 12–24 months. *
3. Childcare assistance and light housework 30 hours per week.
4. Accommodation with the host family in a separate room and free meals with the family.
5. At least 1 day off per week.
6. 4 to 5 weeks of leave per year. **
7. Compulsory insurance. ***
8. Language courses in the language of the host country and the opportunity to learn a language through immersion. ****
9. Pocket money EUR 300 to 500 per month. *****

1. APPLICANT REQUIREMENTS:
2. Age 18 to 30.
3. A good command of English. Applicants with a good command of German may be able to join families that use German as one of their household languages.
4. Enjoyment of working with children, good communication skills and honesty.
5. A driving licence and driving experience are welcomebut are not compulsory for participation.

Finland — 1 year.

Sweden — 1 year.

Denmark — 1 year, with the possibility of a further 12 months,

Norway — 1 year, with the possibility of a further 12 months.

** Leave allowances differ by country. Norway has the longest leave allowance — 5 weeks.

*** In Norway and Denmark, au pairs are covered by the countries’ public insurance systems. Au pairs in Finland and Sweden must buy annual insurance before arrival.

**** In Norway, the au pair attends Norwegian language courses paid for by the host family. In Denmark, the au pair attends Danish language courses (the family is not obliged to enable attendance or pay, though it often pays in practice). In Sweden, the family enables attendance at Swedish language courses and pays for the first course. In Finland, Finnish or Swedish language courses are available. The family is not obliged to pay but often does so in practice.

***** The amount of pocket money that the family must pay is set by the relevant ministry in each country. The exact amount of pocket money is stated in the contract or can be found on the website of the authority overseeing the au pair programme. The source lists Norway — NOK 5,400 (just over EUR 650), Denmark — DKK 3,100 (approximately EUR 420), Sweden — SEK 3,500 (approximately EUR 390), and Finland — EUR 300.

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