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Here, you can learn more about becoming an au Ppair in Ireland and start your Irish adventure today in a country where nature will surprise you.
If you have always dreamed about living for at least six months in Ireland and want to combine your stay abroad with your passion for child care, being an au pair in Ireland is your perfect opportunity to make your dream come true.

Au Pair in Ireland - At A Glance

  • Age: Between 18 and 30 years old
  • Duration of Stay: Usually between 6-12 months (Summer Au Pairs can stay for 3 months, starting May/June)
  • Working Hours: 25-35 hours per week
  • Holidays: One week of paid vacation per 6 months (two weeks of paid vacation per year)
  • Travel Expenses: You travel at your own expenses
  • Insurance: Same as in your (European!) home country
  • Pocket Money: €8,65 an hour as per established by the ICTU (Irish Congress of Trade Unions)
  • Visa Requirements: No visa is needed for EU-citizens (make sure that your ID/passport is valid until the end of your stay); Non-EU citizens need to apply for a student visa, Working Holiday Maker visa or Work and Travel visa

Can I become an Au Pair in Ireland?

To become an au pair in Ireland, you need to meet certain requirements. These are:

  1. Between 18 and 27-30 years old
  2. You have a good knowledge of English
  3. You are a non-smoker
  4. You are in good health
  5. Preferably, you have a driving license and experience in childcare

More info about all the requirements to become an au pair in Ireland here!

What are my duties as an au pair?

Your duties and responsibilities depend to a great degree on what your host family needs and how old your host children are.
Nevertheless, your main task will be to take care of your host family's children. Your daily routine includes playing with them, preparing light meals for them or taking them out for a walk to the nearest park or playground.

Childcare will be your main task as an au pair in Ireland. However, your duties and responsibilities also include minor household duties as for instance cleaning up the children's room(s), doing the children's laundry, vacuuming, emptying the dishwasher or preparing light meals and snacks for your host children.

As an au pair in Ireland, you usually work between 25 and 35 hours per week.

Visa Requirements

The visa requirements you need to meet to become an au pair in Ireland vary depending on your nationality. If you are a citizen of an EU country, you do not need a visa to work as an au pair in Ireland.

How much pocket money will I get?

As an au pair in Ireland, you get a weekly pocket money of 90-100€.
How much pocket money you earn depends on your working hours per week and your daily tasks and routines. Discuss with your host family how much pocket money you will get before you sign the contract.

An au pair in Ireland will have an own room in the host family's house, provided by the host family free of charge, as well as free meals. Therefore, you can spend your entire pocket money as you wish.
Most au pairs use their vacation and their pocket money for traveling across the country and the UK.
If you work as an au pair in Ireland, you have at least 1 1/2 days off per week and get two weeks of paid vacation per year (one week per 6 months).

Your host family should also give you the opportunity to attend a language class during your stay abroad.

How much does it cost to become an au pair?

If you want to become an au pair in Ireland, you have to be aware that being an au pair in Ireland involves a few costs. We have a summary of the most important cost points for you below.

Keep in mind that the amount of your costs differ, depending on your home country and your citizenship and, thus, if you need to apply for a visa (non EU-citizens), how much your flight ticket will be, if you need to pay a fee for obtaining documents such as a passport and so forth.

What about my insurance?

There exists no official regulation concerning the health insurance for au pairs in Ireland.

If you are a citizen of an EU country, your local health insurance company in your home country provides you with health insurance throughout Europe. You need to contact them prior to your departure so that they can send you the "European Health Insurance Card" (EHIC).
However, talk to your local health insurance company when you start planning your stay abroad to ensure that they cover you for the entire duration of your stay in Ireland.

It is advisable to take out an individual health and accident insurance in addition.
We also recommend that you apply for a PPS number once you arrived in Ireland, as this will make accessing public health services in Ireland much easier.

If your are a citizen of a non-EU country, you will need to present evidence of a medical/travel insurance coverage for the duration of your stay in Irland in order to be able to apply for a visa. Your insurance needs to cover all costs in case of an emergency or if you need to be treated in a hospital for any reason.
Usually, you need to bear the costs of the health insurance yourself but we recommend that you ask your host family if they are willing to pay for part of the fees for your health insurance.

This post is also available in: German

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