Who is eligible to become an Au Pair in France?
- You must be 18-30 years old;
- Separate administrative rules apply for EU and Non-EU citizens – see below;
- You need to have basic spoken French either to GCSE or A Level;
- You must be single without dependent children;
- You need to be able to meet both your travel costs to and from France to your home in the UK (unless the host family offer to subsidise these costs) plus our Placement Fee of £50;
- You must have a school qualification equivalent to the French Baccalaureate (“A” Levels);
- You must be willing to take a French language course during your stay as an Au Pair if so required by the Local Authority.
How do I go about sorting out all the paperwork?
We’ve outlined the administrative procedure below – don’t be put off - it sounds worse than it actually is and it's mainly the responsibility of the host family!
- If you are an EU citizen you are entitled to enter France on a valid ID-card or passport. For non-EU citizens, you will need a “visa long séjour mention étudiant “ and we recommend that you contact the French Embassy in your home country for more information;
- You will also need to consider taking out travel insurance and cover for your belongings. Some insurance companies provide specialist Au Pair insurance;
- There are various administrative steps to be completed in France which your host family will be able to help you with. You will need to obtain a health certificate issued no more than 3 months before your departure for France proving that you are in good health. You will also need to provide them with evidence of your education level to “A” level, a copy of your passport or ID, a copy of your birth certificate and a motivational letter written by you in French.
- Your host family will present the relevant documentation at their Local Authority offices known as DIRECCTE.
Will SHS assist me if I need any advice or support whilst I am an Au Pair in France?
Yes, we will support you and your host family every step of the way. In our experience, it is always best to talk through any problems with your host family: our careful placement procedure is designed to achieve compatibility and to ensure that both you and the host family know what is to be expected from one another. You will also have received from us before your departure for France, a Welcome Pack which contains loads of helpful information to help you settle in. We also supply you with a 24 hour contact number to be used in case of emergency. We will always do our best to make your placement an enjoyable experience for everyone involved.
How many hours will I work and how much will I be paid?
This depends on what you agree with your host family before you accept the placement – for an outline of the duties and rewards for different sorts of Au Pairs see our link http://www.schoolholidaysolutions.co.uk/index.php/fr/fr-fr-familles/35-au-pairs-heures-et-argent-de-poche
How will I access healthcare in France?
See our useful NHS link which explains the procedure for accessing healthcare in France: http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland
/Healthcareabroad/countryguide/Pages/healthcareinFrance.aspx
