Pocket money, working time and contract for au pairs in Spain
Find out the details of how au pairs and families work together in Spain. How much pocket money does an au pair receive, how are holidays organised, what about the au pair contract? All the important information is presented here for au pairs and families in Spain.
In Spain, there is no official au pair programme. However, Spain has signed the European Agreement on Au Pair Placement and citizens of almost all countries in the world can travel to Spain to work as an au pair if they comply with the entry regulations for au pairs in Spain.
Please note: If the mother tongue of a prospective au pair is Spanish, it is not allowed for this person to work in Spain as an au pair.
Au pair contract
There is no official au pair contract for Spain. Therefore, we suggest that you use the official European template and modify it according to your needs.
Au pairs and families should clarify in advance what they expect from each other and sign an au pair contract in which the these points (working hours, pocket money, holidays, etc.) are clearly defined. This is the best way to avoid possible disappointments and disagreements.
Downloads
For au pairs requiring a visa, we advise to use the European au pair contract in Spanish to avoid problems at the embassy:
Invitation letter
In addition to the contract, au pairs from outside the EU need an invitation letter from their host families. In Spain, the General Police Directorate issues the invitation letter. Upon receipt, the the host family nees to send this letter along with the contract to their future au pair so that they can start the visa application process at the respective Spanish embassy.
Contract termination
The au pair contract can be terminated with a notice period of two weeks. This gives both au pair and host family the time they need to find a replacement or to book a return journey home.
Au pair duties
The main responsibility of the au pair is to help with childcare in the family. In addition, the au pair can assist with light housework as a member of the family team.
The exact au pair duties should be agreed between the au pair and the host family and specified in the au pair contract.
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Pocket money
In Spain, au pairs receive a minimum of 70 euros per week as pocket money from their host family. Board and lodging are free.
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Board and lodging
In addition to pocket money, au pairs receive free board and lodging. Of course, au pairs are also entitled to food and accommodation even if they are ill or during holiday periods.
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Working hours
There are no official regulations on how many hours au pairs are required to work in Spain. We recommend a general working time of approximately 30 hours per week, babysitting included.
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Free time and holiday
An au pair has at least one day off per week. This should fall on a Sunday once a month.
There are no official regulations concerning au pairs' holiday entitlement in Spain. Au pairs and families should make a clear arrangement for holiday time before the au pair stay begins. We recommend that for 12 months of au pairing, an au pair receives 4 weeks of holiday. This recommendation can be used to calculate holiday entitlements for longer or shorter au pair stays.
In Spain, there are no official regulations with regard to public holidays for au pairs. We recommend that au pairs have a day off on public holidays. Only in exceptional cases should au pairs work on public holidays. The host family should discuss this with their au pair beforehand.
More information on the topic:
- Family holidays and your au pair – What works best?
- Going on family holidays without the au pair - how to handle?
Length of stay
There is no minimum or maximum length of stay for au pairs in Spain. Au pairs who would like to stay in Spain for one to three months typically do not need to have a visa. This makes Spain especially well-suited for au pairs and families want to arrange a summer au pair stay. For stays longer than three months, au pairs from non-EU countries must apply for a visa.
Language course
Au pairs should have the possibility of attending a Spanish course. Usually, au pairs pay for their own course. It is recommended that the host family help in finding a suitable course that the au pair can conveniently attend. Au pairs who apply for a student or an au pair visa must be enrolled in a language school recognised by the Instituto Cervantes for at least 20 hours per week and attend the course for the duration of the au pair stay.
Which language does the host family speak?
In addition to the classical Spanish dialect, the so-called "castellano", further languages are spoken in different regions of Spain. Some languages such as Basque, Galician and Catalan are often spoken at home in some places. Ask your host family in advance where they live and what language they speak on a daily basis.
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Au pair insurance
To be safely and fully insured, au pairs from all countries (EU and non-EU) need to have a comprehensive private au pair insurance for au pair stays in Spain. According to the European Agreement on Au Pair Placement which Spain has signed, au pairs and host families should share the payment of premiums for private health insurance on an equal basis. This is a point that should be clarified between the au pair and host family in making contract arrangements for the au pair stay prior to its commencement.
AuPairWorld recommends the PROTRIP-WORLD insurance package to provide protection during the au pair stay. It is especially designed for au pairs and other young people spending time abroad. Among other benefits, this insurance covers the full costs of inpatient and outpatient medical care (often not covered in full with the EHIC card for EU au pairs), plus return transport to the home country for medical reasons (not covered at all with the EHIC card).
More information on insurance:
- Expert advice and online insurance purchase from AuPairWorld's partner DR-WALTER.
- Au Pair Wiki: How should I be insured as an au pair?
Driving licence
Host families often wish to have an au pair who has a driving licence and adequate driving experience.
If the au pair will need to drive during the au pair stay, then issues of insurance and liability should be clarified in advance. Should any damages result from an accident, it should be clear who will pay for them.
If au pairs will be driving in Spain, then they need to check if their driving licence will be valid there. If it won't be, then au pairs should apply for an international driving licence in their home country.
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