How to become an au pair in Spain

This article is about becoming an au pair in Spain. Since the opportunities that come with this position are unimaginable, a lot of people would like to give it a shot.

It could be a great idea if we first provide some definitions. Au pairs can sound like being exactly like nannies, but that’s an absolute mistake. Childcare is a thing both au pairs and nannies share, but when payment comes in, all start to look different, as nannies are employees and earn a salary, and may or not be live in the family that hired them. Unlike nannies, au pairs are usually quite young and from overseas (nannies can also be young, but their national origins do not matter as much), and will be in charge of certain child-related tasks for a period, getting boarding, food, and an acceptable stipend in exchange. Plus the chance of visiting Spain.

Being an au pair in Spain and becoming a member of their host family for a limited time is an opportunity quite a few girls would grab on the fly at a certain point in their lives. One of them would like to be an au pair in Madrid, another would choose to be an au pair in Barcelona. In the end, there is excitement about the cultural opportunities, which will certainly be more than the earnings; monthly, an au pair working in a major city would make between 200 and 250 euros, which is not precisely a fortune.

When you don’t come from a country within the EU, you should stay as an au pair for just 90 days. After that, you will need documentation to prove, as a non-EU citizen, that you are enrolled in a language school or taking private tuition, and will need to submit an application for a visa at any Spanish consular body in your country.

AU PAIR JOBS IN SPAIN 

To be an au pair in Spain, certain conditions apply:

• Your age will be between 18 and 26 years old to be eligible for any au pair jobs in Spain. Obviously, students who just finished high school or will soon go to college get the best benefit. Your age threshold becomes 17 in case you are from any of the countries of the European Union. 
• You can’t be a Spanish national. If you are from Italy, Germany, or any other EU country, you don’t fall under the 90-day rule.
• No husband, no children of your own. Hopefully, since you are so young and there is a life ahead of you, it is great to enjoy Spain while you are still single.
• You need to be able to pay for your airfare.
• Also, you like Spain as a destination.

It’s important to note that you will be more of a caregiver than of a housekeeper; however, since child care is not free from performing determined tasks, e.g. having the kids’ eat or even feeding by your own hand, depending on how young they are.

FAMILIES APPLYING AS HOSTS

Also, the host families must meet certain requirements if they want an au pair at home:

• Regardless of the number of children in the household, at least one has to be aged under 18 years.
• For obvious privacy reasons, the au pair needs her own quarters.
• The family will take this au pair under their wing for a certain period (90 days tops if the au pair is non-EU, any additional time requires that she get a visa). The successful applicants will not load her with an amount of housework so unreal that would make Cinderella’s time at her aunt’s look like a free holiday in Ibiza. 
• The family uses Spanish as their primary home language. 
• The au pair in Spain will be certainly allowed to take a time slot for language lessons, either with private tuition or at an institute.
• You are a Spanish citizen.

BEING AN AU PAIR IN SPAIN

Some assistance may be welcome to access and navigate the au pair world. In the whole world, in Spain and on the Internet, you may find a wide array of quotations asking for a young woman avid to see some world and meet new people who won’t mind changing one or two diapers. Among the websites, you can take a look at is www.aupairworld.com. Set the language to Spanish if you are from Spain. Additionally, there are websites such as:

• www.nannynina.com
• www.greataupair.com
• www.aupairinspain.com
• www.gooverseas.com
• www.aupair.com

So, with this great deal of supply, finding an option that suits both the au pair’s and the host family’s expectations is a sure thing.

Agencies, on the other hand, keep things legal and are mediators. 

If you are willing to become an au pair in Spain, this article could be very useful to you: that’s our hope. Aside from the obvious au-pair-related work, this is a great opportunity to broaden your human horizon: meeting new people, hitting it off, becoming a staple in the family meetings, and creating ties to Spain that could determine the way your life will develop from that time on. If you go with an open mind and keep it up not as a job but as a human family experience, chances are you may have found a second family and even that you want to visit every now and then. You never know if you were born to become a Spanish national, and an au pair position is none other than your gate to fulfill it!

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