Au Pair vs. Nanny: what are the differences

So, what's the difference between an Au Pair and a nanny? An Au Pair is defined as a young person (between the ages of 18-30), who goes abroad to live with a Host family and learn (or perfect) a language in exchange for providing childcare. Au Pairs should be provided with a personal room, meals and pocket money.  Meanwhile, a nanny is a professional childcare provider. She is officially employed and receives a salary as in any other job.

Up to this day, there is no official “Nanny abroad” or “Live in Nanny” program. Nevertheless, it is possible to hire a nanny under a regular job contract (instead of the Au Pair contract). Families that are willing to hire a nanny must take into consideration that in most countries no visas are issued for this job.

There are several differences between an Au Pair and a live in nanny. In reality, they do not have so much in common besides the area of activity: childcare. In order to make it clear for our Host Families, we have made a comparison list.

	Au Pair	Live-in nanny
Age	Has a specific age barrier for each country.	Does not have any age barrier. He/she can be hired at any age.
Working hours	Has a maximum permitted working hours per week in each country. This must be respected by the Host Family.	Working hours are agreed with the family and regulated by the host country's labor law.
Cultural exchange aspect	The Au Pair participates in a cultural exchange program and must come from a different country or have a different nationality than at least one of the host parents.	Hiring a nanny does not normally involve a cultural exchange.
Salary	An Au Pair receives pocket money from the Host Family.	A nanny is paid a salary that should at least match the minimum wage of the country.
Language course	An Au Pair must have the possibility to attend a language course.	A nanny does not need to attend a language course.
Relation with family	An Au Pair is seen as a temporary family member.	A nanny is perceived  as an employee.
Visa and work permit	In many cases, Au Pairs need a visa. Many countries offer a specific Au Pair visa.	A nanny coming from abroad may need a work permit or visa. He/she is not allowed to work with an Au Pair visa. Please get in touch with the embassy in order to learn more.
Duties and responsibilities	Duties and responsibilities of an Au Pair are strictly related to childcare and light domestic work around the children's area.	Nanny's duties and responsibilities depend on the agreement between the nanny and her/his employer.