Citizeo
Pathway

France Au Pair Visa

France Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

France's young au pair route is for non-European young adults who will live with a host family in France to improve their French and cultural knowledge. It generally requires being 18 to 30, having a signed au pair agreement, basic French or education/qualification evidence, and standard visa documents.

Type
Temporary host-family and cultural-exchange route
Who it covers
Non-EU/EEA/Swiss applicants aged 18 to 30
Core requirements
Signed au pair agreement and language or education evidence
Main limit
Light family tasks only; not a general employment visa
Duration
Initial one-year card, renewable up to two years in total
Renewal / path
Temporary route; it does not itself provide permanent residence

Summary

France's young au pair route is a temporary cultural and language program for a non-EU young adult who will live with an unrelated host family of a different nationality. In exchange for room, food, pocket money, and time to improve French, the au pair performs limited household and childcare tasks under a written agreement.

The applicant must be 18 to 30 and have basic French knowledge, completed secondary education, or professional qualifications. The official host-family agreement must be signed before departure because it is part of the visa file.

The initial long-stay visa is generally valid for one year. A second agreement can support an extension, but total au pair residence is capped at two years.

Pathway fit check

Eligibility

The applicant generally must:

The agreement must set out the living arrangement and both sides' obligations. Current official guidance requires it to include:

The precise visa checklist also depends on nationality and country of residence. Identity, accommodation, insurance, civil-status, and public-order documents may be required.

What This Route Allows

The route allows the au pair to live with the named host family, carry out the agreed limited childcare and household tasks, and attend language or cultural study. The long-stay visa serves as a residence permit after the required arrival validation.

The initial agreement can last no more than one year. A new agreement of up to one year can support renewal, for a maximum total stay of two years.

What This Route Is Not

This is not ordinary paid employment or a domestic-worker visa. The au pair cannot take unrelated side work outside the tasks listed in the host-family agreement.

It is not a general path for living with relatives, working full time as a nanny, or moving to France permanently. A host family cannot replace the written terms with an informal promise, and the cultural and language purpose must remain real.

Next Steps

  1. Confirm that the applicant will be between 18 and 30 on the relevant filing date and is not using EU free-movement rights.
  2. Find an unrelated host family of a different nationality and discuss tasks, schedule, room, food, pocket money, insurance, and French classes.
  3. Complete and sign the current official au pair agreement before departure.
  4. Gather proof of basic French, completed secondary schooling, or professional qualifications.
  5. Use the France-Visas assistant to obtain the exact checklist for the applicant's nationality and country of residence.
  6. Apply for the long-stay au pair visa and do not perform au pair work on a tourist status.
  7. Validate the VLS-TS within the official deadline after arrival and keep a copy of the agreement.
  8. If extending beyond one year, sign a new compliant agreement and apply before the existing permission expires.
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Sources