Au pair in Switzerland: requirements, rules and pitfalls

As an au pair, you live with a host family for a limited time, help with the household, look after children and learn the language. Under immigration law, however, this still counts as gainful employment: Art. 1a para. 2 VZAE expressly lists au pair employees as persons in dependent gainful employment. Nationals of third countries therefore need a permit, and the rules are narrowly drawn. This article is aimed at au pairs and at host families.

The basis: Art. 48 VZAE

Au pair employees can be granted a short-stay permit (Art. 48 VZAE, based on Art. 30 para. 1 lit. j AIG). Nationals of the EU/EFTA fall under the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons; these requirements do not apply to them in the same form.

The seven conditions

• Placement: through an organisation that is authorised to place au pairs under the Employment Services Act
• Maximum numbers: The permits are subject to the quotas under Art. 20 AIG, so they are not available without limit
• Age: between 18 and 25 years
• Language course: attendance of a course in the national language spoken at the place of residence
• Working hours: a maximum of 30 hours per week with one full day off per week
• Activity: light housework and childcare in return for appropriate remuneration
• Accommodation: living with the host family, in your own room

Duration: twelve months at most, no extension

The permit is issued for a maximum of twelve months and cannot be extended (Art. 48 para. 2 VZAE). In addition, a short-stay permit as an au pair can in principle be issued only once; exceptions are possible only in justified individual cases (Art. 56 para. 3 VZAE).

Pitfalls

• Arranged privately instead of through an approved agency: Without placement through an authorised organisation, a basic requirement is missing.
• Age outside the range: Anyone older than 25 cannot be admitted as an au pair.
• More than 30 hours or no day off: This contradicts the permit requirements. Record working hours in writing.
• Work other than that provided for: The activity is tailored to light housework and childcare with the host family. Additional jobs with third parties are not covered.
• No own room, no language course: Both are conditions for the permit, not mere recommendations.
• Change of purpose: Anyone who wants to do something else during their stay, such as take up permanent employment or study, needs a new permit (Art. 54 VZAE).
• Changing host family: With a short-stay permit, changing jobs is possible only to a limited extent: within the same industry and the same occupation, if continuing to work for the previous employer is not possible or not reasonable (Art. 55 VZAE).
• Entering before the permit is granted: The application is first assessed by the cantonal authority, followed by the visa or assurance (Art. 5 VZAE). Allow time for this.

If the application is refused

The legal remedy depends on who decided: against decisions of the cantonal migration authority it is governed by cantonal law; for the refusal of a visa for a short stay, an objection period of 30 days applies. The deadline for appeal is stated in the decision itself, so do not miss it. More on this in the article Visa refused: objection and deadlines.

As of October 2026. This article provides an overview and does not replace individual legal advice; practice and requirements may differ depending on the canton and the individual case. This is a translation of the German original; in case of doubt, the German version prevails.

Note: Statutes are cited by their German abbreviations (AIG = Foreign Nationals and Integration Act, VZAE = Ordinance on Admission, Residence and Gainful Activity, AsylG = Asylum Act, BüG = Citizenship Act, SR = Systematic Compilation of Federal Legislation). Fedlex links lead to the German originals.