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Third-country au pair permit

SwitzerlandCulture, faith and volunteering

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Explore pathways in Switzerland Read the five questions ↓

What exact activity, role or purpose qualifies?

An au pair arrangement is the temporary admission of a young foreign national to Switzerland to improve their language skills and general education through knowledge of the host country. In return, the au pair provides certain services to the host family, such as light housework and childcare.

See recorded sources
  • SEM, Basis for admission to the Swiss employment market, last modified 05.07.2026
    An au pair arrangement involves the temporary admission of young foreign nationals who arrive in Switzerland to improve their language skills and expand their general education through better knowledge of the host country. In return, au pairs provide certain services to the families they live with, such as light housework and childcare.

What organisation, institution, religious body, charity, teacher or host must support the activity?

It is compulsory to arrange the au pair placement through an organisation recognised in Switzerland; this is required specifically because of the elevated protection need against trafficking in human beings and exploitation.

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What proves the placement, role, affiliation, experience or cultural/religious/voluntary activity?

The placement must be arranged through an organisation recognised in Switzerland that is authorised to place workers under the Recruitment Act of 6 October 1989, and the au pair must attend a language course in the national language spoken locally. The official source does not name the documents that prove the placement or activity.

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Limits of the record
  • The specific documents to submit are not listed in the captured sources.

Can the person receive salary, pocket money, accommodation, meals or reimbursement? Can they undertake other work?

The au pair receives appropriate compensation for light housework and childcare, lives with the host family with their own room, and works at most 30 hours per week with one full day off per week. The official source does not state whether other work is allowed.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • Whether other work may be undertaken is not stated; no compensation amount is given.

How long can they stay, can they change host/activity, can family accompany, and can the status be extended?

Third-country au pairs must be aged between 18 and 25. The maximum stay is 12 months, and au pairs are not subject to the labour-market precedence rule. The official source does not state change of host, family accompaniment or extension rules.

See recorded sources

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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