Personal care.

Lize, the owner of The Au Pair personally experienced what it's like to be an au pair coming from South Africa to The Netherlands. Based on this experience she decided to start our au pair agency, with the idea of being able to make the experience as enjoyable as possible and to offer much more support (in English or Afrikaans).

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Budget / earnings

Although you will get an allowance once you are in The Netherlands, you will need to account for some costs to get you there. And what to budget once you are living in The Netherlands.

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Official

The Au Pair is officially approved to take care of your visa etc. by the Dutch government as you can read here at the IND (Immigration Service).

Personal care

We help you prepare for an exciting year and do our best to facilitate you to get the best out of the experience.

We love to get in touch with your family, here in Africa, and stay in touch with them during your year in Holland. Just like we believe it's important to stay in touch with you during your stay. We do this in your native language. With all of our staff coming from South Africa, we understand where you are coming from.

Secure portal

We designed our own digital portal to secure your personal data.

Our portal is the result of highly skilled engineers who made no compromise to security and customer design. We feel that we must do our utmost best to keep your data private and secure.

aupair nederland

Making a difference

We truly believe that an au pair can make a difference.
From our own experience we know that, when done right, an au pair can make a difference in a child's life. From that same experience we know that the same can be said the other way round. However, a year on your own abroad won't always be easy. In fact, at times it will be very hard. Having proper guidence that will help guidance that will help you through the rough times, is very important. We do our best to make sure that you, together with your fellow au pairs, will love the experience of learning a new language and culture.

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Our promises to you
  • First we have a (free) introduction meeting where we get to know each other
  • You'll get a lot of reading and thinking to do from all the information we will give you so you can make an informed decission about your future
  • We hold a session with you and your parents/guardians to get to know who you are and what you are looking for. Here you will also have an online chat with our agent in The Netherlands
  • Our agent in The Netherlands will find the family that best matches with the au pair, and likewise an au pair that best matches with the family (this means we do not work on a first-come first-serve basis, as some other au pair agencies operate).
  • You will decide if you want to have an online chat (Skype) with the family or not (just like they can decide to chat or not chat with you)
  • We will help to arrange for your visa and travel documents, together with your return flight ticket.
  • We will arrange your monthly payments and benefits (traincard, phonecard, free Museum access pass, medical insurance etc)
  • We will pick you up at Schiphol airport when you arrive(*) and give you an orientation & grooming day in The Netherlands. Next day we will drive you to your host family
  • During your stay in The Netherlands we will be available 24/7 via an emergency number or via Skype, Facebook Messenger, Telegram and WhatsApp
  • Your parents/guardians can always contact us (we speak Dutch, English and Afrikaans) via a local (J'burg) phonenumber
  • At least twice a year we arrange for an awesome day out with all other au pairs to go explore some typical Dutch sites (like: Keukenhof, Madurodam, Kinderdijk etc)

    Join the program

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    • Requirements

    To take part in an au pair exchange program the following legal requirements apply. Please read them carefully as you can only apply if you meet all requirements.
    • You are between 18 and 30 years old.
    • You have an Affidavit stating you are not married and have no children.
    • You have a valid passport.
    • You have received police clearance.
    • You have experience with children and child care (babysitting etc).
    • You will legalize your birth certificate with an apostille.
    • You will need a medical declaration that you are fit to work as au pair.
    • You will be an au pair for maximum 1 year.
    • Did not have any previous residence permit for a cultural exchange.
    • Did not stay illegally in The Netherlands.
    • Did not previously work for the host family , also not in another country.
    • You haven't provided false information or have otherwise withheld vital information when previously applying for a residence permit.
    Apply to become an au pair

    Budget

    We are the only agency that takes care of paying you directly. All other agencies ask the host families to handle the payment and other arrangements. We believe that it shouldn't be your job to ask for money every month or chase your host family to arrange your other benefits. So we take care that you get your money at a fixed date, we make sure that upon arrival your Museum-pass and NS-travel card are ready for use and your insurance is taken care of. However, you still need to do some preparation yourself, we will guide you through it all as much as we can. Preparing for a budget is one of the most important steps. Below are fixed prices and estimations (marked with a *) that you should take into consideration.

    Show budget
    One-time-fee
    approx. R 500
    (€34,00)

    Initial fee includes:

    • Intake meeting (free of charge)
    • Online questionnaire and profile setup
    • Final interview with parties
    • Match proposition and choices
    To budget before arrival
    R 16.950
    • Return flight ticket (max R 8.000)
    • Travel documents
    • Clothing in preparation for your travels
    • First Aid course
    • Courier service to Department of Foreign Affairs (candidates outside of Pretoria)
    • Pocket money for the first month
    • Administration fee to alter return flight (approx R 2.500)
    To budget after arrival
    While earning €340 p/m
    • Travelling expenses
    • Extra telephone costs (outside €10 paid by host family)
    • Free time spending
    • Additional medical visits e.g. dentist, physiotherapist
    • Dutch bank account (€3 p/m)
    • Train card: Travel Weekends for Free (€35 p/m)
    Paid for by host family
    This will be paid for you

    • Difference after R8000 for your return flight ticket (booked by us)
    • Visa
    • Monthly allowance of €340,00
    • Monthly Telephone card €10
    • Medical, travel and liability insurance
    • Lodging costs
    • Dutch language course
    • Museum card (year free in 350+ museums)
    • Free bicycle
    • Train card (first two months)
    • First day pick-up and training by The Au Pair
    • Two cultural meetup days (with all the au pairs)
    Hide Budget

    Frequently asked questions

    How many hours do I have to work?
    Max 30 hours a week, max 8 hours a day, max 5 days a week, min. 2 weekends off each month.

    What kind of work is expected from me?
    Mainly childcare, in combination with small household tasks like buying grocceries, washing and ironing of the children's clothes.

    More questions

    Can I stay longer/shorter then one year?
    Longer is legally not possible, shorter is mostly not decired because of the fixed costs of the visa and airplane ticket.

    Can a friend also become an au pair and stay nearby?
    Sometimes, sometimes not. It depends on the situation but we will be happy to discuss this during our chats.

    Can my parents/friends come visit me in The Netherlands?
    Sometimes, sometimes not. It depends on the situation but we will be happy to discuss this during our chats.

    Can I earn some more money?
    No, you don't have a work-permit and are not allowed to earn anything more then we pay you.

    Can I travel to other countries?
    Yes, and we encourage you to do so! You can visit all 26 EU countries that are part of Schengen (UK is no longer part of Schengen, Swiss is!)

    What happens when I get sick?
    When you stay for a year in another climate, you are bound to get sick. Just follow doctors orders and get well soon. Inform us and your host family and we will sort things out.

    I'm a guy, can I also become an au pair?
    Yes! Very much so. We are always looking for male au pairs as for some families this will be a much better match.

    Do I have to pay taxes?
    No, we pay taxes for you and take care of the return-tax. All you need to do is pay us the return-tax back (as we funded this for you)

    What if I want to return earlier or unexpectedly?
    It will be a disappointment to you if you will need to return sooner then planned but we will always assist you on your travels back to South Africa.

    Will I get my own room/shower?
    You will always get your own room, sometimes a shared bathroom with the children and in rare cases you will (temporary) have to use the family bathroom.

    Less questions
    "The Au Pair energetically initiated and supported my year as an au pair."

    Lize and her team's au pair-family 'match-making' skills are most reliable. I had a lovely experience working with The Au Pair and would recommend them to any young person considering the adventures of an au pair!

    Elaine Engelbrecht

    Read all our Google reviews

    Contact us

    We would love to get in contact with you if you are interested in joining our au pair program. You can either create an account, call us locally or send us a short message below so we can contact you.

    Address

    South Africa
    Baie Au Pair (Pty Ltd.)
    Reg K2017226838
    E info@the-aupair.co.za

    Agent in Gauteng:
    Liz du Toit :
    T. +27 (0)6 05082389

    Agent in the Cape:
    Hanlie Snyman :
    T. +27 (0)7 69880402

    Netherlands:
    Baie BV: The Au Pair
    Valkenburgseweg 31
    E info@the-aupair.nl
    KvK 34257057
    T +31 (0)6 11179896

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