A Spain Au Pair Visa is a Spanish long-stay visa for students that want to work for a particular family in Spain, to help them with house chores or babysitting. You can apply for a Spain Au Pair visa if you meet the following conditions:
- You are between 17 and 30 years of age.
- You speak Spanish, English, French or German.
- You know at least basic Spanish.
- You do not have children.
- You must find a host family before you apply.
In this article, you can find detailed information on everything that you need to know for an Au Pair Visa for Spain.
Do I Need to Apply for a Spain Au Pair Visa?
Whether you need a visa or not it depends on two factors: the length of your intended stay, and your nationality.
If the intended period of stay is up to three months, you will not need a visa if:
- You are an EU/EEA national.
- You are a national of one of the 62 countries under the Schengen visa-free regime.
If the intended period of stay is longer than three months, then you will not need a visa only if you are a national of European Union member countries, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland.
If you want to know who needs to apply for the other Spain Visa types, check our article on who needs a Spain visa.
How to Apply for a Spain Au Pair Visa?
The application process for an Au Pair Visa for Spain is not as complicated as it may sound. You need to follow some procedures step by step, and make sure you meet the eligibility criteria. Following, find the ultimate guideline on how to apply for a Spain Au Pair Visa.
Find a Host Family in Spain
This is the first thing you should do, once you make sure that you meet the eligibility criteria for an Au Pair Visa for Spain, as listed at the beginning of the article. You can find such a family in many ways, either online or through friends.
After you find this family, you and the hosting family should sign an agreement, which indicates that:
- You will look after the children of the host family or help in light household chores.
- You will work at most 5 hours per day.
- The host family offers you one single-person room.
- The host family provides you with food 7 days per week.
- You will receive pocket money from the host family, between €50 and €70.
- You will be able to take off at least one day per week, and one week of paid leave in six months.
- The agreement is valid for at least one month and one year at most.
Check When and Where to Apply for a Spain Au Pair Visa
Next, check where you need to lodge your application. Depending on your home country, this process is differently regulated by the Spanish authorities. You may have to apply at the Spanish embassy or consulate in your country of residence. The third option is that you may need to apply at a visa application center to which Spain has outsourced visa application in your country.
Check with the Spanish representative diplomatic mission in your country of residence for information in this regard.
You must make sure you submit your application on time. Note that the earliest you can apply is 90 days before your departure to Spain. Yet, apply at least five weeks before your trip, in case of any possible delay in processing by the embassy.
Gather the Supporting Documents to Apply for a Spain Au Pair Visa
Collecting the required supporting documents for a Spain Au Pair Visa is a very important part of the visa application process. These documents prove that you meet the criteria for getting this visa, and moving to Spain as an au pair.
The supporting documents for a Spain Au Pair Visa are:
- The standard required documents: visa application form, photos, passport, and copies of older visas and passports.
- Agreement with the host family. This document must include the duration of the agreement, which must be no longer than a year. It should also state the work conditions – working hours, days off, pocket money, obligations, etc. -and give the address of the host family and other details about them.
- Proof of financial means. Documents that show you can cover your living expenses and your trip from home to Spain and back.
- Medical Certificate. A document issued by a certified doctor that confirms you do not have any disease that could have a serious effect on public health.
- Medical Insurance. Purchase insurance for the whole period of stay from an authorized health insurance provider in Spain.
- Police clearance. A document obtained at the Police station in the country/ies that you have resided in the last five years. The clearance must be no older than three months.
- A notarized invitation letter from the host family in Spain, if the intended duration of stay is no longer than six months.
Make a Visa Appointment
You will need to make the appointment through the call center or online through the website of the embassy/consulate/visa center. It depends on the representative Spanish authorities in your country of residence. You should check with them for this information too.
Spain Au Pair Visa Interview
The interview is a short meeting of you with a consular officer. He or she will ask you questions regarding your trip and the documents you are submitting. You will be asked to submit the collected documents for a Spain Au Pair Visa during this interview.
If you have not traveled to the EU in the last 5 years, you will also need to give your biometrics (fingerprints and facial image) on the same day.
In most countries, the visa fee also needs to be paid on the day of the interview.
Pay the Spanish Au Pair visa fee
When you submit your application for a Spain Au Pair Visa, you will also need to pay a certain visa fee. The approximate fees, according to nationality, are as listed below:
- USA citizens will need to pay a fee of €141.
- Canadian citizens have to pay a fee of €83 to get an Au Pair Visa for Spain.
- Applicants of other nationalities have to pay a fee of only €80.
The fees for US and Canada are higher due to reciprocity measures.
After You Arrive in Spain with an Au Pair Visa
If you will be staying in Spain for over three months, once you arrive and settle with the host family, you must personally apply for the foreigner’s identity card. Apply for this card at the Police Station, Immigration and Documentation section closest to the house of your hosts.
Spain Au Pair Visa Validity
A Spain Au Pair Visa is valid for a maximum of one year. However, you will be able to apply for its extension, as long as the hosting family is willing to keep you, or you find another hosting family.
Note that your total stay in Spain with this visa cannot exceed the period of two years.