Au pair eligibility

Ready to start your journey?

If you meet the eligibility requirements and are ready to experience life in beautiful New Zealand, we can’t wait to welcome you to our au pair community. Let’s make your dream a reality!

Au pair eligibility

Ready to start your journey?

Ready to start your journey?

If you meet the eligibility requirements and are ready to experience life in beautiful New Zealand, we can’t wait to welcome you to our au pair community. Let’s make your dream a reality!

Au pair eligibility

Eligibility to become an au pair in New Zealand

Dreaming of living and working in New Zealand as an au pair? We’re excited to welcome caring, responsible individuals from around the world to join our families. Before you pack your bags, make sure you meet the essential eligibility criteria for our programme.

Who can become an au pair?

To be eligible for the Au Pair Link programme, you’ll need to meet a few important requirements to ensure you’re ready for this exciting adventure:

You must be between 18 and 30 years old to apply.

You’ll need to be a Resident or have a valid Working Holiday Visa to legally live and work as an au pair in New Zealand. Don’t worry — we can guide you through this process.

Previous experience caring for children is essential. At Au Pair Link we require a minimum of 200 hours childcare experience. This can include babysitting, tutoring, volunteering at schools, or helping younger siblings. You don’t need to be a professional caregiver, but you do need to feel confident looking after children.

You must have basic English skills to communicate with your host family and integrate into daily life in New Zealand.

Being an au pair is more than just childcare — it’s about becoming part of a family. You should be ready to engage in family routines, activities, and traditions.

For everyone’s safety, you’ll need to provide a criminal background check from your home country.

What makes a great au pair?

In addition to meeting the basic criteria, successful au pairs share a few key qualities:

Families rely on you to provide quality care for their children. Being dependable is a must.

You’ll be living in a new culture, with new routines and traditions. Flexibility and a willingness to learn will help you thrive.

Your primary role is to care for children. Being patient, kind, and caring is essential.

Not sure if you qualify?

Don’t worry! You can quickly check this through our application form here.