To live with a German host family as an au pair, you need a visa, and the visa needs basic German at level A1. This guide explains which certificates the German embassy accepts, the interview alternative, the age and family rules, and what the A1 exam itself looks like.
The au-pair visa for Germany needs basic German at A1, proven with a certificate from Goethe, telc, ÖSD, TestDaF or ECL. It must be recent: each mission sets its own limit, from six months to a year — check your embassy's checklist.
Source: arbeitsagentur.de ·
An au pair lives with a family in Germany, helps with the children and the home, and learns about life in the country. Because you will talk with the children and the parents every day, the visa asks for basic German (Grundkenntnisse) at level A1 of the Common European Framework. A1 is the first level: you can introduce yourself, ask and answer simple questions and understand short, everyday sentences. The embassy leaves it to you how and where you learn. What matters is the proof you bring to the visa appointment.
You pass an A1 exam with a recognised provider and hand in the certificate (Sprachzertifikat) with your application.
The visa information sheets of German missions abroad state that your German can also be checked during the visa process with a conversation about everyday topics.
A letter that says you attended a course (Teilnahmebescheinigung) is not proof. The embassy wants an exam certificate.
The embassy accepts A1 certificates from certified providers only. The au-pair visa information sheets of German missions abroad name these five:
Your certificate must be recent, and each German mission sets its own limit: six months at some, up to a year at others. Rules and appointment systems are set by the German embassy or consulate for your country, so read its au-pair page before you book an exam. If you are still choosing, Goethe A1 and telc A1 are exams offered in many countries, and both are on the list.
The language certificate is only one condition. Before you spend money on an exam, check that you meet the others too. Your age, the length of the stay and the once-only rule come from the Federal Employment Agency's au-pair leaflet and apply nationwide; appointments, processing times and fees are set by each German mission. The leaflet also fixes 280 € pocket money a month and at most 30 hours of help per week.
| Rule | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| German level | A1, shown with a certificate or checked in a conversation at the embassy |
| Age of the certificate | Must be recent; each mission sets its own limit (six months to one year), so check its checklist |
| Your age | Under 27 when you apply, and at least 18 when the au-pair job starts |
| Length of the stay | 6 to 12 months, never longer than one year |
| How often | One au-pair stay in Germany per person, ever |
| Processing time | Varies by mission; the embassy in Tbilisi, for example, names about 6 to 8 weeks |
The family matters as well. The host parents must not be your relatives, and German should be spoken at home as a first language. If German is only the family language and not the parents' mother tongue, neither parent may come from your home country. The visa is for the au-pair stay only: you cannot move straight into another stay in Germany without first going home.
Goethe-Zertifikat A1, also called Start Deutsch 1, has four parts, but it is not modular: you take the whole exam in one sitting and receive one result. You pass with at least 60 out of 100 points overall. The written part counts for 75 points and the spoken part for 25, and there is no separate pass mark for speaking, so strong reading and listening can carry you. Fees are set by each Goethe-Institut or partner centre, so check the local price list.
3 parts, 15 items, about 20 minutes.
3 parts, 15 items, about 25 minutes.
2 parts, about 20 minutes: fill 5 gaps in a form, then write a short text. Reading and writing share one 45-minute paper.
3 parts, about 15 minutes, in a group of up to four candidates.
telc Deutsch A1 is also accepted. It is scored out of 60 points, is not modular either, and the oral part is taken in a pair or small group. Choose whichever exam has the nearest date and centre for you.
You need a signed au-pair contract (Au-pair-Vertrag) with the family. The family also fills in a questionnaire from the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit), and the embassy treats it as mandatory.
Book Goethe A1, telc A1 or another exam from the list. Take it close enough to your application that the certificate is still recent.
Besides the form, passport and photo, you write a motivation letter and a CV (Lebenslauf) in German yourself. Foreign-language documents need a German translation.
Hand in the full set of documents at your appointment. Once the visa is approved, you show travel health insurance before it is issued. Book your flight only after you have the visa.
You need basic German at level A1, the first level of the Common European Framework. You prove it with an A1 certificate from an accepted provider, or, according to the visa information sheets of German missions abroad, your German can instead be checked in a conversation about everyday topics during the visa process.
Only certificates from certified providers: Goethe-Institut, telc, the Austrian German Diploma (ÖSD), TestDaF and ECL. A letter that only confirms you attended a course (Teilnahmebescheinigung) is not accepted.
It must be recent, but there is no single rule: each German mission sets its own limit, six months at some and up to a year at others. Check the checklist of the embassy where you apply, and if you passed A1 a while ago, book a new exam well before your appointment.
Yes. The Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) au-pair leaflet sets the rules nationwide: you must be under 27 when you apply for the residence permit and at least 18 when the au-pair job begins. The stay lasts six to twelve months, and you can be an au pair in Germany only once.
Both are accepted. Goethe A1 (Start Deutsch 1) is one exam with listening, reading, writing and a group speaking part, and you pass with 60 out of 100 points overall. telc Deutsch A1 is scored out of 60 points with a group oral of up to four candidates. Neither is modular, so pick the one with the nearest date and centre.
The host parents must not be your relatives. German should be spoken in the family as a first language. If German is only the family language, neither host parent may come from your home country.