Frequently Asked Questions
Au Pair program in Finland - General information
- Do you accept male candidates?
No, at the moment we accept only female candidates.
- Do you place summer Au Pairs?
Yes, we place summer Au Pairs. However, the placement can not be guaranteed, because the number of Host Families looking for summer Au Pairs is very limited.
- Should a person from EU-country get a visa or a residence permit to be able to come to Finland as an Au Pair?
No, a visa or a residence permit are not required. An Au Pair will need to register in a local Police Station when arriving to Finland.
- Who is paying an Au Pair's travel expenses?
An Au Pair herself.
- Does a Host Family pay to an Au Pair salary, compensation or stipend?
A Host Family pays to an Au Pair so called pocket money, which is 252 euros a month.
- How often the pocket money should be paid to an Au Pair?
It depends on a contract maid between a Host Family and An Au Pair. We would advise to make the payments once or twice a month.
- Does a Host Family cover a whole cost of the language course or only some part?
A Host Family pays the whole cost of the language course.
- What the Au Pairs do on their free time?
Most of the Au Pairs visit language courses and learn Finnish, Swedish or English languages. The Au Pairs can meet new people (including other Au Pairs and exchange students who live in Finland), travel in Finland and neighbor countries etc.
- How long is the Au Pair Program in Finland?
The shortest program is Summer Au Pair Program, which lasts 3-4 months. An Au Pair's original program runs for 9-12 months.
Au Pair program in Finland - For Finnish families
- We have been thinking about finding an Au Pair for our family. How we should proceed?
Please read the information about Au Pair Program in Finland on our website. If you decide to apply, send filled application form, family's photographs, Dear Au Pair Letter and receipt of paid reservation fee to Euromaa by email or by post.
- How long does it take to get an Au Pair?
The process of finding a suitable Au Pair takes about 1-4 months from the moment when a Host Family has left the application to Euromaa.
- Which countries the most of your Au Pair candidates come from?
At the moment the majority of candidates come from Poland, Hungary, Germany and Russia.
- Do all Au Pair candidates speak English? And Finnish or Swedish?
All Au Pair candidates speak English. From time to time we have candidates who speak Finnish or Swedish.
- Is it possible to get an Au Pair from a specific country?
Please write about your preferences when filling in the application form. It is important to remember that an application with such a specific request may take longer to fulfill depending on how many qualified candidates apply from that country at the time of your application.
- Is it possible to get an Au Pair who speaks a certain language?
Yes, see above.
- Do the Au Pairs drive?
Some of Au Pair candidates have a driving license, some of them not. Please write about your preferences when filling in the application form.
- We are living in a country-side/small town. How hard will it be for us to find an Au Pair?
The majority of Au Pair candidates want to be placed in the families who live in a capital area/big cities. It might be a bit harder to find an Au Pair for a family who live in a country-side/small town, but however possible.
- Can the program accommodate special needs of a Host Family?
Yes, in some cases. Special needs families are handled on a case-by-case basis.
- How much would we need to pay a program fee if an Au Pair stays for shorter period of time: 3 or 6 months?
The amount of program fee is the same: 400 euros (including VAT 22%).
- When should we pay the program fee?
The reservation fee 100 euros should be paid to Euromaa when applying for the program (meaning sending the application package to Euromaa). A Host Family pays the rest of the program fee 300 Euros when an agreement betwen a Host Family and an Au Pair was signed.
- When applying for the program, can we send some of the documents first, and then others?
The most important document for us is filled application form. However, it would be on your own interest to send all the documents at once - it might shorten a time of finding a suitable Au Pair for you.
- Why the application form for the Host Families is in English?
The reason is that most of Au Pair candidates do not speak Finnish. As a rule all the Host Families speak English, because they need to be able to communicate with their Au Pair.
- What is Dear Au Pair Letter and what should it include?
Dear Au Pair Letter makes it possible to introduce your family to a possible Au Pair candidate. It might include information about:
- Family's home and Au Pair's room
- City where the family lives
- Children and their hobbies
- Family's free time
- Family's preferences and expectations from an Au Pair
- Where the host family can find the language course for the au pair?
The most suitable places include but not limited to the following:
- Open University (Avoin Yliopisto)
- Adult education centers (Aikuiskoulutuskeskus/ kansalaisopisto/työväenopisto)
- Private teacher
- Is there anything we should be aware of when our Au Pair arrives to Finland?
A Host Family needs to understand that an Au Pair needs time to adapt to a new country, new environment and new culture. A Host Family has to be ready to wait and help an Au Pair during his/her adaptation period. One of the responsibilities of a Host Family is to provide to an Au Pair upon arrival the list of his/her daily and weekly responsibilities and duties regarding children and home of a Host Family. A Host Family has to talk through all the expectations and reservations that they have for an Au Pair during her stay in a Host Family. If any questions arise during an Au Pair's stay in a Host Family, they have to contact Euromaa.
Do we or our Au Pair need to pay the taxes and how much is that?
Please contact your local tax office for any further information.
- What if we do not like our Au Pair or if it does not work out for some other reason?
Euromaa is responsible for finding another Au Pair candidate for a Host Family if the first Au Pair has been in a Host Family less than 6 weeks and leaves the family. This covers the situation when one of the sides (an Au Pair or a Host Family) does not want to continue the contract.
- Can we meet the Au Pair before we make our final decision?
It is up to a Host Family and an Au Pair. However, Euromaa should be aware of these kind of meetings.
Au Pair program in Finland - For foreign Au Pairs
- Can an Au Pair apply if she does not have any representative agency in her home country?
Yes. In this case the applicant has to pay the program fee to Euromaa, which is 100 euros.
- Is it a problem that an Au Pair does not speak any Finnish?
Most of the candidates we place do not speak Finnish (however, all of them speak English), so it will not be a problem to be placed.
- In which regions/cities most of the Host Families live?
The majority of our Host Families live in a capital region or big cities. However, we have also some families who live in rural areas or small towns.
- Is it possible to be placed in a preferred area?
You can write about your preferences in the application form, but the placement in preferred area can not be guaranteed.
- How much time do you need to place a candidate?
Usually it takes from 1 to 4 months.
- What is Dear Family Letter and what should it include?
Dear Family Letter makes it possible to introduce yourself to the Host Families. It might include information about:
- Your family and friends
- Hobbies
- Experience of working with children
- Your expectations and visions about your work as Au Pair
- Is it obligatory to attend Finnish language course or can it be another language, for example Swedish or English?
An Au Pair can attend a language course of Swedish or English as well.