Visa’s to work in the UK as an Au pair

For the most current information on UK Au pair visas, visit UK Visas

Which countries are included in the au pair scheme?
An au pair must be a national of one of the following countries:

Although European Economic Area nationals are not included in the au pair scheme, they are free to come to the UK to take au pair placements.

How do I qualify to travel to the UK as an au pair?
You must show that you want to come to the UK on an au pair placement and that you:

are not married

have no dependants

do not plan to stay in the UK for more than two years as an au pair

can support and accommodate yourself without help from public funds

plan to leave the UK when you complete your stay as an au pair

What is a visa?
A visa is an entry clearance certificate that is placed in your passport or travel document by an Entry Clearance Officer at a British mission overseas. The entry clearance certificate confers leave to enter the UK.

If an Au pair has a valid UK visa they will not normally be refused entry to the UK unless their circumstances have changed, or they gave false information or they failed to disclose important facts when they applied for a visa.

When arriving in the UK, an Immigration Officer may question an Au pair, so an Au pair should keep all relevant documents in their hand luggage.

To find out if an Au pair is eligible for an Au pair visa in the UK, or to determine the type of visa for which an Au pair may be eligible, visit UK Visas.

Do I need a visa as an au pair?
Nationals of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania and Turkey must get a visa before they travel to the United Kingdom.

Nationals of the EU can enter the UK without any formalities.

Members of the commonwealth (i.e. Canada, Australia, South Africa, etc.) will need to obtain a holiday work visa, which is a straightforward procedure. The working holidaymaker scheme is an arrangement where a Commonwealth citizen aged between 17 and 30 can come to the United Kingdom (UK) for an extended holiday for up to two years. They will be permitted to work, but will be expected to take a holiday during the stay.

Members of the commonwealth:

US citizens cannot go to the UK as Au pairs, however, US citizens may obtain a blue card from BUNAC.