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Residence permit for an au pair
This residence permit application form is for you if you are coming to Finland as an au pair. You must be 17 to 30 years old in order to apply for a residence permit as an au pair. The maximum duration of an au pair position is one year.
The purpose of an au pair position is to provide a young person with an opportunity to become acquainted with the language and culture of the target country. An au pair lives with a host family in exchange for performing light housework duties. The au pair may not be a close relative of any member of the host family. However, the purpose of an au pair position is not to acquire a household employee. If you plan to come to Finland to work as a domestic servant or a nanny, apply for a residence permit for an employed person.
Prospective au pairs are required to have studied or to have basic knowledge of the Finnish or Swedish language or Finnish culture. The working hours of an au pair must be set so that he or she will have the opportunity to take classes in Finnish or Swedish while in Finland.
Get ready
Check that you have all the necessary attachments and information before you begin. You must have at least:
- a valid passport
- an au pair agreement in writing
- a medical certificate that is up to three months old and which states that you do not have an infectious disease that would prevent au pairing
- document showing that you have not committed crimes or felonies
- certificate on health and accident insurance for the duration of your au pair stay
Fill in the application and pay the fee
Complete the application form and attach all the required documents. Select your service point. The service point is where you prove your identity. You will find more information at migri.fi/en/identification. If you are applying for a permit abroad, visit a Finnish embassy or consulate. If you are applying in Finland, visit a Migri service point. Please take into account that the service points can be very busy. If you are in Finland, you can book an appointment before submitting an application in Migri's appointments system. If you are abroad, contact the embassy or consulate directly.
Book an appointment to visit a service point
The processing of an application is subject to a fee. You can pay the processing fee with most credit cards, or use the online banking services provided by Finnish banks. You can also pay the processing fee at the embassy or at the Migri service point during your visit to prove your identity.
Visit the selected authority to prove your identity
When you have submitted your application via the e-service, you must visit the service point you selected in order to prove your identity, to present the original copies of the attachments required for your application and to have your fingerprints taken. Remember to take a passport photo with you. Passport photo guidelines can be found on the website of the Finnish Police.
Follow the processing
You can follow the processing of your application in the e-service. If further information or documents are required for your application, we will send you a request through the e-service. You will receive a notification when a decision has been made and can be read online.