Au pair in New Zealand
Official Au Pair in New Zealand Program Information
There is no official au pair in New Zealand program, however you
can become an au pair in New Zealand under the Working Holiday
Scheme. Citizens of certain countries qualify to participate in the
Working Holiday Scheme in New Zealand. There are eligibility
requirements and certain conditions you must meet in order to
participate in the Working Holiday Scheme and hence become an au
pair in New Zealand. Length of stay, working conditions and number
of Working Holiday visas issued varies for each country - this
information is shown below.
Au Pair in New Zealand Mandatory Criteria
- An au pair in New Zealand must be between 18 - 30 years of
age
- You must have a passport that's valid for at least three months
after your planned departure from New Zealand
- You cannot bring children with you
- Hold a return ticket or have sufficient funds to purchase
one
- You must have between NZ$2,250 and NZ$7,000 of available funds
to meet your living costs while you're there (country of
citizenship will determine the exact amount)
- Meet health and character requirements (e.g. Police check)
- Have medical and comprehensive hospitalisation insurance for
the length of your stay
- You must not have been approved for a visa under the Working
Holiday Scheme before
- For some countries, you will be required to have a tertiary
qualification and provide proof of English proficiency
Au Pair in New Zealand General Information
Pocket Money
- There is no official pocket money for an au pair in New
Zealand. TheBestAupair recommends approximately NZD$150.00-$200.00
per week or as negotiated with the host family
Working Hours, free time and holidays
- There is no official working hours requirements for an au pair
in New Zealand. TheBestAupair recommends 30-40 hours per week,
which may include 2 nights of babysitting
- An au pair in New Zealand should expect 2 days free time per
week, but this may vary from family to family
- TheBestAupair recommends free time and holiday arrangements be
clarified with your host family prior to departing your home
country and have the arrangements put into your contract
Accommodation and meals
- An au pair in New Zealand is provided a separate bedroom in the
family home, 3 meals per day and have free access to the family
home
Travel Costs
- The cost of travel and visa is paid by the au pair
- Please refer to our Travel
Partners for discounts on flights and travel
insurance
Language skills and course
- It is recommended that an au pair in New Zealand speak basic
English as a minimum
- Citizens from some countries will be required to provide proof
of English proficiency
- Attending a language course is not compulsory
Length of stay
- Varies based on visa type and country of origin
- Most working holiday visas are valid for 12 months, with the
exception of the UK which is up to 23 months (of which 12 of the 23
months can be worked) and Austria, Malaysia and Singapore, up to 6
months
- A working holiday visa is an open visa allowing you to
work for any employer however some countries' visas have
restrictions of not working for one employer for more than three
months in the 12-month period. Please ensure you check the scheme
appropriate for your citizenship
Insurances
- TheBestAupair strongly recommends taking out travel, medical
and liability insurance before departing your home country, unless
you are a national of a country that has a reciprocal health care
agreement with New Zealand. Note: reciprocal arrangements are for
limited health care cover, not travel insurance cover
- This insurance is to be paid by the au pair
- Visitors to New Zealand are not entitled to free health care
except if they have an accident, in which case they are covered by
the Accident Compensation Corporation
Job Duties
- The duties of an au pair in New Zealand will vary from family
to family. Some families will require only childcare, however we
have found that most families will require childcare and light
housework, pet care, driving duties etc
- Please clarify your job duties with your host family and have
it put in writing in your contract
Driving
- If you are required to drive in New Zealand, you will need a
full, valid driver's licence
- TheBestAupair recommends obtaining an international driving
permit from your home country if your licence is not valid on its
own in New Zealand
- For more information please visit the New Zealand Transport
Agency website here
- Discuss with your host family what happens if you have a car
accident, who pays, and have your agreements put in the
contract
Visa Information
Working Holiday Schemes - participating countries:
Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong
Special Administrative Region, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan,
Korea, Latvia, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway,
Peru, Poland, Singapore (Work Exchange Programme), Slovakia,
Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom,
United States of America and Uruguay
For further information on each country please visit:
http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/stream/work/workingholiday/
If you are already in New Zealand you also need to hold a valid
temporary visa.
Additional Information
You can find additional information about being an au pair in
New Zealand in the websites listed in the Relevant links section on
the right panel of this page.
If you have any comments regarding this page,
please Email us - we value your feedback!