What You Need to Know About Hiring an Au Pair in the UK

If you’re looking for extra help with childcare but don’t need a full-time nanny, you might be considering an au pair. It’s a common arrangement in many families – but it’s also widely misunderstood.

What Is an Au Pair?

An au pair is typically a young person (often 18–25) from overseas who lives with a host family and helps out with childcare and light housework in exchange for accommodation, meals, and pocket money. It’s meant to be a cultural exchange, not a formal job.

Unlike a nanny, an au pair isn’t a trained childcare professional. They're not hired to replace full-time childcare, and they usually have limited experience.

Au pair stays typically last 6 to 12 months, and the idea is that they become part of the family – not an employee.

Au Pair vs Nanny: What’s the Difference?

While both au pairs and nannies help with childcare, they’re very different in terms of their role, legal status, and what’s expected from you as a parent.

Here’s a breakdown:

• Age & background: Au pairs are usually young adults (18–25) from abroad, often on a gap year or cultural exchange. Nannies tend to be older and have formal childcare experience.
• Type of care: Au pairs provide basic childcare and help around the house – they’re not a replacement for a trained childcarer. Nannies offer more hands-on, experienced care and may handle everything from newborn routines to school runs.
• Legal status: Au pairs are not considered employees under UK law. Nannies are employees and must be hired legally through payroll (PAYE).
• Hours: Au pairs typically help 25 to 30 hours per week. Nannies often work full-time – up to 40+ hours per week.
• Accommodation: Au pairs live in your home and are considered part of the family. Nannies may live in or live out.
• Pay: Au pairs receive pocket money (around £80–£120/week). Nannies are paid a gross hourly wage and are entitled to tax, pension, and holiday pay.
• Contracts: A formal contract isn’t required for au pairs, but is legally mandatory for nannies.

Learn more about how to legally employ a nanny

What You Owe as a Host Family

You’re not employing your au pair in the traditional sense, but you do take on clear responsibilities.

You’re expected to provide:

• A private bedroom
• Meals (three per day)
• A weekly amount of pocket money (usually £80–£120/week)
• Clear working hours (typically no more than 30 hours/week)
• At least one full day off per week
• Time to attend language classes or explore the UK
• Inclusion in family life (as much as they're comfortable)

No taxes or NI are due if it stays within cultural exchange boundaries. But if your expectations start to look more like those of a full-time job, that changes.

Legal Requirements for Au Pairs in the UK

Here’s where things get a bit complicated – especially post-Brexit.

Au pairs are not employees, and the government doesn’t have a formal au pair visa scheme anymore. Most au pairs now come through:

• The Youth Mobility Scheme (for certain countries)
• Student visas (with strict work limits)
• Irish or other visa-free agreements (limited)

As a result, finding a legally eligible au pair is harder than it used to be – and it's critical you check their right to work, even for informal roles.

They should:

• Be over 18
• Have a valid visa that allows domestic/casual work
• Not work more than allowed by their visa status

Is It Legal to Pay an Au Pair “Under the Table”

It depends on what you’re really doing.

If the au pair is just helping casually while being hosted, and their visa allows it — you’re fine.

But if you’re:

• Paying cash-in-hand
• Expecting full-time childcare or cleaning
• Avoiding taxes by calling them an au pair while treating them as a nanny

Then you’re at risk of illegal employment, especially if the au pair doesn’t have permission to work or is being treated like staff.

If it’s a job, you need to treat it like one – with tax, NI, and PAYE. Otherwise, you could face fines or immigration issues.

We Handle Payroll and Paperwork for You

Hosting an au pair sounds simple – but in reality, the line between cultural exchange and employment can get blurry. If your au pair is working more like a full-time nanny, or you're unsure where the legal boundary is, it’s important to get it right.

That’s where we come in. We take care of all the admin – start to finish.

• Registering with HMRC
• Creating a legal employment contract
• Calculating and paying tax, NI and pension
• Sending payslips and making salary payments
• Tracking holidays, sick days or maternity leave
• Verifying an Enhanced DBS check
• Ensuring valid employer’s liability insurance is in place
• Staying compliant with changing employment laws

You focus on your family. We’ll handle the paperwork.

Learn more about nanny payroll service