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

The traditional "au pair" role (a cultural exchange for pocket money) no longer exists as a legal concept in the UK. Since Brexit, there is no Au Pair visa. Any person you hire in this role, such as via the Youth Mobility Scheme, is legally considered a worker or employee and must be paid at least the National Minimum Wage, not "pocket money."

If you're looking for flexible, live-in childcare, you might be thinking of hiring an au pair. The concept is well-known: a young person from overseas lives with your family, helps with childcare, and gets "pocket money" as part of a cultural exchange.

It is critical to understand that this arrangement is no longer legal in the UK.

Changes to UK visa laws after Brexit have completely changed the rules. While the term "au pair" is still used, the legal and financial reality is now very different. Treating someone as a traditional au pair can put you at risk of breaking UK employment and minimum wage laws.

Here’s what you actually need to know.

Myth vs. Reality: The End of the "Au Pair"

The core of the issue is this: The UK government no longer has a dedicated visa for au pairs.

• The Myth: A young person comes to the UK, lives in your home, helps for ~25 hours a week, and you provide a room, meals, and £90-£100 a week in "pocket money."
• The Reality: This is illegal. UK law (GOV.UK) is clear: au pairs are entitled to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) or National Living Wage (NLW), just like any other worker.

Because they are entitled to the NMW, they are not a "member of the family" in a cultural exchange; they are your employee. This means you also have all the same responsibilities as you would for employing a nanny.

How Can Someone Legally Come to the UK for an Au Pair Role?

Since there is no "Au Pair Visa," a candidate must have a pre-existing right to work in the UK. For families looking to hire from overseas, the most common route by far is the Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) visa.

What is the Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS)?

This is a visa that allows young people from specific countries to live and work in the UK for up to two years (or three for some nationalities).

Key facts about the YMS:

• Who? It's for people aged 18-30 (or 18-35) from countries like Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, and South Korea.
• No EU: Most EU countries are not on this list. This means you can no longer easily hire an au pair from France, Spain, or Germany.
• Cost: The applicant must pay a visa fee (currently £319), the Immigration Health Surcharge (currently £776 per year), and prove they have £2,530 in savings.

The YMS visa simply gives them the right to work. It does not create a special "au pair" status. Once they start working for you, UK employment law applies.

The only other candidates are those who already have a right to work here, such as:

• Someone with (pre-)settled status from the EU Settlement Scheme.

• A British or Irish citizen.

Au Pair Pay: National Minimum Wage is a Legal Must

This is the most important change. You cannot legally pay "pocket money." You must pay a salary.

As an employer, you must pay your au pair at least the National Minimum Wage for every hour they work.

You can deduct an amount from their pay for the accommodation you provide. This is called the "accommodation offset," and it's a fixed daily amount set by the government (currently £9.99 per day). This is the only deduction you can make from their NMW entitlement for their room.

Example:

• Your au pair is 21 and works 30 hours a week.
• The National Living Wage (for 21+) is £11.44/hour (as of April 2024).
• Minimum Gross Pay: 30 hours x £11.44 = £343.20 per week.
• You can then deduct the accommodation offset (e.g., £9.99 x 7 days = £69.93).
• This is vastly different—and more costly—than the old £100 "pocket money" system.

Calculator: See how much a live-in employee costs with our Nanny Salary Calculator. (The calculation is the same as for a live-in nanny).

Au Pair vs. Nanny: There Is No Longer a Difference

Once you accept that an "au pair" must be paid the NMW, the distinction between a live-in au pair and a junior live-in nanny disappears.

Legally, they are the same.

This means if you hire someone on a YMS visa, you are an employer and you must:

• Provide a written contract of employment.
• Register with HMRC as an employer.
• Run a full PAYE payroll to manage their tax and National Insurance (NI).
• Provide legal payslips with every payment.
• Provide paid holiday entitlement (5.6 weeks per year).
• Enrol them in a workplace pension if they are eligible.
• Have Employer's Liability Insurance.

An au pair may be less experienced than a qualified nanny, but your legal responsibilities to them are identical.

Is This Too Complicated?

It’s easy to see why families are confused. The internet is full of outdated information.

While the new rules make hiring an au pair more expensive and formal, it protects both you and your employee. It ensures they are paid fairly and you are a compliant, legal employer.

If you're managing this for the first time, it can feel like a lot of admin. That's where we come in.

Our payroll service takes care of everything for you: From registrations with HMRC and pension setup to running your payroll and providing legal payslips. We handle the admin so you can be a confident, compliant employer. Fully digital, no paperwork, no stress.