MIGRATION & CERTIFICATES
Au pair in Germany from Turkey: the A1 requirement, the real age band, €280 pocket money, and what the year leads to
The au pair road from Turkey to Germany: A1 German (Merkblatt 57), age 18–26, €280/month pocket money, the family match, and the honest transition limits.
VON GERMANIUM
Editorial desk — sourced to iDATA's Merkblatt 57 (Au-Pair), the Bundesagentur für Arbeit's au-pair framework and the matching platforms' published conditions
Au pair is the youngest road to Germany — and the only one whose language requirement sits exactly at this site's flagship exam: A1 German, documented with a certificate, before the visa. It is not a job and not a migration door; it is a one-year cultural exchange with a German family: childcare and light housework (~30 hours a week) in return for room, board, pocket money and a family that speaks German at home. The Turkish SERP around it is agencies disagreeing on the basics — this page pins the rules to the merkblatt and states honestly what the year does and does not lead to.
The requirements, at a glance
| Requirement | Rule |
|---|---|
| Age | 18–26 at application — the official band; the 18–27 figures on agency pages are stale |
| Marital status | Unmarried and without children |
| German | A1 certificate minimum (iDATA Merkblatt 57) — Goethe or ÖSD are the safe choices, same as every other Türkiye road |
| Host family | A family in Germany with German as the daily language — at least one adult, child present |
| Duration | 6–12 months; the year cannot be extended as au pair |
| Pocket money | €280/month, paid by the family |
| The family also covers | The language course (at least 6 hours/week in the program frame), health insurance, travel to Germany |
How the road actually runs
- 01
1. The certificate first
A1 via Goethe or ÖSD (the same two institutions every German mission in Türkiye trusts). Build the profile honestly — experience with children (siblings, tutoring, sports) is what families screen for.
- 02
2. The family match
Matching runs through the platforms (AuPairWorld and similar) or agencies. Screen for the program's own rules, not just chemistry: German spoken at home, a child in the household, the €280 pocket money, the language-course promise, and a written au pair contract (the missions ask for it). Red flags that predict a bad year: families that avoid the contract, expect full-time housework beyond light duties, or brush off the language course.
- 03
3. The visa through iDATA
The application file: au pair contract, A1 certificate, passport, insurance and the Merkblatt 57 document set, with the €75 fee. Appointment waits are the usual bottleneck — applicant reports put them at months in 2025–26 (reports, not statistics; iDATA publishes none).
- 04
4. The year itself
~30 hours of childcare and light housework weekly, 1.5 free days, evenings mostly free, the language course attended. The year is what you make of it: au pairs who treat the course seriously exit at A2–B1, a level the Chancenkarte points table and most Turkish employers in Germany recognize immediately.
What the year leads to — the honest limits
- The au pair status itself does not convert into a work permit from inside Germany in the general case — the program is a cultural exchange, not a labor-market entry
- The realistic continuation is returning to Türkiye with A2–B1 German and applying through the proper roads: Ausbildung (B1 standard, and the au pair year is a genuine plus in employer interviews), the Opportunity Card, or study — and if the goal is language itself, the language-course visa is the au pair year's sibling road
- What the year IS for: immersion German, a German reference family, and proof of life in Germany — real assets, sold honestly as assets, not as a shortcut
- Agency promises of 'au pair → permanent residency' chains should be read as marketing; every transition runs through the standard permits and their requirements
What are the age and status requirements for au pair in Germany?
18–26 years old at application, unmarried, and without children. The 18–27 figures circulating on Turkish agency pages are outdated — the official band tops out at 26. Basic requirements beyond that: an A1 German certificate, a matched host family with German as the daily language, and a signed au pair contract.
How much does an au pair earn in Germany?
Au pair is not employment — the €280/month is pocket money, paid alongside full room and board, insurance, the language course and travel. Framing it as a salary is the fastest way to misunderstand the program: the value is the year of immersion and the family reference, not the €280.
Can I become an au pair in Germany without knowing German?
No — A1 is the documented minimum (Merkblatt 57), and the program itself assumes it: the family speaks German at home, the course builds from there. The A1 certificate is also the easiest part of the file: 2–3 months of regular study with practice exams, valid indefinitely once earned.
Can I stay in Germany after my au pair year?
Not by extending the au pair status — the year is capped and does not convert into a work permit in the general case. The realistic road: exit with A2–B1 German and apply properly from Türkiye (Ausbildung, Chancenkarte, study), where the au pair year reads as a genuine plus.
How do I find a serious host family?
Through the established matching platforms or licensed agencies, with the program's own rules as the checklist: German as the daily language, a child in the household, €280 pocket money, the language-course promise, and a written contract the missions will accept. Families avoiding the contract or the course details are the pattern behind most bad au pair years.