Employing a non-EU/EEA citizen as an au pair

You want to employ someone who is a citizen of a non-EU/EEA country and who will work as an au pair.

If you want to see the information that is aimed at the au pair, you can visit the page You want to apply – Au pairs

An au pair is a person who lives temporarily with a host family and receives compensation for helping with childcare and light housework. The purpose of the person’s stay in Sweden is to improve their language skills and experience Swedish culture.

The employer starts the application

As an employer (host family), you start the application for a residence permit for your au pair. You do this by providing information about the employment to the Swedish Migration Agency via our e-service. When you are finished, the au pair will receive a link to the e-service, where they fill in their information, submit and thus complete the application. Only then is the application registered with the Swedish Migration Agency.

Requirements for you as an employer

In addition to the requirements for the au pair, as an employer, you must meet the following requirements in order for the person you want to employ to be able to get a residence permit as an au pair:

The person you want to employ must be at least 18 but not over 30 years old

You must offer food and accommodation

The au pair may work a maximum of 25 hours per week, helping with childcare and light housework

You must offer a certain salary/wages
You must offer cash compensation totalling at least 10 per cent of the price base amount per month, before tax (the current price base amount can be found on the website of Statistics Sweden External link.).

You must sign a written agreement stating the terms of employment and salary/wages

You must take out accident insurance for the au pair
The insurance must cover accidents during working hours, accidents on the way to and from work, and illness if the au pair becomes ill as a result of their work. Accident insurance that only provides financial compensation in the event of an accident that occurs during the au pair’s leisure time is not sufficient. The insurance must cover the au pair’s period of illness and situations in which an injury causes permanent disability. The insurance must be taken out by the time the employment begins.

You or the au pair must have, or have applied for, comprehensive medical insurance for the au pair
The comprehensive medical insurance must apply for the entire period of time that the au pair is to be in Sweden and cover the costs of emergency and other medical care, hospitalisation and emergency dental care. It must also cover the costs of medical repatriation. The insurance must be taken out by the time the employment begins.

Application preparations for employers

Sign an agreement with the au pair

The agreement must state the scope of the au pair’s work (maximum 25 hours per week), the combined number of hours the au pair will be working and studying, information about their board and lodging, and information about accident insurance. An au pair’s work responsibilities include childcare and light housework. The combined number of hours the au pair will spend working and studying must not exceed 40 hours per week.

Checklist for agreements regarding au pair work

An agreement regarding au pair work should include the following:

Heading indicating the subject of the agreement
For example, “Au Pair Agreement”.

Date of issuance of the agreement

Information about the au pair
State their name, date of birth and citizenship (as well as any case number/file number with the Swedish Migration Agency).

Information on how long the au pair work will last
State the period during which the au pair work will take place.

Information about work responsibilities
Describe the tasks to be performed. Also specify the maximum number of hours per week that the au pair will spend performing these tasks.

Information about studies
Describe how the au pair work will be organised to enable the au pair to study. Describe how much time per week the au pair will be able to devote to their studies.

Information about compensation, board and lodging
State how much compensation the au pair will receive for the au pair work. Describe what is included in the compensation. The compensation must include board and lodging, and this must be stated in the description.

Information about accident insurance
State the insurance company with which the host family has taken out accident insurance for the au pair. Enter the insurance policy number and contract period.

Information about the au pair’s other terms of employment
Describe other terms of employment, for example rules regarding time off work and whether any other insurance has been taken out, in addition to accident insurance.

Name of the contact person in the host family
Information about who is the contact person in the host family and their contact details.

The agreement must be signed
The agreement must be signed both by the person who issued it and by the au pair.

Collect important information

Make sure you have access to the information about the au pair and the employment that you will need to provide in the e-service:

Information about the person you want to employ
Name, date of birth, citizenship, and email address. Please note that it is via this email address that the au pair will log into the e-service to continue their application for a residence permit, so double check it carefully.

Information about the host family
Contact details for the host family.

Documents to prepare

Certificate that you have applied for or taken out comprehensive medical insurance for the au pair
If the host family has taken out the insurance for the au pair. This document must state the insurance company with which you have taken out the insurance, the insurance policy number, and the period during which the insurance applies. The medical insurance must apply for care in Sweden.

Employer representatives must also attach

A copy of their power of attorney to act as a representative.

Power of attorney (107011) pdf, 535.3 kB.

Read more about power of attorney

If you will be acting as a representative for a host family

If you will be acting as a representative for a host family, you need to arrange a power of attorney.

Please note that if you are a representative with power of attorney, you are the only person who will have access to the case during the entire application period, because you create the e-application using your e-ID. You will thus be the only one who can complete the employer’s part of the application and respond to any requests for supplementation.

For how long can an au pair be granted a residence permit?

An au pair can be granted a residence permit for a maximum of one year, but never for longer than their passport is valid.

The permit cannot be extended.

How long does it take to get a decision?

It is not possible to say exactly how long it takes to receive a decision. There are many things that affect the waiting time, for example whether the application is complete to begin with or whether we need to request more information, or whether we need to check with other authorities when investigating the case.

Here we show statistics on how long it has taken for people who have applied for this permit. The statistics are based on cases decided in the last 12 months.

Complete applications

75% of recently decided cases have been decided within:4 months

Incomplete applications

75% of recently decided cases have been decided within:5 months

Illustration showing an employment contract.

You sign an agreement or contract with the employee

You and the employee sign an agreement or contract. You must do this before applying for a permit. The agreement must be signed by you and the employee. You should also review which insurance policies you or the employee may need to take out.

Illustration of a woman sitting at a computer.

You start the permit application

As the employer, you fill in your part of the application by providing information about the employment in the e-service for employers.

Be sure to provide complete information. The Swedish Migration Agency prioritises complete cases.

You send a link to the employee

You send a link to the employee through the e-service.

Illustration of a young woman making an application on the computer.

The employee completes their part of the application

Via the link, the employee fills in their part of the application. They attach the required documents and complete the application.

Illustration of a man sitting at a computer and working at the Swedish Migration Agency.

The application is registered with the Swedish Migration Agency

The application is not registered until the employee has completed their part of it.

Waiting time before we start examining the application

Now follows a period of waiting until the Swedish Migration Agency takes a closer look at the application.

Illustration of a man looking at an application.

The Swedish Migration Agency reviews the application

The Swedish Migration Agency reviews the application. If we can immediately see that the employee does not meet the requirements for a work permit, we may already make a decision to refuse the application. We will contact you or the employee if we need more information.

The employee will be asked to present their passport, either at a Swedish embassy, at one of the National Government Service Centres, or via a digital passport control.

Illustration of a man who works as a caseworker at the Swedish Migration Agency.

The Swedish Migration Agency processes the application

Once the employee has presented their passport, the Swedish Migration Agency reviews all information relating to the application and investigates whether they can be granted a work permit. We will contact you or the employee if we need more information.

Waiting time while we process your application

Now you must wait.

You will be notified when the decision is ready

Once the Swedish Migration Agency has made a decision, the employer will be notified by post. The employee will be notified by email or post.

After the decision

As a host family, you start the application by providing information about the employment. Once you have finished your part, the au pair must continue with their part of the application. The application will not be registered with the Swedish Migration Agency until the au pair has filled in and submitted their part of it.

Have you assembled all documents?

Be sure to provide complete information and attach all required documents. The Swedish Migration Agency prioritises complete cases. We will not start processing the application until it is complete.

See which documents you must attach under the Important to know tab

E-service for employers

To the e-service

By logging in you accept the terms of use

If you cannot use the e-service

If you are unable to provide information about the employment via the e-service, you must instead send the agreement regarding au pair work to the au pair. The au pair must then submit the agreement at a Swedish embassy or consulate-general, together with their application.

Application for a permit to work as an au pair in Sweden (131011) pdf, 899.9 kB.

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