Germany - Relatives or nanny/au pair visa paperwork
Relatives
Foreign spouses and children who wish to enter Germany to join foreign
nationals already living there must apply for a residence permit before
entering Germany. The residence permit is issued as a visa by the German
consulate or embassy in the person's home country.
Documents to be shown include:
1 a lease or contract of sale stating the number of square metres of the
residence, to show that there is enough living space there for the number of
people intended to live there
2 the monthly costs for the accommodation including rent/loan repayments
plus expenses such as electricity, heating etc.
3 proof of income for the previous 3 months, and letter from employer or
employment contract
4 proof of health insurance
When a spouse wishes to enter the country, they must also provide the original (or copy) of the marriage certificate with an officially witnessed German translation.
For a child entering Germany, the original (or copy) of the birth certificate with an officially witnessed German translation and, if necessary, papers showing the right of custody with an officially witnessed German translation must be brought.
After the relatives enter Germany on the temporary residence visa, they must apply for the regular residence permit before the visa expires.
Au-pairs
Au-pairs are young people who live with a host family in a foreign country
for a maximum of one year, for the purpose of language and/or cultural
exchange.
Presently, au-pairs in Germany must be between 17 and 25 years old (younger
au-pairs may be granted permission in special cases).
Au-pairs should make sure they have a written contract stating their rights
and duties, a designated room for themselves, and the possibility of sharing
in family meals, at least one free day per week (which must be at least one
Sunday per month), and at least 4 free evenings per week, no more than 30
hours per week of light household duties or childminding, exemption to
attend a language course, religious observations and cultural events,
minimum pay of 205 euros a month, health insurance included in the host
family's cover, 4 weeks' holiday a year, and in large cities they should
also be given a monthly travel card for public transport.
A host family hiring an au-pair may be a single parent or couple, with at least one child (a pregnant woman's foetus is counted as a child). At least one of the family members should be a native German speaker, or German should be the language spoken in the home.
Au-pairs who are not nationals of an EU or EFTA country (Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Great Britain, Italy, Ireland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Portugal, Sweden und Spain) must have a work permit.
Before coming to Germany, au-pairs from countries other than those mentioned above and those from the USA, Japan, Canada, Israel and New Zealand must obtain a visa with the aim to getting a residence permit from the German embassy or consulate in their country. This requires a valid passport and a letter of invitation from the host family, and can take 4 - 8 weeks to process. During this time, the host family should contact the authorities in order to obtain a work permit for the au-pair with the following documents: a copy of the letter of invitation, proof that they have means and need of the au-pair, a signed draft of the work contract, a completed questionnaire from the employment office.
The au-pair's visa is valid for 3 months, within which time they must obtain a residence permit, which is valid for a maximum of 12 months. The residence permit expires when the au-pair stops working for the host family.
