Au Pair Visas:
Passport and Visa Information
MAKE SURE YOU CHECK WITH THE FRENCH EMBASSY IN YOUR COUNTRY IN REGARDS TO THE PROCEDURE FOR OBTAINING A VISA. This information may not be completely up to date or applicable to you.
For many countries, France allows a 90 day tourist visa. For your long-stay visa, you must apply at the French Embassy in your country well in advance of arriving in France. It can take several weeks for approval and the paperwork for a long-stay is rigorous and time-consuming.
MAKE SURE YOU CHECK WITH THE FRENCH EMBASSY IN YOUR COUNTRY IN REGARDS TO THE PROCEDURE FOR OBTAINING A VISA. This information may not be completely up to date or applicable to you.
For many countries, France allows a 90 day tourist visa. For your long-stay visa, you must apply at the French Embassy in your country well in advance of arriving in France. It can take several weeks for approval and the paperwork for a long-stay is rigorous and time-consuming.
Getting a visa if you are from the USA
USA Au Pair Visa requirements:
To stay in France longer than 90 days you will need to register for an au pair visa. You must obtain your visa BEFORE you leave for France. You will need to visit your local embassy to apply. All the information can be found on French Consulate website. You can check out the requirements for the Washington branch but ultimately you will apply to your local consulate because specific regions of the USA are served by certain consulates. PLEASE CHECK YOUR LOCAL CONSULATE’S WEBSITE AS REQUIREMENTS MAY CHANGE.
Time span: This can be a lengthy process. There are numerous documents that must be obtained, including 2 you'll have to get from your French family: the work contract and the proof of enrollment for french classes in France. Once you've submitted your paperwork at your first appointment, you can expect to receive your visa withing 2-4 weeks. Keep in mind you will have to have your flight purchased before your first appointment but cannot leave the country until you've actually received your visa, so plan your travel accordingly.
First: Set-up an appointment online at your local consulate’s website. Appointments are in high demand, so don't wait until you get your paperwork. Set the appointment, then work on getting your documents together.
Requirements:
Bring the original plus a copy of all documents:
- A passport that will be valid at least 3 months after your visa expires
- A photo copy of the information page of your passport
- A long stay application (Long Stay D-form) form filled out in black pen (available on consulate website)
- 2 passport standard photos at are identical
- An employment contract (contrat de travail) which has been approved and stamped by the French Labor Department (DDTEFP: Direction départementale du travail, de l’emploi et de la formation professionnelle) in France*
- Proof of studies within the US (proof of enrollment or diploma, if applicable)
- Letter of admission to a French school **
- Credit card or cash to pay the processing fees.
*Contrat de travail. This document will need to be supplied by the family which you will work for. They will complete a form with your information, their information, and information about your compensation and duties. This is a very important document to have since it will be legal agreement that you can fall back on if there is a problem. Also, in order for the French Department of Labor to approve this form, the family must provide lots of information about themselves. This provides you with some protection from a false family situation. Your family should try to complete this form as soon as possible since it will have to be sent to the French Labor Department, reviewed, approved, returned to the family, and then sent to you in the USA so that you can take a copy to your visa appointment.
**Letter of admission from a French school. Please visit our section on French schools to get information on potential schools. You will need to pick a school to attend before arriving in Paris. The visa requires that you attend school for at least 10 hours per week but less than 20 hours per week. It is necessary to obtain proof of enrollment before you go to your visa appointment. Once you choose a school you can contact them, and they will supply you with a pre-registration (une pré-inscription) for a small fee. You will again need this document for your visa application. Most enrollment fees will be refunded if your visa is denied, but be sure to check with your school to see if this is true.
