- Opening Time : 8:30 AM - 9:30 PM
You are looking for information about your host country? The most common method is probably to collect information on the Internet. In our area “where Aupair?” we have compiled lots of useful information for prospective Aupair. There you can find detailed information and tips on the most popular Aupair countries. Please note that the requirements for taking part in the au pair program can differ from country to country.
If you search for information about your aupair-country on the Internet, we recommend that you also browse forums. In the Google search engine, for example, there is the possibility in the search setting to limit the search to discussions or blogs. This way you can receive an impression of people living in the host country and their characteristics in everyday life.
We also recommend the reading of various guidebooks on the host country. But please bear in mind: an au pair stay is not a holiday! The information that you will find on your host country in the guides are not sufficient for an ordinary life there. Thus, you should also contact a diplomatic mission, as the Embassy or Consulate in your home country, in order to obtain further adequate information on your host country. This would anyway be necessary if you need a visa in your host country for your Aupair stay.
Before you leave you should inform yourself especially about the city or region and its surroundings. What is the infrastructure like there? How does the transport system work there? Are there any cultural matters that have to be taken into account? Eventually your future host family will be able to answer many of your questions. You should write down all your questions and keep them ready for the next call with a host family or convey your questions via e-mail to them.
Through a travel agency you can also gather information about your host country. The significance of that information , however, is limited mostly to tourist attractions. Nevertheless, in a travel agency you can learn how to best organize your transportation to the host country and find out what costs you have to budget. Some families are even willing to refund travel expenses for their au pair upon arrival or after a certain time in the family. In Germany , host families are able to offset the travel costs of their au pair (arrival and departure) against tax at the tax office. For this reason, it can be very attractive for the host family and also for you as an Au pair if your travel expenses will be (partly) reimbursed.
Many libraries and bookstores offer footage in the form of DVDs or online movie files from many different countries. If you borrow such a medium on your host country at the library you can obtain a very real impression of your future host country as an Aupair.
Ask your host family about a suitable language school early on. This way you will be able to contact it already and book a place in an appropriate level course for you as Aupair.
In many cities around the world schools often offer courses specifically for au pairs. Our experience has taught us that there are always courses that are enjoying such a huge demand that they are booked up very quickly. It would surely annoy you if you as a fresh Aupair could not attend the required courses from the beginning of your stay. Eventually, the language course is always an important platform to establish new contacts and friendships as an au pair.
Which Host Country is the right one for you? The answers to the question ” Aupair where ?” can be found here.
