The au pair has to pay for travel expenses. Obviously, if you want to, you can give the au pair the money back for the trip. But you should wait until the au pair arrives at your house. If you want to reimburse the au pair for travel expenses, you should wire the money to the au pair’s bank account, stating the reason for the payment clearly. This way, you may be able to deduct the cost from your taxes. Check with the Internal Revenue Office to see if this is possible.
When and where should you pick up the au pair?
Talk to your au pair about the details of their trip . Find out when the au pair will leave and what means of transportation the au pair will use. Also ask about the final destination. Let the au pair know exactly what time you will be at the airport, train station or bus station to pick the au pair up. Make sure you exchange cell phone numbers so you can get in touch in case there is a delay (traffic jam, late plane). As the host family, you know exactly where the au pair will arrive. In case something goes wrong, establish an alternative meeting point where the au pair can wait for you.
What to pack?
Tell the au pair what clothes they will need for the entire year. Explain how the seasons are in your region, what climate the au pair should expect and what clothes are necessary. Au pairs usually arrive in the summer months, so it might be hard for your au pair to imagine that there will be a need for woolen socks, scarves and hats. Tell the au pair what things you have already bought so the au pair won’t have to pack unnecessary things. If, for example, you got the au pair a hair drier, a bathrobe or a scale, you should tell the au pair. Obviously, the au pair doesn’t need to bring towels or sheets.
