The au pair guide to your arrival in Germany

Congratulations!

You are well on the way to a big next step in your life: the au pair year in Germany.

This page is supposed to provide you with a lot of important information about what you need to pack, what you can do to better prepare for your time as an au pair, and what you will need to do once you have arrived with the host family.

Packing for Germany

It’s time to start packing. We have created an ultimative pack list for au pairs which you can print out and check off, so that you bring the stuff you need.

Please don’t pack food and sweets – you wouldn’t believe how much junk food you can buy in a typical German supermarket! There are also many speciality stores in Germany where you can buy herbs and spices which you can’t buy in a typical German supermarket.

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Week 1 & 2 Checklist

Registration at the town hall (keep a copy of the registration confirmation)

Add your name to the letterbox of your host family so that letters can be delivered

Organize a German SIM card for your mobile phone

open a bank account (you will need to send a copy of your registration confirmation)

Talk about house rules and set up a weekly work plan

Get a plan of the local public transportation system and know how to buy a ticket

Get to know the most important routes: to school/kindergarten, to friends and family, and to supermarkets and drug stores.

Week 3 to 8

Make an appointment at the office of foreign affairs to prolong your visa

After receiving the German tax ID in the mail, please submit this with your German bank

Book a German language course an buy the necessary books

Have a short feedback talk with host family about what is going good and what isn't.