Yes, Australians can become au pairs in France — but because Australia isn’t an EU member, the path looks different from the one European applicants follow. Rome Abroad places Australian au pairs with vetted host families in France through a guided program that covers host family matching, pre-departure preparation, and destination-specific visa guidance, so you’re not trying to piece together a DIY plan on your own. In short: you apply, get matched with a screened family, complete structured preparation, and then move to France to live with a host family, help with childcare, and receive room, meals, and weekly pocket money.
Key Takeaways
- Australians are not EU citizens, so becoming an au pair in France involves visa steps that EU applicants skip entirely — a guided program can walk you through what’s destination-specific to your situation.
- Rome Abroad is a guided placement program, not a DIY matching site — families are vetted and participants get structured preparation and support before and during the placement.
- The full Rome Abroad placement program is a $600 one-time, credited screening fee, covering matching, preparation, training, and support.
- A Visa Support Only option ($300, for US citizens) exists separately, but the full placement program is the relevant path for most Australians pursuing an au pair year in France.
- Typical au pair life in France includes living with a host family, helping with childcare, and receiving room, meals, and weekly pocket money.
Can Australians Really Become Au Pairs in France?
Yes. Being an au pair in France isn’t limited to EU nationals — young women from Australia, the US, and Canada join host families in France every year. What changes for Australians is the paperwork: as a non-EU citizen, you’ll need to work through visa requirements before you can move to France for a placement, and those requirements are different from what a French or German applicant would face.
This is exactly where a guided program earns its keep. Rather than researching visa categories, family vetting, and cultural preparation entirely on your own, a structured program walks you through each step in the right order, so nothing gets missed close to your departure date.
What Makes the Journey Different for Australians?
Two things separate the Australia-to-France au pair path from other routes:
- Distance and time zones. Coordinating interviews, paperwork, and preparation calls with a program team and host family on the other side of the world takes more advance planning than it does for applicants already in Europe.
- Visa requirements. As a non-EU citizen, you’ll need to secure the appropriate visa before you can begin your placement. Visa guidance is destination-specific, which is why it’s built into the guided preparation process rather than left for you to figure out from a government website alone.
Neither of these should discourage you — hundreds of participants have made exactly this kind of long-haul move before. It just means starting the process earlier rather than later, especially around visa timing.
How Does the Rome Abroad Process Work?
Rome Abroad has placed more than 350 participants since 2015, and the process is built to be the same clear sequence whether you’re applying from Sydney, Toronto, or Chicago.
Step 1: Apply
You start with an application that helps the team understand your background, availability, and what you’re looking for in a host family placement.
Step 2: Host Family Matching
Rome Abroad matches you with a vetted host family in France. This isn’t a listings board where you cold-message families yourself — the matching is guided, and families go through a screening process before they’re introduced to participants.
Step 3: Preparation and Training
Before departure, you go through preparation and training designed to get you ready for childcare responsibilities and daily life with a host family. This is also where destination-specific visa guidance comes in, since the exact steps depend on your citizenship and the country you’re placed in.
Step 4: Departure and Ongoing Support
Once your placement and paperwork are sorted, you travel to France. Support doesn’t stop at the airport — it continues throughout your placement, which matters most in the early weeks when questions about the family, the routine, or the visa process are most likely to come up.
What Does Daily Life Look Like as an Au Pair in France?
Life as an au pair in France centers on a host family. In practice, that typically means:
- Living with the host family, usually in your own room
- Helping with childcare — school pickups, meals, homework help, and everyday routines
- Meals provided as part of the placement
- Weekly pocket money from the host family
- Free time to explore your host city, practice French, and travel around Europe
Many participants describe the year as a mix of real responsibility and genuine adventure — weekday routines built around a family’s schedule, and weekends and holidays open for exploring everything from small French villages to Paris landmarks and beyond.
How Much Does It Cost to Become an Au Pair in France?
Rome Abroad’s full placement program is a one-time, credited screening fee of $600, covering host family matching, preparation, training, and ongoing support throughout your time in France. There’s also a Visa Support Only option at $300, though that’s built for US citizens rather than Australians. For most Australians, the full placement program is the relevant path, since it bundles the family matching and preparation together with destination-specific guidance rather than handling visa support in isolation.
Is Becoming an Au Pair in France the Right Move for You?
An au pair year suits people who genuinely like working with kids, want to live abroad for an extended period rather than just visit, and are comfortable joining someone else’s household and routine. If that sounds like you, France is a strong choice: central location in Europe, a language worth learning, and a huge range of host regions from Paris to smaller towns and coastal cities.
If you’re still deciding between countries, it’s worth comparing what a placement in France looks like against options in Italy, Spain, or Australia — the core structure of the program is similar, but daily life, language, and culture shift a lot by destination.
FAQ
Do Australians need a visa to be an au pair in France?
Yes, as a non-EU citizen, Australians need to secure the appropriate visa before starting an au pair placement in France. Visa guidance is destination-specific, and Rome Abroad builds this guidance into its guided placement program rather than leaving applicants to research it alone.
How much does Rome Abroad’s au pair program cost?
Rome Abroad’s full placement program is a $600 one-time, credited screening fee that includes host family matching, preparation, training, and support. A separate Visa Support Only option is available for $300, but that option is for US citizens.
Is Rome Abroad a DIY matching site?
No. Rome Abroad is a guided au pair placement program, not a DIY matching site — host families are vetted, and participants go through a structured application, matching, and preparation process with support throughout their placement.
What does an au pair actually do in France?
An au pair typically lives with a host family, helps with childcare such as school pickups and homework, and receives room, meals, and weekly pocket money in return. Time outside childcare duties is generally free for exploring the host country.
Can I apply to become an au pair in France from Australia right now?
Yes. Australians can apply to Rome Abroad’s guided placement program at any time, and starting early is recommended so there’s enough time for host family matching and destination-specific visa preparation before your planned departure.
If moving from Australia to France as an au pair feels like the adventure you’ve been waiting for, the next step is simple: find out if you qualify.
Part of the Rome Abroad team helping young women live and work abroad as au pairs since 2015.
