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In 1969 the Council of Europe agreed
on some rules concerning young peoples’
residency in other countries. The rules
are still in use and are the foundation
for the way the authorities treat
applications from overseas citizens who
want to stay in
Denmark
as an au-pair.
Citizens of Scandinavia do not have to
have a residency permit and can travel and
work in
Denmark
. Citizens of the EU /EØS countries, who
want to be an au-pair, must apply to the
authorities for a residency permit. But if
the citizen wanting to be an au-pair, is a
member of the 8 new Eastern European EU
countries, they must apply for a residency
permit from the Foreign Office.
The 8 new EU countries are
Estonia
,
Latvia
,
Lithuania
,
Poland
,
Slovakia
,
Slovenia
, the
Czech republic
and
Hungary
.
Au-pair actually means “on equal
terms”. The aim of an au-pair residency
is such that the young person stays with a
host family on equal terms, so that he /
she can improve their linguistic and maybe
academic skills as well as gaining
knowledge of the host country.
What are the requirements?
It is essential that in order to
obtain a residency permit as an au-pair,
the applicant has the necessary linguistic
and cultural qualifications so that they
can experience an optimal residency here
in the county.
This means that the applicant must
speak and understand a working Danish,
Norwegian, Swedish, English or German.
Furthermore the following requirements
must be fulfilled.
-
The au-pair must be between 17 and 29
years old.
-
There must be a written contract
between the host family and the
au-pair (or the au-pairs’ parents if
he or she is under the age of 18). The
Foreign Office has a standard contract
that must be used.
-
The au-pair receives at least Kr. 2500
per month in pocket money from the
host family.
-
The au-pair is given free board and
lodging (own room) in the house of the
host family.
-
The au-pair performs housekeeping
duties between 3-5 hours per day –
18 to 30 hours per week, and the
au-pair is allowed at least 1 weekly
day off.
-
The au-pair must be single and is not
allowed to bring under-aged children
with them to
Denmark
.
-
There has to be one or more under-aged
children in the host family and the
au-pair is expected to become a part
of the family.
-
At least one of the parents of the
host family must be a Danish citizen.
-
The host family must not be funded by
the state. They have to declare this
to the Foreign Office and have to fill
out the relevant forms stating this.
These forms are obtainable from the
Foreign Office.
-
It is a condition that the au-pair has
not previously had a residency permit
in
Denmark
. But it is possible though, to get an
extension if required.
Important information about
residency permits:
An au-pair receives a residency permit,
but not a work permit. The job an au-pair
has within a host family is not regarded
as work. An au-pair is not allowed to have
either a paid or unpaid job as well as his
/ her au-pair job.
The actual contract as an au-pair is
regarded as an employer / employee
relationship and therefore comes under the
Danish holiday and tax laws. The tax
office in the area where the host family
live, can answer any questions about tax.
Questions about holiday rules can be
answered at the Feriekontoret, Finsensvej
78, 2000 Frederiksberg C. Telephone: 38 14
84 84 ( telephone time: Monday –
Thursday 12-15, Friday 12-14).
Residency permit – how long?
An au-pair can have a residency permit
for one year and it is combined with the
au-pairs contract. The residency permit
can be extended by 6 months. If there is a
special reason, the permit can in fact be
extended so that the total residency is 2
years.
If an au-pair applies for an extension,
he or she can only continue as an au-pair,
whilst the Foreign Office is treating the
case but only if it is under the same
conditions and with the same family. The
contract between the au-pair and the host
family has to be extended too and sent
with the application. An au-pair must not
begin with a new host family before the
Foreign Office has given their permission.
Can relatives travel with the
au-pair?
An au- pair cannot bring his / her
family with them to
Denmark
.
Consequences of illegal residency
and work.
An overseas person must not start as
an au-pair without having a residency
permit and must not accept other work
either. An overseas person that works
illegally in
Denmark
risks being expelled from
Denmark
and is forbidden to return to the country
again for a limited period (usually a year).
A foreigner also risks being fined and
imprisoned. The same is true for the
employer who has employed the foreigner. |
