The weekly hours you have to help the family must be agreed between you and your host family. As an Au pair, you agree with your host family to help in the house for 25 to 35 hours per week, and your duties will be primarily childcare-related duties including some light house-work. What you do, how frequently, and for how long, depends to a large extent on individual family requirements and will be discussed and agreed upon by you, the Au pair, and your host family. The agreement between the Au pair and the host family stipulates that Sunday and one other day during the week are free.

Of course. The family is required to give you enough time off to be able to do courses for the duration of your stay as an Au pair – at least one regular evening per week.

It’s unlikely that you’ll be driving in Ireland unless you – or your family – is willing to pay a high insurance premium.

Car insurance in Ireland is taken out for the driver – not for the vehicle as is the case in Germany. Car insurance in Ireland is much more expensive than in Germany, particularly if you are under 25 (as the majority of the Au pairs are). Your own driver’s licence is, in fact, valid in Ireland, but, to drive here, the host family would have to take out special insurance for you – which not many families are prepared to do because of the high cost involved. Driving a car without insurance in Ireland is a crime punishable by severe penalties!

It is strongly recommended that all applicants taking up Au pair positions in Ireland take out their own health insurance. A good insurance company for German Au pairs is Hanse-Merkur (Email Hanse-Merkur). Without private insurance you would have to pay, in the event of illness, for any visit to the doctor/hospital. (In an emergency, however, urgent health care would be covered by the state just as in the case of Irish citizens.) No other insurances are required.