- Females aged 18 - 25 years
- South African, Namibian and EU passport holders only
- Single and have no children
- Good overall health
- Matric or high school equivalent qualification
- Childcare experience and references
- Clear Criminal Record
- Able to ride a bicycle and swim
- Holding a valid driver’s license is a bonus as this makes a strong applicant
- Speaking Dutch is a bonus
- Original Unabridged Birth Certificate with an apostille
- Letter of non-impediment to confirm you are not married or have not been married before with an apostille
Au pairs depart from January through to December. Peak season departures are between Jan – Mar and then Aug – Oct so be sure to apply on time!
Visas are applied for in the Netherlands by the host family & Dutch partner agency and take approximately 2 weeks to be approved by the IND in the Netherlands, after which you will attend your visa interview at the Dutch embassy in Pretoria or Cape Town. The processing takes another 10 working days.
Your visa will be issued for 90 days and once you entered the Netherlands, the host family will register you at the local Gemeente (town council) and IND where you will receive your temporary residence card valid for 12 months. With the residence card and your passport, you will be able to travel to all 26 European Schengen countries on your off-weekends and holidays.
OVC will assist with all paperwork and visa needs. All fees for the interview and application process are non-refundable. Once you have been placed with a family, OVC will assist with the application to obtain your visa. The Dutch agency will also book your flight ticket. At the same time your paperwork for the visa application will be filed with the IND. Your OVC consultant will guide you through the process, prepare you for departure and put you in touch with other au pairs in the Netherlands or who are leaving at the same time as you.
Additional Costs:
- Background Check (with Verisource) – R200
- Visa appointments are in Cape Town and Pretoria ONLY - please budget to attend your interview in the these cities. Allow for additional expenses like transport, accommodation and courier costs to get your passport back after 10 working days processing time. There are no visa fees to be paid at the embassy or for the visa by the applicant though.
- Medical Evaluation completed by GP plus tests for TB, HIV, Pregnancy and Hep A and Hep B - GP and test fees vary so find out different rates from the doctor and labs. Speak to your OVC consultant for more details.
- Apostille and notarization of birth certificate and letter of non-impediment. DIRCO is free of charge, just budget for courier costs to deliver the original documents to DIRCO.
- Apostille through the High Court & Notary ranges between R2000 – R3000 approximately. Speak to your OVC consultant regarding this process.
- Application for letter of non-impediment with Home Affairs - R50
- Courier cost to send your original apostilled non-marital document to Netherlands (depending on partner) - speak to your OVC consultant about this.
- If you are a self-match au pair (finding a family on your own) there is different ticket fee structure. Speak to your OVC consultant about this.