The 2026 change is the first thing to check
The Arbeitsmarktservice model contract dated for 2026 sets light housework and childcare at 16.5 hours a week. The document expressly includes Arbeitsbereitschaft: time when the au pair has to remain ready to work. A family cannot remove those hours from the total by saying the children may sleep or the au pair may study while waiting.
Many commercial pages still show 30 hours because they have not been updated. Do not average the two figures and do not rely on the date of a search result. Ask for the current AMS form and read the year printed beside the minimum-pay figure. RealAuPair checked the source shown on this page on 17 July 2026.
Minimum pay is €551.10 gross a month
The official 2026 agreement states a gross monthly minimum of €551.10. It also requires the host to provide a dated accounting of hours worked, gross pay and deductions when payment is made. “Pocket money” is not a reason to skip the record. Both sides should keep each statement.
The host provides a furnished, lockable room for the au pair’s sole use and full board. The model agreement says the host pays half the cost of the German course. If the host requires a pedagogical course such as a babysitting qualification, the host pays that course in full. These costs sit outside the €551.10 figure.
The host has to notify AMS before work starts
For a third-country au pair, the family must notify the regional AMS office responsible for the place of work no later than two weeks before the activity begins. Employment starts only after AMS issues the notification confirmation. A signed private agreement on its own is not the confirmation.
The initial confirmation is valid for six months and can be extended under the stated conditions for another six months. The family should keep the confirmation with the signed contract. If someone says the paperwork can be handled after arrival, stop. The official sequence puts notification before the start of work.
German must already exist before the placement
AMS requires proof of a minimum prior knowledge of German, such as school instruction, a university semester or a language course. Austrian residence-document guidance specifies at least A1 CEFR. The point of the stay is to improve German, not to arrive with no German at all.
Evidence may need a German or English translation. Check the exact document list used by the Austrian representation handling the application. A language-app screenshot is not the same thing as the school record, course confirmation or recognised certificate the authority asks to see.
Age and purpose are checked
The AMS information for third-country nationals requires the au pair to be at least 18 and younger than 28. The household must include at least one parent or guardian with a child. The stay must genuinely combine family participation, light household help, childcare and the chance to improve German and learn about Austria.
That purpose matters. A household seeking a full-time cleaner, an overnight carer or an employee for a home business is not describing an au pair arrangement. The low weekly ceiling makes the distinction unusually clear in Austria.
Rest, leave and illness belong in the agreement
The official model gives at least one complete free day each week. Annual leave follows Austrian leave law and the model states 30 working days a year. The contract also provides continued pay when illness or an accident prevents the agreed household help, under the referenced domestic-employment law.
Where reciprocal social-security arrangements do not provide health cover, the au pair must prove private health insurance. The au pair must also have the means to return home. These are not details to discover after a placement fails. Put insurance, emergency accommodation and return funds in order before travel.
The official notice period is short
The AMS model agreement permits either party to end the contract without giving a reason with one week’s notice. A short notice period protects both sides only when there is a practical exit plan. The au pair needs access to documents, earned pay, belongings and somewhere safe to go. The family needs a realistic replacement childcare plan.
Do not agree privately that the au pair forfeits pay or pays a penalty for leaving. Record the final work date, final payment, room handover and travel. Serious safety concerns should be reported immediately rather than managed as an ordinary scheduling dispute.
Check the offer before accepting it
Add every required hour, including periods when the au pair cannot leave. If the total is over 16.5, the offer needs to change. Confirm €551.10 gross monthly pay, the room, full board, the German-course contribution, leave, insurance and the AMS filing date. Ask to see the confirmation before starting.
A current Austrian offer should survive this simple test without explanations about how agencies used to do it. The figures are published by AMS. When a platform, family or old template disagrees with the current government document, use the government document.
Questions people ask
- How many hours can an au pair work in Austria in 2026?
- The official AMS model agreement states 16.5 hours a week including on-call time.
- What is the 2026 minimum monthly amount?
- The official 2026 model agreement states €551.10 gross a month.
- Can the family notify AMS after the au pair starts?
- No. For the third-country route, the family must notify AMS at least two weeks before work starts and obtain confirmation.