Visa Regulations

Au pair requirements for Ireland

This document is provided for guidance only. Since these requirements are subject to change please consult the appropriate government department for up to date information. Should you find any errors in this document please email Customer services

The Irish government does not provide a specific au pair programme for people coming to Ireland as an au pair and normally a visa would be required. However, if you are a national from a country within the EEA excluding Bulgaria and Romania, you do NOT need a visa to work in Ireland.
The EEA comprises the following countries:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

More information on Ireland’s position on Bulgaria and Romania can be found in this document on the Irish Government Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment website.

Student Visa

Those who require a visa to au pair in Ireland can apply for a student visa if they intend to study a language. There are strict requirements to qualify for a student visa. The following is an extract from this Student Visa Requirements document on the Irish Government Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform website:

In applying for a Student Visa you must be able to show that:

You are enrolled on a privately funded course involving at least 15 hours of organised daytime tuition each week
You have paid the requisite fees to the college
You have the academic ability to follow your chosen course
You have a level of English language sufficient to do so (except in the case of an application which is solely for an English language course)
You have immediate access to at least €7,000. This is the estimated cost of living in Ireland for a student for one academic year.
You must also demonstrate that you or your sponsor has ready access to an amount of at least €7,000 for each subsequent year of your studies, in addition to the course fees for each of those years
You have private medical insurance
You can account for any gaps in your educational history
Your intention is to return to your country of permanent residence following completion of your studies in Ireland