Bringing Your Domestic Helper or Nanny to Germany: Visa Considerations

Realizing your trusted nanny cannot simply hop on a plane to Munich is a massive shock for relocating families. I spent weeks frantically searching for a visa category for our caregiver, only to slam into rigid labor laws. This guide breaks down the narrow visa options available for bringing a domestic helper to Germany and how to navigate the realistic alternatives.

The Hard Truth About Germany and Domestic Worker Visas

Why You Cannot Just Sponsor Your Current Nanny

Many expats moving from the Middle East, Asia, or the Americas are accustomed to flexible sponsorship laws where they can easily secure a visa for their personal domestic staff. Germany operates under an entirely different philosophy. The German labor market heavily protects local workers, and its immigration laws are strictly designed to fill critical shortages in highly skilled, academic professions like IT, engineering, or medicine.

Because domestic work, cleaning, and general childcare are not classified as specialized or highly qualified labor under the Residence Act, there is no standard visa category that allows a regular expat to simply “sponsor” a non-EU nanny or housekeeper. If you hold a standard EU Blue Card or a regular employment visa, the immigration office will generally direct you to hire childcare locally. Unlike the process for your spouse, which is covered under standard laws detailed in our guide on Family Reunification in Germany: Ultimate Guide for Bringing Your Loved Ones, your domestic helper has no automatic right to join you.

The Legal Framework and Minimum Standards

Even if you manage to find a rare legal loophole to bring an employee over, the German state mandates that any domestic worker brought into the country must be employed under standard German labor laws. This means you are not just paying a casual stipend; you are an official German employer.

You must pay the strict statutory minimum wage (which is €13.90 per hour in 2026 and rises frequently), adhere to the Federal Vacation Act guaranteeing minimum paid time off, and strictly observe maximum working hours. Furthermore, as the employer, you must pay substantial contributions into the German social security system, covering your nanny’s pension, unemployment, and public health insurance. This often makes bringing a domestic helper exponentially more expensive than expats initially anticipate. To understand how these mandatory deductions impact wages and employer costs, review our guide on Understanding Your German Payslip: Gross vs Net Salary Explained.

The Corporate Transferee Exception Section 13

Who Qualifies for This Special Visa

There is exactly one highly specific legal loophole designed for senior expats and corporate executives. Under Section 13 of the German Employment Ordinance (BeschV), expats who are transferred to Germany on a temporary professional posting are permitted to bring their existing domestic workers with them. However, the conditions attached to this visa are incredibly stringent.

First, the domestic worker must have been continuously employed in your household in your home country for at least one full year prior to your relocation to Germany. You cannot hire someone a month before you move just to bring them along. Second, their primary duty in Germany must be strictly limited to caring for a child under the age of 16, or caring for a household member who is officially recognized as in need of medical care. You cannot use this specific visa simply to bring a housekeeper, driver, or a cook. The visa is strictly tied to caregiving.

Documentation and Translation Requirements

Proving to the immigration authorities that you meet these criteria requires a massive dossier of paperwork. You must present your original employment contract with the nanny from your home country, proof of their salary payments over the last year via bank statements, and a detailed draft of their new German employment contract outlining their wages according to German standards.

Because the authorities only accept documents in German, you must have all foreign contracts, civil documents, and background checks officially translated. You cannot translate these complex legal documents yourself or ask a bilingual friend to do it. Uploading your nanny’s existing foreign employment contract to Lingoking ensures you receive a sworn, court-certified translation that the immigration office will accept instantly. Utilizing Lingoking prevents the tragic scenario of your nanny’s visa being rejected due to a formatting technicality or an uncertified stamp. If you need a deeper understanding of this mandatory preparation, check out Legalizing and Translating Documents for German Visa Applications.

The Au Pair Route The Most Common Solution for Expats

What is the German Au Pair Program

For the vast majority of expats moving to Germany, the Section 13 exception will not apply. If you desperately need live-in childcare, the only realistic, legally viable pathway for bringing someone from outside the EU is the Au Pair visa. However, it is vital to understand that this is fundamentally a cultural exchange program, not a standard employment contract for a professional, full-time nanny.

Under the Au Pair program, young people from abroad can live with a host family in Germany for a maximum of 12 months. In exchange for providing a private, lockable room, all daily meals, and a monthly pocket money allowance of exactly €280, the Au Pair assists with light childcare and minor household chores. The law strictly caps their duties at a maximum of 30 hours per week, and no more than 6 hours per day. They must also be given at least one and a half consecutive days off per week.

Strict Language and Age Requirements

The German government enforces rigid rules to prevent the Au Pair visa from being exploited as a source of cheap domestic labor. The applicant must be between the ages of 18 and 26. Most importantly, they must prove basic German language skills (A1 level) before the visa is issued at the German embassy in their home country. If your preferred caregiver from back home does not speak German, they simply cannot get this visa.

Furthermore, the host family must financially contribute €70 per month toward a German language course in Germany and pay for their transportation to and from the classes. The ultimate purpose of their stay must be cultural integration and language acquisition, not just babysitting. To familiarize yourself with the specific terminology used by the immigration office during this intense vetting process, read our German Immigration Terms Explained: A Glossary for Newcomers. Additionally, having the formal Au Pair contract translated by Lingoking before signing ensures that both you and the young applicant fully understand the legal boundaries and cultural expectations of the program in their native language.

Securing Insurance and Handling Finances

As the host family, you are legally responsible for 100% of the Au Pair’s health insurance costs, covering illness, pregnancy, and accidents. You cannot simply put them on your own public family insurance plan. Finding a compliant, affordable policy is essential. Feather Insurance offers specialized, highly affordable incoming policies specifically designed to meet the legal requirements for Au Pairs in Germany. Setting up their coverage through Feather Insurance guarantees that the visa officer will approve their medical documentation without a hitch, and the entire setup is handled in English, saving you the headache of translating German insurance terms.

After their 12-month limit expires, many Au Pairs fall in love with Germany and decide to transition to a university student visa. When they make this transition, they will need to prove their own financial independence to the government. Recommending they set up a blocked account with Expatrio is the easiest way to secure their future visa. Expatrio provides the exact financial paperwork the government demands for students, making their transition seamless and secure. You can learn more about how these financial tools function in our guide on Proof of Financial Means for Visas: Blocked Accounts and Sponsorship Letters.

Legal Alternatives Hiring Locally in Germany

Utilizing EU Freedom of Movement

If navigating the strict Au Pair rules or the Section 13 corporate transferee loophole is too daunting, your absolute best option is hiring locally. Keep in mind that “hiring locally” does not just mean hiring German citizens. Thanks to the EU Freedom of Movement, citizens of 27 European countries can live and work in Germany without any visa restrictions.

Many expats find incredible, professional nannies and domestic helpers from countries like Spain, Poland, Italy, or Greece who have already relocated to Germany. Because they hold an EU passport, you do not have to deal with the immigration office at all. You simply draft a standard employment contract, register them for social security, and begin working together. For an overview of how local healthcare integration works for employees, you can review Health Insurance in Germany: Understanding Public vs Private Coverage.

Navigating the Minijob System

If you only need a domestic helper, cleaner, or babysitter for a few hours a week, Germany’s “Minijob” system is a fantastic, highly subsidized legal framework. A Minijob allows you to employ someone for up to €603 per month (as of 2026) largely tax-free for the employee. As the employer, you pay a flat-rate contribution to the Minijob center, which covers their basic social security and accident insurance, protecting you from liability if they are injured in your home.

You can legally hire any non-EU citizen for a Minijob, provided their current German visa explicitly allows them to work. Many international university students seek out domestic and childcare work through this system. Because international students must lock their living expenses into a blocked account with providers like Expatrio before arriving, they often look for part-time Minijobs to supplement their daily spending. If you hire a student who used Expatrio to secure their student visa, you can be confident their primary legal status is already sorted. However, if you are hiring someone on a restrictive visa, you must verify their specific work rights. If you are ever unsure why a candidate’s visa limits their hours, reviewing Visa Denied for Germany: Common Reasons and Next Steps can provide insight into how strict these administrative conditions are enforced.

Comparing Your Domestic Help Options

Feature	Section 13 (Posted Worker)	Au Pair Program	Hiring Locally (EU Citizen)
Visa Required?	Yes (Section 13 BeschV)	Yes (Au Pair Visa)	No Visa Needed
Primary Duty	Childcare (<16) or medical care	Light childcare & house chores	Flexible (Nanny, Housekeeper)
Max Duration	Tied to the expat’s posting duration	Maximum 12 months	Unlimited
Salary / Cost	German Minimum Wage + full benefits	€280/month + €70 language course	Negotiable (Minimum wage applies)
Language Rule	None strictly required	A1 German required pre-arrival	None

References

Primary sources (official)

• Federal Foreign Office – Private Domestic Staff Guidelines: https://protokoll.diplo.de/protokoll-richtlinien-en/protokollrichtlinien/2713536-2713536
• Make it in Germany – Au Pair Visa: https://www.make-it-in-germany.com/en/visa-residence/types/au-pair
• Federal Employment Agency (BA) – Employing an Au Pair: https://www.arbeitsagentur.de/unternehmen/arbeitskraefte/au-pair

Other helpful sources

• AuPair.com – Requirements for Germany: https://www.aupair.com/en/au-pair-programs/germany
• Minijob-Zentrale (Official Portal): https://www.minijob-zentrale.de/

Disclaimer

The information provided in this guide is for general informational purposes only and is based on the real-world experiences of expats navigating the German immigration system. Immigration laws, labor regulations, and minimum wage requirements are highly complex and subject to frequent changes by local and federal authorities. Employing someone illegally in Germany carries severe financial and criminal penalties. This article does not constitute legal, financial, or immigration advice. Always consult the official website of your local immigration office (Ausländerbehörde), the Federal Employment Agency, or a certified German labor lawyer before drafting an employment contract or applying for a visa for a domestic worker.