Visa information Spain

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NOTE: IF YOU ARE AN AUPAIR WITH AN EU PASSPORT WHO IS TRAVELLING TO A COUNTRY WITHIN THE EU THEN NO VISA IS REQUIRED.

There is no official au pair programme in Spain. However, there are different types of visas which allow you to travel to Spain and work as an au pair there. It is always recommended to contact the Spanish Embassy in your country to find out everything you need to know about the procedures and requirements involved.

Check the countries below. If your country of origin is not listed, you will need to read the information for «other countries». Please note: Should you be a citizen of a Latin American country where Spanish is spoken as the official language, you may not work as an au pair in Spain.

Note: If you are staying in Spain for more than 6 months, you need to request your tarjeta de identidad de extranjero (identity card for foreign nationals) at the Oficina de Extranjería (Immigration Office) or at your local police station upon your arrival in Spain.

Australians

There are different formalities for Australian citizens who wish to work as au pairs depending on their length of stay in Spain. If you wish to stay for less than 90 days, you can travel to Spain without a visa.. If you intend to stay for more than 90 days, there are two types of visas you can go for: the au pair visa or the Youth Mobility visa. The latter will allow you to work, study or travel in Spain for up to 12 months. However, you will not be able to stay with a family for more than 6 months. Contact the Embassy of Spain in Canberra for more information.

Canadians

If you are a Canadian citizen planning to stay in Spain for less than 90 days, you will not need a visa. Should you be staying in Spain for more than 90 days, you can apply for an au pair visa or a Youth Mobility visa. The number of Youth Mobility visas is limited. Therefore, au pairs should contact the Spanish Embassy in Canada to enquire more about visa availability.

New Zealanders

The Working Holiday programme allows citizens of New Zealand to become au pairs in Spain. Should you have some more detailed questions, you need to contact the Spanish Embassy in New Zealand. Be aware that you may not stay with the same family for more than 3 months or work in Spain for over 6 months in the context of this programme. If you wish to stay for less than 90 days in Spain, you do not need a visa to enter the country.

South Africans

Citizens of South Africa may apply for an au pair visa. Contact the Spanish Embassy in South Africa for further questions.

United States

The formalities for becoming an au pair in Spain depend on your intended length of stay and the U.S. state you live in.

The procedures for becoming an au pair in Spain vary according to the intended length of stay and the au pair’s home state in the USA.

For au pairs staying 3 months or less

If au pairs intend to stay in Spain for less than 90 days, they will not need a visa to travel to Spain, provided that they have the U.S. citizenship. Nevertheless, they will need to justify their stay. We recommend you to justify your stay for study purposes or private matters, for which you will, amongst others, need the following documents:

a valid passport
a health insurance covering the au pair throughout their entire stay
a certificate of enrolment in a language course
the invitation letter from the host family (obtained from their local police station)
the au pair contract signed by both parties (it may serve as a proof for the funds you have at your disposal)

It is always advisable to ask the consulate of your state which specific documents you need to provide. Additionally, we recommend you to bring along a copy of the European Agreement on the Au Pair Placement.

For au pairs staying more than 3 months

If the au pair is going to stay in Spain for longer than 90 days, they will need a visa. In some states a specific au pair visa is issued for Spain. In those states where this option is not offered, the au pair should apply for a student visa.

Check out the following table to find out which consulate you need to contact to apply for your visa and which type of visa you need according to your home state in the USA:

Spanish consulates	Consular jurisdiction	Available visas
Boston	Maine, Massachussets, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont	student visa
Chicago	Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin.	au pair visa
Houston	Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas	au pair visa
Los Angeles	Southern California (counties: Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura), Arizona, Colorado, Utah.	au pair visa
Miami	Florida, Georgia, South Carolina	au pair visa
New York	New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey	au pair visa
San Francisco	Alaska, Northern California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, Pacific islands.	au pair visa
Washington DC	Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia, West Virgina, North Carolina	student visa
Puerto Rico	Puerto Rico, Islas de Culebra, Vieques, Islas Vírgenes.	student visa

Vietnamese

Au pairs from Vietnam must apply for an authorization of stay for study purposes.

Other countries

There are different formalities depending on your length of stay. Please check the relevant websites.

Staying in Spain less than 90 days

If you are staying in Spain for less than three months, you must find out if you are exempt from visa requirements in this list compiled by the Department of Foreign Affairs. If you have to get a visa, you can apply for a short term visa (Schengen visa).

Whether you need a visa or not, you must present documents which justify your stay in Spain and also show that you can afford the stay. We recommend you to justify your stay for study purposes or private matters. The family must send you a signed au pair contract, which will serve as a proof for the funds you have at your disposal, as well as an invitation letter. To obtain this letter, the family must contact the police station and apply for one. After they have received the letter, they must send it to you so that you can present it at the border, along with the aforementioned documents. Additionally, we recommend you to bring along a copy of the European Agreement on the Au Pair Placement.

Staying in Spain longer than 90 days

If you are staying in Spain for longer than three months, there are alternative ways of becoming an au pair in Spain:

Student visa

To obtain a student visa, you need to enrol in a Spanish course before you leave for Spain (your host family can enrol you) and attend at least 20 hours per week of classes. The school in which you take the course must be accredited by the Instituto Cervantes. When you apply for your visa at the consulate or embassy you must present your certificate of matriculation, an au pair contract signed by the family and proof that you have arranged medical insurance, among other things. Read all the requirements and procedures carefully. Contact the Foreigners and Immigration Department for more information. You have to go to the police station within a month of your arrival in Spain and make an appointment to process your residence permit.

Non profitable temporary residence permit (Autorización inicial de residencia temporal no lucrativa)

This permit allows you to travel to Spain. You have to prove, among other things, that you can afford your stay and that you have health insurance which covers you whilst you are in Spain. Find out more information about the requirements and procedures involved on the page for Foreigners and Immigration.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: We are an introduction agency only and take no responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided. This information is mean’t for guidance only and due to the ever changing immigration laws it is the responsibility of the aupair to check prior to travel that they have the correct visa in place.