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Working as an AuPair in IrelandDuring my time in Ireland, I have also spent 6 months working as an Aupair for a family in Dublin. Before you decide to come to work in Ireland, there are some things you need to know... VISA If you are from an EU country (or EEA countries: Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway), you will not need a work permit to work as an Au Pair in Ireland. Your only requirement is to register with the Gardai (Police) when you arrive here. However, if you are from a non-EU country, you will need to obtain a student visa from an approved school in Ireland. As a non-EU student, you can work a maximum of 20 hours per week during school time and 40 hours per week during school holidays.
When I decided to work as an aupair here, the first thing I did was to register with an Au Pair website. The registration process is relatively easy. You just need to fill out your details, including things like... Once you have completed your registration, you will be visible on the website and families can contact you.
There is one thing to know with most of these websites however... A family will only be able to see your profile, and not your contact details unless they pay the membership fee with the website. Sometimes you expect that the family will contact you, but at the same time... the family thinks that you are paying the website and that YOU will contact THEM. However, if either you or the family pay the website fee, then you can begin to email or contact by telephone if you want to practice your English! Usually, if you are outside of Ireland, you will begin by exchanging photographs and maybe giving additional information about why you have chosen to come to Ireland. Once you are happy with a family, and they are happy with you, the family will usually want to meet face-to-face with you. When I found a family in Dublin that I liked, the family asked me if I could do a short interview. Of course, for safety, you should always choose a public place (like a coffee shop for example) to meet with someone for the first time. So...I met the mother of the family, Siobhan, and we talked for a short while. Luckily, she was very friendly and in the end... She asked me if I would like to visit the two girls, and of course I said YES!
When you visit a house, you have a good chance to see your room and if you will have enough space to live in the house. Thankfully I was really happy when I met the two girls and I loved the house! It was great fun, but also hard work! The children are called...Sinead (8 years old) and Eimear (2 years old). My daily routine as an aupair was...
When I started working as an aupair with the family, the only thing I was asked to do was to sign a contract to give one month's notice before leaving my job. Even if there is no contract, I think you should tell your employer one month in advance if you will leave your job, especially where children are concerned. I was told that my payment would be every week, and because my family received their wages every Thursday,I received my payment on the same day. Perfect for the weekend! If your family requires you to drive a car as part of your aupair work, there are a few things to note...
However, I think that the most important thing to note is that having your driving licence is just the first step. The next step is the insurance... Insurance can be a problem, especially if your family does not consider this issue before you arrive. While the family are really happy that you are allowed to drive in Ireland, they forget about the insurance costs. Insurance for young drivers in Ireland is expensive, so of course it will be more expensive for young foreign drivers on their first journey to Ireland. If a family needs you to drive the children to school for example, the most important thing is you ask the family (before you accept the job) to include you on the family car insurance.
Another thing that you should remember if you plan to work in any country as an aupair, is that you never should pay any money to a family if they are telling you, for example, that they will need money to organise a visa for you.
The majority of families on the websites are honest, but there are always some dishonest people using the internet to take people's money. If you would like any more information about working as an AuPair in Ireland, or would like some help writing your letter for the family,
please contact me! |
