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United States (J-1) · for host families and au pairs

How much vacation does an au pair get?

2 weeks paid, per program year

An au pair in the US J-1 program gets 2 weeks of paid vacation for each program year.

Source: 22 CFR § 62.31, 4-1-24 edition · checked 17 Sep 2026

The matching tool

Au pair vacation calculatorEnter arrival and departure dates and see the paid vacation for the stay, pro rata where the rules allow it, with the source.Open the tool

And in other host countries?

How much vacation does an au pair get? Host countries compared, with the source for each
Host countrypaid vacation
United States (J-1)2 weeks a year
Germany4 weeks a year, otherwise 2 working days per full month
Francenot stated
Netherlandsnot stated
Austrianot stated
United Kingdomnot stated

Where there is no figure, the official source does not state one. Details are on each country’s rules page.

Good to know

  • A minimum of one and a half days off per week, in addition to one complete weekend off each month.
  • For a stay of a different length, the vacation calculator works the figure out from your dates.

The long read: Au Pair Time Off: How Much, How to Ask, and How to Plan Around It