Au pair in Germany from Colombia
Colombians apply for an au pair visa in person at the German Embassy in Bogotá. The embassy’s own page lists what it wants to see — including a motivation letter and a CV written in German — and says plainly that you do not need an agency. Below is that list, and the German rules that apply once you live with the family.
Applications go to: German Embassy Bogotá
Visa and application
- How common it is
In 2023, 2,470 au pairs came to Germany according to the Federal Government’s Migration Report; the largest groups were nationals of Colombia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
- Where to apply
At the German Embassy in Bogotá, only with an appointment booked in its appointment system, one appointment per applicant. Every applicant must appear in person. A visa can be applied for at most six months before the planned travel date, and appointments are often only available a few weeks ahead, above all around the main travel seasons.
Source: Deutsche Botschaft Bogotá (Auswärtiges Amt) (checked 19 Sep 2026)
- Age
The minimum age is 18. In the embassy’s words, you can apply “bis zur Vollendung des 26. Lebensjahres” — until you complete your 26th year of life.
Source: Deutsche Botschaft Bogotá (Auswärtiges Amt) (checked 19 Sep 2026)
- German
Basic German at level A1. Accepted: Goethe certificate, ÖSD, telc, TestDaF, ECL and the KMK’s Sprachdiplom, not older than one year when you apply. The motivation letter (signed) and the CV (table form, at most 2 pages) are written in German.
Source: Deutsche Botschaft Bogotá (Auswärtiges Amt) (checked 19 Sep 2026)
- Visa fee
€75, paid in cash in Colombian pesos at the embassy’s daily rate.
Source: Deutsche Botschaft Bogotá (Auswärtiges Amt) (checked 19 Sep 2026)
- Health insurance for the visa
A private health insurance (usually called “incoming” insurance) valid in the whole Schengen area, with a minimum cover of €30,000, for the whole period the residence title is valid.
Source: Deutsche Botschaft Bogotá (Auswärtiges Amt) (checked 19 Sep 2026)
- Documents
The completed and signed online application form (VIDEX), one biometric photo, a passport valid for at least six months with at least three empty pages, a copy of its data page, the au pair contract following the Federal Employment Agency’s template (original and copy; a copy is enough when an agency with RAL certification arranged it), the host family’s current extended registration certificate showing the children and the partner, not older than three months, and the host family’s questionnaire. Applicants who are not Colombian also prove their habitual residence in Colombia.
Source: Deutsche Botschaft Bogotá (Auswärtiges Amt) (checked 19 Sep 2026)
- After the year
The stay in Germany lasts at most 12 months, and you must leave when the au pair placement ends. Switching to another purpose of stay is only possible through the German embassy in Colombia. The embassy adds: you do not need an agency.
Source: Deutsche Botschaft Bogotá (Auswärtiges Amt) (checked 19 Sep 2026)
What we could not verify
These figures are missing on purpose. We found no official source stating them, and an estimate on a page about rules is worse than a gap.
- The exact upper age limit. The embassy’s wording (“until the completion of the 26th year of life”) reads stricter than the Federal Employment Agency’s sheet, under which the 27th birthday must not have been reached when the residence title is applied for. If you are 26, ask the embassy before you book.
- How long the embassy takes to decide. Its visa page only says that processing can take up to several months depending on the purpose of stay.
Once you live with the family in Germany
These rules come from the destination’s rules page and are the same wherever the au pair comes from.
- Working hours
Household duties including looking after the children must as a rule not take more than six hours a day and 30 hours a week. Going beyond that needs to be agreed in advance, and the extra hours have to be compensated with time off.
Source: Bundesagentur für Arbeit, April 2023 (checked 17 Sep 2026)
- Pocket money
€280 a month, independent of the hours of housework. Board and lodging are provided free of charge, including an own room in the family’s home.
Source: Bundesagentur für Arbeit, April 2023 (checked 17 Sep 2026)
- Language course
The host family contributes at least €840 in total towards learning German. It can be paid as €70 a month over the stay or as a single payment of €840, and only to the extent the costs actually arise. Travel costs to the nearest suitable German course are paid on top.
Source: Bundesagentur für Arbeit, April 2023 (checked 17 Sep 2026)
- Length of stay
The placement must last at least six months and at most one year. A second au pair placement is not possible, even if the year was not used up.
Source: Bundesagentur für Arbeit, April 2023 (checked 17 Sep 2026)
- Insurance
Au pair placements are not subject to compulsory social insurance, but the au pair must be insured for illness, pregnancy and childbirth and against accidents. All premiums are borne by the host family.
Source: Bundesagentur für Arbeit, April 2023 (checked 17 Sep 2026)
Sources
- Migrationsbericht der Bundesregierung 2023Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF) für die Bundesregierung · Kapitel 3, S. 79 f. · checked 19 Sep 2026
- Nationale VisaDeutsche Botschaft Bogotá (Auswärtiges Amt) · checked 19 Sep 2026
- Au-pairDeutsche Botschaft Bogotá (Auswärtiges Amt) · checked 19 Sep 2026
- Au-pair in deutschen Familien — Informationen für Au-pair und GastfamilienBundesagentur für Arbeit · April 2023 · checked 17 Sep 2026
This page is a summary of what the named authorities publish, not legal advice. Missions change their requirements and checklists without notice. Check the linked page of the mission before you book an appointment, and ask the mission if anything is unclear.
Other countries of origin
Tools for the year
Plan the year together in one app
AuPairSync is a family app for host families and au pairs: a shared calendar, the weekly schedule, tasks and messages in one place. It does not handle visa applications, and nothing on this page is passed on to the app.