• You must pay an application fee.
• You must be over the age of 18 and not have turned 30. 
• You cannot have any children of your own.
• It must be likely that you will return to your home country at the end of your stay in Norway, and the circumstances in your home country must also indicate that you can return.

Who can become a host family?

• The host family can be a married couple, partners or cohabitants with or without children, or a single parent with children. 
• The host family must have good knowledge of Norwegian society and speak Norwegian to the au pair. 
• If a person in the host family is from the same country of origin as the au pair, you can normally not be a host family. We can make an exception in rare cases. 
• No one in the host family can be the au pair's spouse, cohabitant, parent, child, sibling, cousin, brother/sister in law or uncle/aunt.

Rights and obligations for you and your host family

• The purpose of your stay in Norway must be cultural exchange.
• You and your host family must have signed UDI's Contract for cultural exchange between au pair and host family (pdf, 782 kB).
• At least one of the parents in the host family must have completed the e-learning course for host families in au pair cases.
• The host family must treat you like a member of the family (for example, you are entitled to eat together with the family, accompany them on outings etc.)
• You can move in with your host family before you have received your Au pair permit, but you cannot begin to exercise your Au pair chores before UDI has granted you residence permit.
• The host family can only have one au pair at a time. If the host family already has an au pair, he or she must have moved out from the host family before the new au pair can come to Norway.
• You are to carry out lights tasks such as housework, child care and caring for pets (dog, cat etc.). 
• The working hours must normally not exceed five hours a day, and the maximum number of working hours per week is 30. You cannot work more than 30 hours, not even for extra pay. 
• You cannot work for other employers or other families than your host family, neither for pay nor for free.
• You must be given the opportunity to participate in Norwegian language classes and recreational activities, and your duties must not prevent you from practising your religion.
• The host family shall pay for you to attend a Norwegian language course in the amount of at least NOK 8,850 per year.
• You must live with the host family for the whole of the contract period and have your own room in their home. 
• You shall have free board and lodging and receive at least NOK 5,900 per month before tax as pocket money/pay. You are also entitled to holiday pay in accordance with the Holidays Act.
• You must pay tax to Norway. Pocket money and free board and lodging are taxed as pay. Contact the Norwegian Tax Administration to obtain a tax deduction card. You can find more information about the rules concerning tax and residence in Norway here (external website). 
• You are entitled to a total of 25 working days of holiday per calendar year. Even if you have not been an au pair for the whole calendar year, you are entitled to full holidays if you started working for the host family no later than on 30 September. If your start working after 30 September, you are entitled to six working days’ holiday. The same rules apply if you change host families, as long as you get a declaration from your original host family that you have not taken your holidays.
• You are entitled to at least one day (24 hours) off per week, and at least one such day per month must be a Sunday. You are also entitled to at least one afternoon off per week, on the same day each week. 
• When you are granted a valid residence permit as an au pair, you automatically become a member of the Norwegian National Insurance scheme.
• The host family must ensure that you take the mandatory tuberculosis test as soon as you arrive in Norway.
• The host family shall cover the necessary travel expenses in connection with your return journey. This does not apply if you keep staying in Norway after your time as an au pair is over or if you want to travel to another country than your home country.  
• The host family shall take out insurance for you that covers your return travel expenses/repatriation if you should become ill or injured or if you should die.

The rights and obligations of applicants who are granted an au pair permit

• You can be granted an au pair permit for up to two years, but not for longer than the contract period.
• The period you have this permit does not count if you later wish to apply for a permanent residence permit. 
• Your family cannot apply for family immigration to come and live with you in Norway.