Au Pair Insurance: What You Need to Know in 2025

Heading abroad to become an au pair?

It's an exciting opportunity that will give you work experience, a new perspective on the world, and the chance to learn a new language while immersing yourself in a new culture.

There are a lot of things to do to prepare for your journey abroad, such as finding a family to work with, learning about the new city you'll be living in, figuring out what visa you need, and more.

One of these things is long stay travel insurance.

In some cases, long stay travel insurance is mandatory... but when? How do you know if you need it?

In this guide, we will take a look at au pair travel insurance - what it is and who might need it.

What is au pair travel insurance?

Au pair travel insurance is simply travel insurance or health insurance that has specific coverage (what is covered depends on the policy). The coverage it has has been designed to meet the unique needs of au pairs.

It is important to note that even if the word "au pair" isn't in the name of the insurance policy, it may still be perfectly suitable for you and your journey abroad.

Is au pair insurance mandatory?

Sometimes, yes.

If you need a long stay au pair visa, travel insurance may be one of the requirements for your visa application.

Even if it is not a requirement, it can still be a good idea as travel insurance covers medical emergency costs and repatriation, as well as other common travel risks, depending on the policy.

Some visa applications require health insurance instead, such as the au pair visa for Spain. Health insurance and travel insurance are two different things, so it's important to look at what exactly you need to be covered for and make sure the policy you choose directly reflects that.

It's also important to note that even if you get an insurance policy for your visa, providing it's required, it likely won't cover liability in the "workplace".

Getting a type of insurance with liability isn't a bad idea, as this can protect you in the really unfortunate event that you accidentally cause bodily injury to someone else while on the job, or property damage.

Visa requirement example

Let's take a look at the au pair visa requirements for Spain as an example.

If you're looking to be an au pair in Spain (and are not an EU/Schengen country citizen), you most likely need to apply for an au pair visa.

When you submit your visa application, you will be required to also submit several requested documents - and one of those is health insurance.

According to the Spanish Embassy, all applicants for au pair visas must show that they have valid health insurance when they apply. This health insurance must:

• Include the name of the visa applicant.
• Clearly state the start date of the coverage.
• Cover "all risks normally covered for nationals."
• Be valid during the entire duration of your stay in Spain.
• Not have a deductible, copay, or coverage limit.
• Cover 100% of the medical, hospital, and out-of-hospital expenses.
• Cover repatriation and evacuation.
• Have minimum coverage must be €30,000.
• Not be travel insurance or an insurance card (they are not accepted).
• Be a certificate in Spanish.
• From an insurance company operating in Spain.

While this is just one example of an insurance requirement for au pairs, it gives you a better understanding of what can be asked of you during the visa application process.

What is required will depend on your destination and their visa requirements.

How will I know if I need insurance?

Whether or not insurance is mandatory, it's always a wise idea to get it.

With that said, when you start the visa application process, you will receive a list of all of the requirements you have to meet in order to apply. On that list, you will see if insurance (whether it is health insurance, travel insurance, or something else) is mandatory.

If it is on that list, you will know that it is obligatory.

There may also be insurance requirements if you are working with an agency for your au pair placement. While it's impossible to speak in absolutes (because each organization can have its own policies and rules), make sure you check. If you're working through one, you should ask if there are any requirements for you, insurance or otherwise. If there is an insurance requirement, make sure that you are very clear on the criteria that your policy needs to meet.

Travel insurance and health insurance policies vary greatly, and you should never assume that they cover the same things.

Tips for au pairs looking for insurance

• Check if your visa application requires travel or health insurance. Look at the "supporting documents" necessary. If either one is mandatory, it will be clearly listed as a required document.
• If your visa application has an insurance requirement, make sure that you understand the type of policy it's asking for and what criteria it needs to meet.
• When you are shopping for insurance policies, always read all of the guarantees, the terms and conditions, and the claim process before hitting the purchase button.
• Before purchasing, also make sure that the policy checks all of the boxes when it comes to any visa requirements, such as durations and coverage minimums.
• Make sure you are getting your information directly from the source, meaning through an official embassy website or trusted partner.
• If you require travel insurance as part of your visa application, check that the insurance provider you're shopping with has a refund policy in case of visa rejection. Some travel insurance providers do, such as Insurte.
• If you're working with an agency for your au pair placement, check with them to see if they have any insurance requirements.