Au pair in Germany from Nigeria: the document list, the contract, the plan
Updated 13 September 2026
This is the pack behind the AUPAIR video, from the Rekoja desk in Lagos. It gives you the German Consulate's own conditions and document list, the contract you must use, the two messages that expose a fake family, and a six-month calendar you can follow from today.
Which of these is you
- I'm 18 to 26 and I want the six-month plan
- I have a family already and I need the document list
- I'm not sure the family is real
- I'm 27 or older, married with children, or I want a work visa
The conditions, in the Consulate's words
| Condition | Detail |
|---|---|
| Age | At least 18 and no older than 26 when you apply |
| Length | At least six months, no longer than twelve |
| The family | German is the mother tongue in the host family (or the family language, provided you are not from the host parents' home country); at least one child; no family relationship with you |
| How many times | One au pair stay in Germany, ever |
| Language | Proof of German at A1 level. For exams taken in Nigeria the missions accept only Goethe-Institut certificates; modules may be sat separately; nothing older than a year |
| Visa fee | €75, about ₦120,000, paid in naira at the Consulate's rate or by POS |
Sources: German missions in Nigeria, Au pair and National visa for long term stays (75 euros, payable in naira in cash or by POS; Lagos Consulate General responsible as a rule).
What the family provides
Under the Federal Employment Agency's au pair rules, the host family provides your own room, full board, health and accident insurance for the stay, pocket money of at least €280 a month (about ₦440,000), at least €70 a month towards a German language course, and the time to attend it. You help with the children and light housework for at most 30 hours a week and six hours a day, with at least one and a half free days a week. Au pairs generally pay their own travel to Germany. A registered German placement agency may charge the au pair at most €150, and only after a binding contract exists, which for a Nigerian applicant means after the residence permit; no advance may be asked. Source: Au pairs in German families, Federal Employment Agency fact sheet, April 2023.
The Consulate's document list
Bring originals plus one set of A4 black-and-white copies, unstapled, sorted in this order:
| # | Document |
|---|---|
| 1 | Application form (VIDEX), filled in English or German, signed with place and date |
| 2 | Declaration under section 54 of the Residence Act, signed |
| 3 | Data protection notice, signed |
| 4 | Passport data page copy (passport issued in the last 10 years, valid 6 more months, two free pages) |
| 5 | Residence permit copy, non-Nigerians only |
| 6 | Au pair contract on the Federal Employment Agency template, signed by you and the family |
| 7 | Au pair questionnaire published by the agency, signed by the family |
| 8 | Personal invitation letter from the family, with your tasks and their expectations |
| 9 | Passport or ID copies of both host parents |
| 10 | The family's registration certificate (Anmeldebescheinigung), all family members listed, not older than three months |
| 11 | Signed confirmation that you read the government fact sheet |
| 12 | Letter of motivation, typed, one page, signed |
| 13 | CV |
| 14 | NPC birth certificate (born after 13 December 1992) or a sworn age declaration |
| 15 | Primary and secondary school reports and WAEC or NECO certificate |
| 16 | A1 German certificate |
| 17 | A prepaid self-addressed courier envelope |
| 18 | Biometric photo, white background, 3.5 by 4.5 cm, not glued |
Source: the sorting list and its printable PDF on the Au pair page, which now also asks for proof of work experience (contracts, employer letters, payslips) and school results in order. The Consulate General in Lagos is responsible as a rule; Abuja in certain cases. Source: National visa for long term stays.
The six-month plan
| Month | Move |
|---|---|
| 1 | Register for German A1 and sit the Goethe-Institut exam in Nigeria (Lagos or Abuja); the missions accept no other certificate issued in Nigeria |
| 2 to 3 | Create a profile on a legitimate au pair matching site; message German-speaking families with a child; video-call before anything is signed |
| 4 | Sign the Federal Employment Agency template contract; receive the invitation letter, the questionnaire, the parents' ID copies and the registration certificate |
| 5 | Book the Lagos appointment in the "National visa, au pair" category; assemble the file in the order above |
| 6 | Interview; then processing |
The fake family check
Two messages tell you everything.
Message one, from you: "Could you send the signed Federal Employment Agency contract, your registration certificate, and both parents' ID copies?" A real family has all three and knows why you ask. A fake family stalls or sends a different document.
Message two, from them. If it contains any request for money, for "visa processing", "insurance deposit", "flight guarantee" or "police clearance fee", it is not a family. Real families pay for your insurance themselves and never ask you for a cent. The one legitimate charge in this system is a registered German placement agency's fee, capped at €150 and payable only after a binding contract exists, which for you means after your residence permit; any "agency fee" before that is not that. Source: the agency fact sheet above. Close the chat and report the profile to the platform.
A worked example
Tolu, 22, WAEC and a diploma, ₦400,000 saved, Lagos. Her costs: Goethe A1 course and exam, the €75 visa fee (about ₦120,000), passport photos and courier envelope, the flight (the family may or may not contribute; ask, and get the answer in writing in the invitation letter). In Germany: room, food and insurance paid; about ₦440,000 a month pocket money; A1 to B1 German in a year. At 23 she returns or, if she has an Ausbildung offer, makes a separate application for that visa. The au pair year cannot be extended and cannot be repeated.
Who this is not for
- 27 or older: the age rule is absolute. Look at the TRAIN pack (no age cap for Ausbildung in most trades) or, with a degree, the MUNDUS and EPOS packs.
- Applicants with children of their own: the year is built around living in someone else's family; the agency's rules allow married au pairs, but a parent with dependants should ask the Consulate before spending on A1.
- You need to send money home: pocket money is pocket money.
- You want permanent settlement: this is a one-time cultural year.
What quietly kills applications
- An A1 certificate older than a year, or a certificate from a school the Consulate does not recognise.
- A contract typed by an agent instead of the agency template.
- A family whose "family language" is German but whose mother tongue is Yoruba, Igbo or English; the rule exists precisely for that case.
- A motivation letter that mentions a job or staying in Germany. Write about children, language and culture.
Questions people ask (from the Consulate's own notes)
Do I need an appointment? Yes, in the correct category; walk-ins are not seen.
Can documents be sent in advance? No, everything is submitted at the personal interview.
Can I do a second au pair year in Germany? No, one stay only.
Before you go
One class. One family. One year. Register for A1 this month and let the calendar carry you.
Naira figures on this page use the Rekoja pipeline rate of 12 September 2026 (EUR 1,574.77).
Rekoja provides information and document preparation, not regulated immigration advice, so confirm every rule above with its official source before you act.