Practical issues

Costs, Visas, Medical coverage, Insurances...

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Legal entry in Spain

•  EU nationals just need a valid identity card or passport to enter Spain for as long as they wish.

• Non EU nationals

1. Stay up to 90 days. No visa needed if your country is exempted from this obligation, it is a Schengen country or has special agreements with Spain. No need to enroll in a Spanish Language course either. Tourist Visa needed if your country does not have any agreement with Schengen territories.
2. Stays over 90 days. You need a visa. Enrollment in Spanish classes or other educational courses as a full time student is mandatory.

Rules and regulations for visas vary depending on your country of origin. Always contact the Spanish consulate in your own country ​to check updated information and plan well ahead to submit your application. 

​On average, you should contact your consulate at least 60 days before your departure. ​ ​

Costs

Free matching service for au pairs. Destino Idiomas does not charge you to match you with a host family.

However, you face some expenses:

• Round trip to Spain.
• Personal expenses other than board and lodgings.
• Visa fee (if applying).
• Language course (if attending) - not compulsory unless you need a visa.
• Travel and medical insurance (not compulsory for EU citizens).​
• ​Liability insurance (if taken).

Medical coverage

Your health and wellbeing are priority to you so you must travel well covered in this respect. Medical costs can be high if you do not have the right coverage/insurance.

• EU nationals will have access to medical coverage in Spain in the same way a Spaniard would. Just bring your European Health Insurance Card

• ​Non EU nationals  cannot get free medical coverage in Spain and need a private health insurance to cover them all along their au pair stay. 
• Important: Host families will reimburse half of the cost of this insurance for the period the au pair stayed with them.​ (Following European Agreement on Au Pair Placement, Strasbourg, 24.XI.1969 (ETS No 068), article 10).​

Medical Insurance

We strongly recomend to all au pairs, regardless where they come from, to book a private travel and medical insurance.

The European Health Insurance Card:

• is not an alternative to travel insurance.
• does not cover any private healthcare.
• does not cover costs such as a return flight to your home country in case of illness or accident, lost/stolen property, repatriation, etc.
• does not cover your costs if you are travelling for the express purpose of obtaining medical treatment.
• does not guarantee free services. As each country’s healthcare system is different, services that cost nothing in one EU country, might not be free in another EU country.

Non EU citizens:
As explained before, you must bring a private travel and medical insurance to cover illness and accidents and receive medical assistance during your stay as an au pair.

We recommend to book your insurance here​.

Liability Insurance

As an au pair is also important to be insured.
Liability losses within the scope of your duties as an au pair are common and you'd be better off if you cover yourself to face them.

As an au pair, you spend a lot of time in the host family's home. That is why it is important that the scope of the liability insurance also includes losses towards the host family.

With this liability insurance for au pairs, bodily injury as well as damages to the immovable and movable property of the host family are covered.

For example, losing the house key during your time as an au pair may well result in a discussion about who is responsible for the costs of a new lock, with this insurance you will cover the risk of key loss.

We recommend to book your liability insurance here.