What happens between the end of the contract and the start of training?

What lies behind it

If, for example, the au pair year ends in September, but the vocational training or FSJ only starts in October or November, a time gap arises. This is not unusual.

For this transition period, the au pair must contact the responsible Ausländerbehörde (the German immigration authority) in good time. If a training or FSJ contract already exists, it should be submitted along with the request. Depending on the individual case, a Fiktionsbescheinigung (a temporary certificate confirming that a residence application is being processed) can, for example, be issued. Whether and under what conditions this is possible is decided solely by the responsible Ausländerbehörde.

Important for the host family: after the au pair contract ends, the au pair may not simply continue to be employed as an au pair. If they still stay living with you during the transition period, they live with you as a guest and no longer as an au pair.

Insurance cover for this period must also be newly clarified, as the existing au pair insurance needs to be adjusted, or replaced with a suitable follow-on policy, once the au pair arrangement ends.

Our tip: plan this transition period early and do not leave clarifying matters with the Ausländerbehörde until shortly before the contract ends.