Bringing Childcare From Abroad to the Netherlands: Your Real Options

If you are hoping to bring a nanny, a relative, or a hired helper from outside the EU to look after your children in the Netherlands, there is really only one well-established legal route for a long-term stay: the IND's official au pair program. The other two paths people often consider, a relative on a tourist visa or a private nanny on a work permit, are either strictly time-limited or very rarely approved. This guide walks through all three, with the rules as published by the IND (Immigration and Naturalization Service) as of October 2026.

Option 1: The Official Au Pair Program

The au pair scheme is the only route specifically designed, and routinely approved, for bringing non-EU childcare help into a Dutch household. It is run as a cultural exchange: an au pair lives with your family, receives board, lodging, and pocket money, and helps with light household duties and childcare in exchange for the chance to experience life in the Netherlands.

Candidate requirements, per the IND:

• Age 18 to 25 at the time the residence permit is issued (the IND notes this program is under review and may tighten further, so check the current rules before applying).
• Single, with no children or foster children of their own.
• Must not have previously held a Dutch exchange residence permit.
• Light household and childcare duties capped at 30 hours per week in total, which agencies typically translate into a day-to-day cap of around 8 hours, with at least two full days off per week.

Host family requirements:

• A household of at least two people (for example, parent and child).
• Proof of sufficient, independent income, documented through payslips, an employment contract, or self-employment records.
• A private room for the au pair with its own window and heating.
• Sponsorship through an IND-recognized au pair agency (erkend referent). You cannot sponsor a non-EU au pair on your own.

Key limits to plan around:

• The residence permit is valid for a maximum of 12 months and cannot be extended or renewed. When it ends, the au pair returns home or transitions to a different, independent residence permit (such as a student visa).
• Costs spent on an au pair do not qualify for the Dutch childcare subsidy (kinderopvangtoeslag). Dutch tax authorities have confirmed in case law that the subsidy only applies to care provided through a registered childminder or daycare organization, which an au pair placement is not.

Option 2: A Relative on a Short-Stay Visit

Many families would rather bring a grandparent or other relative over to help with a new baby, and this is possible, but only as a visitor. Non-EU relatives can enter the Netherlands (or the wider Schengen Area) on a short-stay Schengen visa, or visa-free where applicable, for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. The important limitation: they are visiting, not working. A relative on this kind of stay cannot be formally employed, registered as a childcare worker, or paid for their time, and there is no way to extend this into long-term resident care without applying for a completely separate, independent residence permit.

Option 3: A Private Nanny on a Work Permit

In theory, a family could try to hire a non-EU nanny directly and sponsor a standard work permit, known as a GVVA (combined residence and work permit) or TWV (Tewerkstellingsvergunning). In practice, this almost never succeeds for private household roles. Dutch labor law requires the employer to demonstrate that no suitable candidate could be found anywhere in the EU or EEA before a non-EU work permit can be granted, and UWV (the body that assesses these applications) treats private household childcare as a role the EU labor market can generally fill. Expect this route to be rejected in the large majority of cases.

What It Actually Costs

Figures below are current estimates gathered from the IND and established au pair agencies; always confirm exact numbers with your chosen agency before budgeting.

As a rough monthly all-in figure once an au pair has arrived, budget somewhere in the range of EUR 700 to 1,000 a month, covering pocket money, groceries, utilities, insurance, and the annualized cost of agency and flight fees.

How Long the Au Pair Process Takes

Timelines depend heavily on the candidate's home country and how quickly documents can be gathered and legalized:

• Document gathering and matching with a candidate: 2 to 6 weeks.
• IND application processing through a recognized agency: typically a few weeks, since recognized sponsors get faster processing than individual applicants.
• Embassy appointment and MVV collection: 2 to 4 weeks.
• Realistic total, from first matching with a candidate to arrival: commonly cited as 2 to 4 months, though this varies by case and is not an official IND guarantee.

If Your Candidate Holds EU or EEA Citizenship

The entire picture changes if the person you want to bring over is an EU, EEA, or Swiss citizen. They do not need an IND visa, a recognized sponsor agency, or to meet the 18 to 25 age window or 12-month cap. They can work as a live-in or live-out nanny under ordinary Dutch employment law, including minimum wage and holiday allowance, from day one.

Related Reading

This overlaps with two topics we have covered separately. If you are choosing between a nanny or au pair and the usual routes into Dutch daycare and after-school care, see our guide to schools and childcare for Indian families. If you are the one being sponsored for a Dutch visa, whether for work or another purpose, our visa sponsorship checklist walks through the sponsor relationship in more general terms.

References

• Au pairs (IND)
• Fees: costs of an application (IND)
• Au pair stay in the Netherlands (AuPairWorld)
• Au Pair salary: pocket money standard in different countries (Au Pair.com)
• Geen kinderopvangtoeslag voor kosten aan au pair (Taxence)
• Work permit (GVVA/TWV) (Everaert Advocaten)