Location
  • Spain
    • Santiago
    • Madrid
    • Barcelona
Length
4 - 52 weeks
Program Tags
After College Au Pair Cultural Immersion Language Immersion Study Abroad

Program Details

Timeframe
Academic Year Fall Spring Summer Winter Year Round
Housing
Host Family
Primary Language
Spanish
Age Min.
18
Age Max
30

Pricing

Price Details
Free registration.
Other costs: Round flight fares, visa fares (if applicable), language course (if attending), travel and medical insurance.

Au pairs from outside of the European Union
Depending on how long you plan to stay in Spain, you may have to appy for a student or au pair visa.
What's Included
Accommodation Meals Wifi
What's Included (Extra)

Weekly pocket money from 70€ to 85€ per week
Family will pick up Au pair at airport

What's Not Included
Airfare Domestic Airfare Travel Insurance Visa
Feb 02, 2022
Oct 20, 2022
141 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Would you like to improve your Spanish? Take a gap year? Make the most of your summer holidays?
Do you like children? Travelling? Family life? Have you considered being an Au Pair?

As Au Pair you will get free board and food and stipend from your host family, plus free time to attend language lessons or simply relax and enjoy your stay. In exchange, you will provide childcare and share your culture and language with your host kids. All these within the safety and comfort of a family home. Plus the advice and expertise of Destino Idiomas as a reliable au pair agency.

Stay 1 to 3 months in summer time mostly.
Stay over 90 days and up to 12 months all year round, mostly school year length September till end of June, but it is worth asking me about other dates like September till March.

EU citizens no visa needed for any length
NON EU citizens visa needed for over 90 days

Do not hesitate to contact me for advice.
I receive host families' request from all over Spain.

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • Welcoming families
  • Diverse locations all over Spain
  • Continuous support and follow-up from Destino Idiomas
  • Host family provides free board +lodgings + weekly stipend + free time
  • No au pair agency charges for you

Program Reviews

4.68 Rating
based on 25 reviews
  • 5 rating 68%
  • 4 rating 32%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Housing 4.75
  • Support 4.8
  • Fun 4.35
  • Value 4.8
  • Safety 4.95
Showing 1 - 8 of 25 reviews
Default avatar
Miya
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Life changing experience

I went to Cordoba for 2 months during the summer as an au pair. It was an amazing experience, Ana was so helpful and kind before and I was so lucky to have been given an amazing host family with great parents and kids who I enjoyed hanging out with even on my off days! I made some great friends in Cordoba but also throughout Andalousia, the majority being other au pairs I met thanks to the au pair directly Ana gave us. I always felt safe and I had a great time! I highly recommend it if you want to travel 😃

Pros
  • Fun
  • Unique
  • Life changing
Cons
  • Went by too fast
13 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Miriam
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Au pair in Madrid

I had a wonderful time au pairing in Madrid over the summer with a lovely family. It was a great way to improve my Spanish and have a more authentic cultural exchange. The family I stayed with were very welcoming and Ana was very supportive and regularly made sure I was doing well. I had plenty of time off from childcare to explore the city and travelled a bit around Spain when the family were on vacation. If you like kids and want to improve your Spanish this is a great affordable way to do that!

Pros
  • Cheaper way to travel
  • Great Language immersion and cultural exchange
  • There were opportunities to meet up with other aupairs
Cons
  • Sometimes children can be difficult
16 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Rylee
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great Experience in Spain

Overall, I enjoyed my time living in A Coruña and getting to experience the culture and language. I got to meet other Au Pairs, meet native Spanish speakers, and explore the country. This opportunity made it so that I could experience everything I've learned about in my university. It was the perfect way to spend two months. I recommend especially for Americans who want to find an inexpensive way to leave the country and experience a way of life completely different than our own. In general, this was a really good experience.

36 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Gorety
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

3 Months in Spain

This was an experience that I will remember forever! Ana was super helpful and patient with me during the onboarding process. It was quick to match with a family and the one that I was paired with really made my experience valuable. I wanted to travel during my gap year, but in a way that was not as temporary as visiting for a week or so. Being able to form my own little life in my town in Spain for an extended period of time is something that makes saying goodbye so hard! I have gained new family, friends, and a deep appreciation for people who seek new experiences and languages. This has inspired to continue learning Spanish, not only for my own benefit, but so that when I return, I can have more conversations with people here that mean so much to me now!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Be open-minded to new experiences! Putting myself in situations that I was uncomfortable in really made this experience one to remember. I feel like doing so has made me grow a lot and learn more about myself!
41 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Lily
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Au Pair - Destino Idiomas - Lugo (Galicia)

I had never been an Au Pair before nor travelled alone outside the UK. Thanks to Ana at Destino Idiomas I knew I was in safe hands and that if anything were to go wrong, I would be able to trust her throughout the process. She ensured that everything ran smoothly from the offset and during my stay by regularly checking up on both me and the host family.

I was so lucky with the family I was matched with, since I had applied so late for the summer season (around June) and I am still in contact with them months later! My host family were so kind and made sure I had experienced every depth of Galicia, from the food to the cities (Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Pontevedra) to the traditions and values. To supplement my day-to-day learning I also undertook spanish lessons 3x a week which I found to be very helpful in building my confidence and which also helped with the structure of my day.

It was a life changing experience and has helped my CV thanks to learned qualities such as independence, responsibility and emotional intelligence - not to mention the improvement in my confidence in speaking spanish. I would urge anyone who is thinking about applying to do it, however to also be prepared to overcome the inevitable challenges the experience brings with it.

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
The first week of my four week stay was the most nerve-wracking, as I hadn't fully thought about my decision until I had arrived there!! Due to it being my first time travelling solo and for (what seemed) such an extensive period of time, I initially felt very homesick and hesitant. However I thankfully overcame this with the amazing support from my host mum who thoroughly welcomed me into the family, and by throwing myself into the job and everything that came with it.
41 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Georgia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Au pair Madrid

Going into the au pair experience I really had no idea what to expect, but from the beginning Ana was really helpful and professional, helping me sort out my CV and find the right family to spend the summer with.
I was obviously quite nervous about committing myself to spending a whole summer with a family that I had never met, but Ana made sure that I felt as prepared as possible and so the whole experience was a great success!
The family was great and I really enjoyed spending time with them, as well as experiencing life in Spain. I was really lucky that they also took me on holiday with them so I got to explore several different parts of the country and meet some really lovely people, including their family and friends which was really great!
Throughout my time in Spain, Ana regularly kept contact and was very supportive, so this was an experience that I would certainly recommend to anyone considering it and I would love to try it again in years to come!

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
Mussels from a can - which were actually from the UK!
50 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Emma
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Au Pair in Galicia

I was an au pair for a lovely family in a small town near A Coruña for one month in August 2021.
This was my first time being an au pair and I didn't really know what to expect before I came to Galicia (I didn't know much about the region either) but from the very moment I met my host family, I was made to feel welcome and like I was part of the family and it really was an amazing experience.
My host family were incredibly kind, patient and eager to teach me about the Spanish culture which meant I found it very easy adapting to their lifestyle (which included eating dinner as late as 10.30pm!!). Outside of my 'working hours' I had a lot of freedom and independence to do my own thing, but my host family were also eager to spend time with me and show me Galicia and so we went on many day trips to places such as Santiago de Compostela, Finisterre and other sites along the Costa da Morte.
I also made the most of my weekends by organising my own travels to nearby cities such as Pontevedra, Vigo, Lugo and Ourense which meant I saw a lot of the region in a small space of time.
Overall, this really was an experience that I'll never forget. Although I was only there for a month, I've made some wonderful memories and now have a strong connection with my host family which means I can always come back to Galicia in the future!
I would really recommend being an au pair with Destino Idiomas, as Ana made sure the entire process went smoothly and I knew that Ana would be able to help with any issues I had (although I didn't have any issues during my time out there!)

Thank you Ana!

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
Mussels, octopus, razor clams and pigs' ears! The food in Galicia is incredible, especially the seafood, but pigs' ears was not one of my favourites
46 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Ellie
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Au Pair Spain

I was an au pair near Valencia in summer 2021.
Ana, who will be your main point of contact at Destino Idiomas, was extremely helpful during the entire process. For the application she made a template document which was easy to fill out. Then for the matching process she tried her best to meet my preferences, although this is not always possible. I must also say, Ana is very polite and you can never ask her too many questions, she always replied quickly and with good advice.
Being an au pair at a young age has been a challenging but very rewarding experience. I would say that, make sure you are prepared to be away from your family and friends for a long period of time, especially during covid as meeting new people (other than the host family) may be reduced depending on your host family!
Being an au pair is not easy, getting used to a completely different country and family can be scary but luckily my host family were very supportive and helped me fit in with them as quickly as possible! They have taken me to several places across Valencia. I have also improved my Spanish a lot and learnt a lot I’d have never learnt in a class room.
As well as this, I’ve formed a very special bond with my host family, especially the children which I will never forget. My host family were very helpful especially when I began to miss my family, they supported me.

Therefore, I 100% recommend destino idiomas as Ana is very helpful and there is no fee unlike other au pair programmes. Just have in mind that there will be other expenses including your DBS check, passport, flights, travel insurance etc!!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Make sure to choose your family well. I’d recommend doing several video chats and once you’ve decided on the host family, keeping in contact with them before the stay!
I’d also say, if you have an issue, don’t be afraid to talk to Ana as she will always have some advice to help you, no matter how big or small it is.
Also, remember being away from your family for so long is hard so make sure to regularly video chat them etc and if you are feeling upset, make sure to tell your host family as they can most likely help you.
49 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers

Hi, Amelia, Sure you can, the only thing you need to consider is that depending on your citizenship you may have to apply for a visa to enter Spain. Generally speaking any non EU country will need a visa for any stay over 90 days. Visas to enter Spain as au pair are called "au pair visa" but you could also be told by the Spanish consulate in your country about "student visa". Either case, you will...

Hi Lockie, thanks for your interest in au pairing in Spain. Of course you get time off during your stay. General rule is during the week to attend language lessons + at least one complete weekend a month. However, average families offer au pairs full weekends on top of time off during the week. And you also get some holidays: For every 12 months of stay, the au pair has the right to 2 weeks paid...

HI, Lockie thanks for your interest in au pairing in Spain. Basic knowledge of Spanish will help you settle in quicker, but many families host au pairs with no Spanish. What it is most important is that you speak good English regardless of your nationality as English is by far, most requested language by Spanish families. You will interact at all times with the kids in English. Host parents will...

Hi, Anabella, Thanks for your enquiry. Yes, you can. There are a couple of things to be taken into account. Being a Mexican citizen I think your motivation is not learning the language - as we share one - but about our culture, traditions, way of living and so on. That is fine, but you have to bear in mind that Spanish families' motivation to host an au pair is that their children learn a foreign...