If you are arranging an au pair year in the Netherlands, one worry comes up early: do I need to pass a Dutch test for the visa? The honest, reassuring answer is no. There is no Dutch-language requirement for the au pair residence permit at all. Here is what the visa actually demands, and the Dutch you will genuinely want anyway.
The language rule is about English, not Dutch
Let us settle it directly. As the official IND residence-permit rules for au pairs set out, and as au pair visa guides confirm, the relevant language requirement is English at B1 level, not Dutch. Nobody will test your Dutch for the permit. So you can arrive with zero Dutch and be entirely within the rules.
What the visa actually requires
The real conditions are about your situation, not your language:
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Age | 18 to 25 years old |
| Family status | Unmarried, no children |
| Hours | Max 30 per week, over 5 days |
| Agency | A recognised au pair agency must apply for you |
| Health | TB (tuberculosis) test within 3 months of arrival |
The agency point is the big one. As the official guidance makes clear, you cannot apply for the au pair permit yourself, a recognised agency that works with the IND submits it for you, via the TEV procedure (an MVV entry visa and/or a residence permit). EU citizens skip the visa entirely. The Dutch government’s general newcomer information covers the wider settling-in steps once you arrive.
So why learn Dutch at all?
Because the job runs on it, even if the visa does not. Your daily reality as an au pair is deeply Dutch:
- The children. Young kids often speak only Dutch, and you are with them all day. Basic Dutch is how you actually do the job (and how you bond).
- The crèche and school. Drop-offs, pick-ups, and notes are in Dutch, exactly the territory we cover in navigating child drop-offs at the crèche.
- The household and errands. Shopping, neighbours, the host family’s routines.
Host families notice and value the effort, the same way the Dutch appreciate any attempt at their language. And practically, you will want to handle your own admin too, like opening a Dutch bank account.
A little Dutch goes a long way
You do not need fluency. A core of childcare and daily-life Dutch, eten (to eat), slapen (to sleep), buiten spelen (to play outside), ophalen (to pick up), transforms the year. The children themselves become your best (and most honest) teachers, much as we describe in how kids’ Dutch races ahead of adults’.
The bottom line
There is no Dutch requirement for the au pair visa, the language rule is English at B1, and the permit is really about age (18 to 25), being unmarried and childless, a 30-hour limit, an agency application, and a TB test. So do not stress about a Dutch exam you do not have to take. But do learn some Dutch anyway: the children, the crèche, and daily life all run on it, and a little goes a remarkably long way toward making the year work.
Learn it in five minutes a day
Learn Dutch For Expats is an app, available on the App Store, that teaches the practical, real-situation Dutch the job actually needs, the children, the crèche drop-off, the shops, the household by real situation in five-minute lessons, so you can settle in faster than a visa alone allows.
Frequently asked questions
What Dutch language level do au pairs need for their visa?
None officially. There is no Dutch-language requirement for the au pair residence permit. The language rule that does apply is English at B1 level. The visa conditions are about other things: you must be 18 to 25, unmarried with no children, work a maximum of 30 hours over 5 days a week, and the whole permit must be arranged through a recognised au pair agency, you cannot apply yourself.
How does the au pair visa work in the Netherlands?
For non-EU citizens, a recognised au pair agency that works with the IND submits the application through the TEV procedure (an MVV entry visa and/or a residence permit). EU citizens do not need a visa. You must be 18 to 25, unmarried and childless, and undergo a tuberculosis (TB) test within three months of arrival. The agency handles the paperwork; you cannot lodge the application on your own.
Do au pairs really need to learn Dutch?
Not for the visa, but daily life makes a strong case for it. You will deal with the children, the crèche or school, neighbours, shops, and the host family’s routines, much of which runs in Dutch. Even basic Dutch makes the job easier and the year richer, and host families value it. Treat Dutch as optional for the permit but genuinely useful for the experience.
What is the best app to learn Dutch as an au pair?
Learn Dutch For Expats, an app available on the App Store, is the best pick for au pairs because it teaches the practical, real-situation Dutch the job actually needs, the children, the crèche drop-off, the shops, the household, in five-minute lessons that fit around childcare hours, so you settle in faster than a visa alone allows.
