Find your Dream Au Pair now

REGISTER >

Hosting an Au Pair is an affordable way to get reliable childcare from someone you trust. For example, for an Au Pair you would only pay $371.69 (gross) for 30 hours childcare (and all the extra help you get around the house).

When you compare this to what you have to pay at any Daycare or to a Nanny the choice is an easy one.

Our Fees and Your Au Pair's Wages

What’s included in your Placement Fee?

Understanding the needs of our Host families is of the utmost importance to us. We take care of the following to make life a little easier for you:

  • Dedicated Placement Consultants providing personal matching services
  • Comprehensive placement agreement (New Zealand employment contract)
  • Dream Au Pair Host Family Handbook
  • Individual settlement assistance, pastoral care and ongoing support
  • Mediation and re-match if needed
  • 24-hour emergency telephone support
  • Access to Dream Au Pair driving assessment and instruction (charges apply) Dream Au Pair Weekly Work Planner
  • Host family orientations
  • Host family development seminars

Dream Au Pair Placement Fee

(plus GST)

Family Registration FREE
Dream Education Programme $595
Buddy Programme $595
Expert Au Pair $995
Private Au Pair Support $295

Weekly Au Pair Wages

*Expert Au Pair

These are Au Pairs who have a qualification in childcare or education or have more than 6 months full-time work experience.

**Buddy Administration Fee
Dream Au Pair charges a $130 per week administration fee for families registered on the Buddy Programme. This is included in the weekly Au Pair wages.



GOOD TO KNOW: When your youngest child starts school, you will be automatically transferred from the Dream Education Programme (MoE funded) to our Buddy Programme.

What’s Included In The Weekly Wage?

Everything. Our expert Payroll team make it easy by helping you complete your individual employment agreement and set up a weekly automatic payment to our Payroll account. So PAYE, ACC, and the Completion Bonus have all been worked out. We also keep records of leave and calculate any holiday pay owing when the placement ends so you don’t have to.

Good To Know:

Because your ACC contributions are included in the weekly wage there will be no nasty surprise bill from ACC when you least expect it.

Completion Bonus Explained:

A completion bonus amounting to $10 per week (also already included in your weekly wage payment) is paid to your Au Pair on successful completion of their agreed placement term. This encourages Au Pairs to complete their placement to the agreed dates and helps to fund their return travel home.

Buddy Programme Administration Fee Explained:

The Buddy Programme was created for those families whose children are all at school or do not live in one of our licensed areas. The Ministry of Education does not subsidise the Buddy Programme (ie. ECE) so we charge an extra $110 Buddy Administration fee per week. This allows families who aren’t eligible for ECE funding, to still have all the benefits of affordable and flexible home-based childcare and an extra hand with help around the house.

Your Tax Obligations

Because an Au Pair is legally classed as an employee, they need to apply for an IRD tax number on arrival. Your Au Pair is entitled to the New Zealand minimum wage and the wage tables above ensure your family are meeting all relevant employment, tax and minimum wage laws as an employer.

What Subsidies Can I Receive?

20 hours ECE

All New Zealand children aged between 3 and 6 (prior to starting school) qualify for 20 hours of subsidised early childhood education (ECE) services per week.

When you enrol in our Dream Education Programme you can choose the hours that will be covered by the ECE scheme, up to six hours a day and 20 hours a week. Please note: once your youngest child starts school, you will be automatically transferred to our Buddy Programme.

If your child attends more than one ECE service, you can split your hours within the 20 hours a week or six hours a day maximum.

Dream Au Pair pays 20 hours ECE subsidies of $4.50 for each hour the child is enrolled in the service up to 6 hours per day, 20 hours per week.

WINZ Subsidy Nationwide

You may be able to apply for Work and Income childcare subsidies for your Au Pair. These subsidies are means tested and vary depending on your family’s circumstances and the number of children you have.

Queries and applications for WINZ Childcare subsidies should be made directly with your local WINZ office.


Au Pair New Zealand

Costs Covered By The Au Pair

  • Au Pair Flights

    Au Pairs cover the cost of their flights from their home country to Auckland for their orientation. If you live outside of Auckland, the cost of a one-way transfer from Auckland to the host family’s home is met by the family.
  • Au Pair Visa

    The Au Pair pays the application fee for his or her own working holiday visa.
  • Au Pair Insurance

    The Au Pair is responsible for organising and paying for their own comprehensive travel and health insurance.

Find your Dream Au Pair - REGISTER NOW >

Connect with us

Keep up to date with what's happening and connect with other families and Au Pairs:

Find us on Facebook
Check out our Pinterest
Follow our Instagram

Contact us

+64 9 969 5451

contact@dream.co.nz

You'll find us at:

Level 4, 81 Grafton Road
Grafton, Auckland 1010

Want to be an Au Pair in NZ?