#1 Visa
Check with embassies to understand all visa requirements, and ensure you are eligible for a visa before applying.
Prepare to be disappointed if you are looking for visa sponsorship, as most of the time nannies do not meet the visa requirements and families are unable or unwilling to sponsor a visa.
The reality is that visa sponsorship is rarely available, some families have no qualms about illegally employing nannies on tourist visas, and many agencies condone this.
#2 Contract
When families do things right, they usually offer you a local law contract which is not always as advantageous as a contract in your home country.
Few families do things right when it comes to contracts, and it’s not uncommon for the contracts overseas nannies are asked to sign to not even be legally binding.
Often, nannies who work abroad end up not being employed anywhere, even though they have a document that claims to be a contract and says they will be employed in the country by the family. Or, they have a so-called contract that says they are employed by the family and the family asks them to be self-employed. Or, they are asked to sign a contract even though they are going to travel on a tourist visa and are not allowed to sign a contract if they do not have a work visa!
#3 Health insurance
Even if you are lucky enough to have a valid contract, you may not be automatically eligible for health coverage in your destination country or you may have poorer health coverage than in your home country.
If you have one of those funny contracts we just talked about or are made to work on a tourist visa, it’s obvious that you won’t be able to get health insurance in the country where you work.
Also remember that when you go to live abroad for a certain period of time you may sometimes lose your health insurance in your home country.
#4 Money
Sometimes the cost of living is higher in the country where you want to work than at home. Remember to research the average cost of living in the country you want to work in, otherwise you may not be able to save as much as you expected.
Also many families think that when the cost of living is much lower where they are based than in your home country, you no longer need to earn as much as you did in your home country, and they think they can pay you peanuts! No, you also need to be able to continue paying any bills you may still have to pay at home.
Make sure the salary is enough to live comfortably both in your home country and in the country where you will be working
#5 Taxes
Find out about taxes in both your home country and the country where you want to work.
In some countries like Germany, taxes are very high. Salaries may seem decent before taxes, but after taxes you may be disappointed with what you have left.
Also in some cases, the same income may be taxed twice when two countries are involved, so make sure you won’t be double taxed!
Obviously, if the family does not follow the law and pays you under the table, you will not be taxed in the country where you will work since you will be working there illegally, but you may still have to declare your income in your home country!
Working as a nanny in a foreign country can be a unique and exciting opportunity, but working in a foreign country is different from going on holiday there and the reality is sometimes very different from what you expected.
At first glance, international nanny positions abroad may seem appealing, but don’t forget to take these elements into account before applying, this will avoid you finding yourself in an administrative or legal mess!
And if you decide to give it a try, prepare for cultural differences. Culture shock is real!
