France Schengen Visa For Domestic Worker

[Alma Wass]

Domesticworkers play a crucial role in providing personal care services to employers and their households. These workers include nannies, cleaners, chauffeurs, private chefs and gardeners, among others.

This blog explores the key considerations surrounding the ability to bring domestic workers to the United Kingdom. Acknowledging the very narrow scope of this avenue, it will also briefly discuss the conditions for bringing a domestic worker to other jurisdictions, as clients often require multijurisdictional support.

Whilst the UK government has retained a solution enabling foreign and British employers based abroad to bring their domestic staff with them to the UK for a temporary period, local employers cannot avail themselves of this visa option and are expected to recruit domestic help from the local labour market. Nannies and au pairs, who were often sought from European countries, are now in short supply, especially after Brexit. Skilled Worker sponsorship is available for individuals whose responsibilities fall within Standard Occupation Classification (SOC) code 6122 Childminders and related occupations; however, the parameters of a sponsor licence mean that this option is available mainly to businesses and not private individuals.

Regulations surrounding work permits for domestic workers in France involve a labyrinth of details and conditions that both employers and employees need to be aware of. The French immigration system brings its own set of rules to the table, and understanding these intricacies is crucial for a smooth and legal transition.

For longer stays, the story is more complex. In this case, the private employer must apply for a work permit on behalf of the domestic worker and a labour market test is required. The employer must present evidence that they could not find any suitable candidate for the job in the French local labour market. That said, the chances of success in obtaining a work permit are very slim.

While there will be instances where the stars align, leading to an exemption from the work permit for short stays, there are obstacles for those seeking to settle in for the long haul. It is a reminder that immigration systems are complex and professional legal advice should be sought at the outset.

In essence, quotas step aside for specific scenarios, and exemptions become the heroes of the tale. It is a reminder that navigating immigration systems is often about finding the right path for your unique situation.

In Spain, non-Spanish nationals can enter to live and work as domestic workers in Spain, provided they have obtained the required residence permit, visa and have been registered by the Spanish Social Security system upon their entry.

The D1 visa provides residency authorisation for non-EU citizens who have signed a written employment contract with a Portuguese-based legal individual. To be eligible for the D1 visa, an applicant will need to demonstrate the activities to be performed and have proof of accommodation and an employment or promissory employment contract.

This blog was published on 18 September 2023, and due to the circumstances, there are frequent changes. To keep up to date with all the latest updates on global immigration, please subscribe to our alerts and follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram.

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Whether you plan to take your domestic helper on holiday to France or to relocate permanently, securing the correct visa for her is of the essence. Indeed, unlike a few Southeast Asian countries where your domestic helper is allowed to join you for a short tourist stay, to be authorized to work in France, your domestic helper will need to apply for one of the following specific visas:

An application for a French visa for your domestic helper has to be submitted via the official visa website for France ( -visas.gouv.fr). More specifically, domestic helpers traveling with their employers must select the visa category business (under your plans in the visa wizard), then employed in the service of a foreign or French national as the main purpose of stay. A tourist visa is not applicable, even for a very short stay because the applicant will be working in France. Therefore, it is important to make sure that this employment is lawful.

Obtaining a long-stay visa is a longer process and the procedure is more complex as this will allow your domestic helper to live in France for one year and she can thereafter then apply for a residence permit.

After the two steps described above have been successfully completed, an interview will have to be conducted for the domestic helper at the French consulate in Hong Kong to finalize the visa application.

Of course, as soon as the domestic worker commences working in France, the relationship with the employer will be governed by French labour laws and the employer will have to comply with French rules (employment contract, pay slips, minimum wages, working time and social contributions.).

The procedure to follow to get a French visa for a domestic helper is clearly an arduous task but it is worth consideration as it can help your family maintain its balance and can strengthen the bond you have with your helper.

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At Centuro Global, clients often ask if foreign domestic employees can accompany them on European trips. Fortunately, we know of countries with immigration laws that permit domestic employees. This includes jobs like nannies, housekeepers, drivers, cooks, and caregivers to travel with their employers and families.

This detailed article explores the complexities of immigration and visas for foreign domestic workers. It focuses on those who want to travel with their domestic employees to the UK, Spain or Italy. We will explain the main requirements and guide you through each visa application process.

This depends on their nationality and the EU state where they reside and work. In Spain and Italy, many non-EU migrants may be working on a visa that requires them to work in private households. Or they may have access to the labour market, for example, with a student visa in the UK, which allows people to work 20 hours a week.

The cost of applying for a domestic worker visa is 637. There will be an additional charge of 500 for the priority service (for a decision within five working days) or 800 for the super-priority service (for a decision by the next working day). The timescales for the priority services run from the date the applicant submits their biometric information.

It is not possible to extend this visa. However, You may be able to extend a Domestic Worker in a Private Household visa if you applied on or before 5 April 2012. The total time spent on the visa cannot be more than the maximum of six months.

In Spain, a Foreign Domestic Worker Visa (FDW) is similar to a tourist Visa. The main difference with other Schengen visa applications is that the employer sponsors the trip in these cases since the foreign domestic worker accompanies them on the short-term stay in Spain.

Applications accepted at the Spain Visa Application Centre will be submitted to the Embassy of Spain on the next working day. Once the application has been submitted, the applicant can request additional documentation supporting the same.

The Italian Domestic Worker Visa is specifically conceived for employees who have regularly worked abroad on full-time domestic work contracts with Italian or EU citizens resident abroad and who intend to move to Italy to continue their employment. This type of application is not subject to any numerical limitations and can be submitted at any time in the year.

The average time frame to obtain the visa is approximately two months as of the date of the application. Once the applicant obtains the visa, they can travel to Italy, apply for the residence permit and reside there legally.

The residence permit is renewable under the same substantive conditions for its first issuance as long as the foreign national is never absent from the Italian territory for longer than six continuous months.

Each jurisdiction presents its own set of challenges and benefits for obtaining domestic worker visas. Whether you are an employer seeking to bring your trusted domestic employee with you or an employee considering the opportunity to work abroad, we have a team of highly experienced consultants who will assist you with the right visa and all other aspects of EU immigration law.

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Background. Afghanistan reported its first COVID-19 case on February 24, 2020. As the infection spread, the government tightened containment measures, including introducing screening at ports of entry, quarantine for infected people, and closure of public places for gathering. It imposed countrywide lockdown in late March 2020, which was subsequently extended twice. Afghanistan experienced a relatively moderate second wave of infections during November-December 2020 with infections declining since early 2021. Schools reopened on February 28, and universities resumed in person instruction in early March 2021.

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