Blue cards for au pairs, nannies and babysitters

Au pairs, nannies and babysitters need a blue card when providing childcare services to children, either as a paid employee or when carrying on a business or working in a self-employed capacity.

Employees are captured under the Childcare services category of employment.

Business owners/operators or self-employed persons are captured under the Childcare services and similar businesses category.

Please note: This category refers to providing care of children for reward or in the course of a commercial service.

For services such as day care, kindergartens, family day care, outside school hours care etc please refer to the Education and care services category.

When you don’t need a blue card

You do not need a blue card if you are a relative babysitting a child.

When you do need a blue card

You will need a blue card if you are:

• receiving free or subsidised accommodation in return for your services, as this is considered a reward, for example  providing childcare and receiving subsidised or free accommodation
• a person who regularly babysits your neighbour’s children for a payment
• a person starting your own business to provide babysitting and nanny services to children—this means you are considered a business operator
• a 16 year old who is paid to babysit younger children
• a registered nurse who also independently provides nanny services to children, as the nanny services do not relate to your professional duties
• a person employed by a facility that operates a crèche service to care for children while parents are attending classes or programs, for example a hotel kids club or gym creche.