Hi
I am an Australian hoping to travel to Spain in January to be an Au pair. I have found a great family in Las Rozas near Madrid, and I have my plane ticket all ready to go. My problem now - a visa. Alot of countries have aupair programmes making it quite easy for people to get there. Spain doesn't, so for me to do this 'legally' i would need a student visa. This means getting letters from families, police, language schools etc and i have to prove that I have a heap of money to live off of. Not a chance. I really don't have time for this, as the family wants me to start in January, and to get the visa I have to commit to 20 hours of study per week. Time i canot afford with my commitments to the family, and i would not be able to afford it monwy wise either. So, anyone out there who can offer me some advice. I am very keen to go on a tourist visa, fly to London for the weekend to renew it once my 90 days is up, then fly back and continue au pairing. Do the majority of Au pairs in Spain go on tourist visas. And are they normally payed cash in hand anyway. I will only be with the family for 4 to 6 months so i just don't think it is worth the hassle, time and money to get a student visa. Also, when i am there I will be looking to find a little extra work in my spare time for a few extra dollars to go travelling with. Is it considered really dodgey approaching people for work with no legal leg to stand on? What about putting my name on a few notice boards at schools, universities etc to get a little extra money tutoring English? Is there anyone out there who has done that and found it a great way to make a little extra coin? Any hints, tips or ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Neets