Nannies: registration
Source: gov.uk (2025-09-19)

The application process for nannies (also known as home childcarers), including what you need to do before you apply, fees, and changes once you're registered.

Nannies and au pairs, also known as ‘home childcarers’, look after children of any age in the child’s own home.

As a nanny, you can look after children from 2 different families at the home of one of the families. However, if more than 2 families use the care at the same time, it is classed as childminding and you will need to register as a childminder (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/childminders-and-childcare-providers-register-with-ofsted/childminders-and-childcare-on-domestic-premises-registration).

Nannies do not have to register with Ofsted. However, you can choose to register with us voluntarily. This means that parents may be able to get help with childcare costs.

You need to register on the voluntary part of the Childcare Register. It costs £103 to register and you need to pay this fee annually.

You may also want to budget for your DBS check (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/criminal-record-checks-for-childminders-and-childcare-workers) (a one-off fee of £49.50 plus £13 per year if you sign up to the DBS update service), training, and public liability insurance. Find out more about estimated costs (https://www.gov.uk/become-childminder-nanny/how-much-it-costs).

See more information about Ofsted’s fees (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/childminders-and-childcare-providers-register-with-ofsted/fees).

You will need

an enhanced check with barred lists from DBS (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/criminal-record-checks-for-childminders-and-childcare-workers)

a minimum level 2 qualification in childcare or training in the common core skills (pdf) (https://www.foundationyears.org.uk/files/2015/02/Common-core.pdf)

a first aid qualification suitable for the ages of the children you will look after

If you live with the family you are a nanny for, you will need to make sure to select ‘yes’ on question x66 of your DBS application to say you are going to be working in a home-based role.

When you start looking after children you’ll need to have public liability insurance.

How to apply

You need to use the Apply to register as a nanny (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-to-register-as-a-nanny) service.

We will carry out checks on you based on the information you give us. We will also carry out an application review (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/childcare-application-review).

We aim to register nannies within 10 weeks of sending you the URN, but it can take longer in some situations.

If your application is approved you will get a registration certificate and a unique reference number (URN). Ofsted will publish your URN and any inspection report cards online.

Parents employing a nanny

When nannies apply to register with us, we send them a unique reference number (URN).

We aim to register nannies within 10 weeks of sending the URN, but it can take longer in some situations. For instance, we run checks with local authority social services (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/childminders-and-childcare-providers-register-with-ofsted/suitability-checks) and cannot proceed until these are completed.

Unfortunately because of data protection regulations we cannot give parents information about the nanny’s application status. If you’re concerned about delays, please ask the nanny to contact us on xx-xxxx-xxxx or xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx).

When we send the nanny their registration certificate we also automatically send their details to HMRC. This means that if you are eligible, you can apply for help with childcare costs (https://www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs).

Requirements

You need to follow the requirements of the Childcare Register (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/childminders-and-childcare-providers-register-with-ofsted/registration-requirements#nannies).

Telling Ofsted about changes

By law, you must keep your details up to date and tell us about any of the following within 14 days:

changes to where you are working

changes to your contact details

any significant event that might affect your suitability to look after children, like offences or orders

You also need to tell us about any serious incidents (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/report-a-serious-childcare-incident).

Working elsewhere

You can work outside your registration as an employee for a registered childcare provider, like a nursery or other daycare, for any amount of time. You do not have to let us know.

However, if you want to provide another form of Ofsted-registered childcare, like childminding, you will need to register with us separately.

Resigning your registration

If you want to resign your registration, contact us or tell the inspector during a visit.

We will keep the published history of your registration on our reports website (https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/) for 5 years after your registration is listed as closed. This includes:

your previous inspection outcome letters (for 12 months following publication)

details of any previous conditions of registration

We do this so that people can view this information in case you decide to register to provide childcare again after a short period.

Previous chapter: Childminders and childcare on domestic premises: registration (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/childminders-and-childcare-providers-register-with-ofsted/childminders-and-childcare-on-domestic-premises-registration) | Next chapter: Nurseries and other daycare (childcare on non-domestic premises): registration (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/childminders-and-childcare-providers-register-with-ofsted/daycare-childcare-on-non-domestic-premises-registration).