European Volunteering
Do you need some time for yourself to figure out what you really want in life or what direction to take next? Or do you feel the urge to do something good and simply go somewhere to help out? Would you like to gain new experiences and knowledge that you can later use in the job market? Are you currently not studying or working? Then European volunteering could be the perfect opportunity for you to meet new people from different countries and improve your language skills.
The costs of your participation in volunteering projects are covered by the European Union. Your travel, accommodation, food, and health insurance will be fully funded—and on top of that, you’ll receive pocket money.
Through the European Solidarity Corps program, young people aged 18–30 can volunteer in any EU country or in partner countries like Turkey or Georgia. The great thing is, you don’t need to be a student, you don’t need any prior work experience, and it’s enough if you can communicate in English, or the local language, at a very basic level.
You can take a look at what European volunteering looks like in our photo gallery.
There are two options of european volunteering
- Team volunteering lasts from 2 weeks to 2 months. This activity brings together 10 to 40 volunteers from various European countries. For example, you might help organize an eco-festival in Bulgaria, where you and your international team, supported by a coordinator from the host organization and their colleagues, would take care of everything. After completing a short-term team volunteering project, you can also apply for long-term individual volunteering.
- Individual volunteering lasts from 2 to 12 months and allows young people to become part of the daily work of a foreign organization, such as a nonprofit or a forest kindergarten, where you can get hands-on and contribute to the development of the local community. These projects usually cover a wide range of topics, including social inclusion, culture, work in local youth or community centers, or environmental protection.
How to Apply and Go Volunteering with the European Solidarity Corps
- First, you need to register in the European Solidarity Corps database, where you’ll receive your unique PRN number.
- This database is where you’ll find all current volunteering projects you can apply for, and it also allows organizations to find and reach out to you. You can filter projects based on your availability, areas of interest, or destination country. In addition to browsing the database, you can also check out websites of organizations like ours or join Facebook groups where volunteering opportunities are frequently posted. The host organization usually prepares an infopack, a document with all the key details—such as the nature of the volunteer work, accommodation, project duration, financial support, and more.
- Once you find a project that interests you, you can apply for it. If the host organization is also interested in you, the platform or your sending organization will connect you.
- Since there are often many applicants, the host organization may invite you for a video interview to discuss expectations and motivation on both sides.
- If it’s a match, the only thing left is to find a sending organization (if you don’t already have one)—and that could be us! We’ll meet with you to help you prepare everything you need before departure, such as booking your flight, deregistering from health insurance or the labor office, and more. We’ll also talk about your learning process, as reflection and personal growth are key parts of the volunteering experience. It’s important to recognize what new skills, knowledge, and abilities you’ve developed during your time abroad.
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Before you leave, a three-party agreement will be signed between you, the host organization, and the sending organization. This agreement includes the description of your accommodation, the activities you’ll be involved in, the amount of pocket money you’ll receive, and other details.
Once everything’s signed—you’re ready to set off on your adventure!
- Throughout your entire volunteering stay, we’ll stay in touch. If anything comes up, you can always reach out to us and we’ll work together to find a solution. And we’ll be happy if you send us a few lines and some photos we can share to inspire more young people to take part in this amazing opportunity.
Download the app with all volunteering projects, where you can browse opportunities even more easily right on your phone.
Do you want to look for volunteering opportunities?
Check out the European Youth Portal, where you’ll find a database of all open volunteering opportunities within the European Solidarity Corps.
Choose a project that interests you and apply today—we’ll be happy to help you get ready!
Do you want more information?
Aneta is in charge of sending and supporting European volunteers.
Feel free to reach out to her!
