Applying for a volunteering program abroad can be confusing and frustrated.
Follow our step-by-step guide on what's needed to start and browse available programs.
The first thing you need to do is take a moment to think about what kind of volunteering program you'd like to do.
There are 3 main questions you must answer:
Once you have these questions answered you can start looking for programs that fit your interests.
The number of volunteering programs can be overwhelming - there are more than a thousand programs available worldwide. Here are our recommendations of how to approach it.
A quick way to jumpstart your search
is to simply Google for volunteering programs that you're interested in.
Many cities offer community center or volunteering programs enter where they will happily provide you with information about volunteering programs and more. Not sure if you have one? Try asking your local city hall or simply searching in Google Maps for a volunteering center near you.
There are plenty of Facebook groups where volunteering opportunties are posted regularly. Use the Facebook search feature to look for groups containing the word "volunteering".
Also, there is plenty of premade lists of volunteering programs on the internet. Here are our recommendations.
Depending on the program, requirements may range from almost nothing at all, to many years of worldwide volunteering experience. Make sure to check this in advance, as some things (like vaccines) can require planning months in advance.
Common requirements include:
Knowing the language of the chosen country
Previous volunteering experience
Having an interest in the topic of the volunteering exchange
Having a certain skill required for the exchange
Having a valid passport
Being vaccinated for various diseases
And others...
Once you've prepared all the required documents and prerequisites, the final step is to apply. 🎉
Deadlines for applying to a volunteering program can be weeks or even months before the program actually starts.
Be sure to plan things in advance to make the deadline.
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