These are the questions we are actually asked, grouped by moment in the journey. If yours is not here, write to us and we will add it.
Before you apply
Who can volunteer?
Anyone who meets the conditions of the project they pick. No diploma and no previous experience are required for most placements. Each project sheet states its own conditions: minimum age, languages spoken on site, skills expected and, occasionally, a specific background.
How do I choose the right project?
Start from what you can contribute and from your dates, not from the destination. Filter the catalogue by theme, country and period, then read the sheets in full: the tasks, the working hours, what the host provides and what stays at your expense are the things that make a placement go well or badly. If two projects are equally tempting, apply to both.
Do I need to speak the local language?
It depends on the project. Each sheet lists the languages expected on site; many placements work in English, some require the local language because the work involves talking with the community. Applying in a language you do not speak is the most common reason for a refusal.
Is there an age limit?
There is a minimum age, set by each host organisation and shown on the project sheet; it is usually 18, sometimes lower for group projects supervised by a leader. There is no general upper limit, but some projects do state a maximum age because of the physical work involved.
Membership and payment
Why do I have to become a member to apply?
Because volunteering with SVI goes through the association, not through a booking. A valid membership is what allows an application to be processed, and it is what funds the work around your file: checking the project, dealing with the host organisation, and being reachable while you are away. It also makes you a member of the association, with the support that goes with it.
How much does it cost?
We do not publish amounts on this page, because membership plans and their amounts are configured by the association and can change. The figures in force are shown in your account, on the membership and payment screens, before any confirmation. Travel insurance, if you want it, is priced separately.
When do I pay?
After you have applied, never before. Which amount is asked and at which step depends on the arrangement the association currently applies; the payment screen states it in full before you confirm anything. If you receive an email announcing an amount you cannot find in your account, do not pay it and contact us.
What happens if no project accepts me?
Your membership does not disappear with a refused application: it stays valid for your other applications during its period of validity. For anything about reimbursement, write to us with your file reference — it is handled case by case and never automatically.
Practical matters
Are travel costs included?
No. Getting to the project is yours to organise and to pay for, and we strongly advise booking only once the host has confirmed your placement. What the host provides on site, typically accommodation and sometimes meals, is written on the project sheet.
Do I need insurance?
Yes, and it is not included in membership. Travel insurance is offered as a separate option covering the duration of your placement, and some host organisations require proof of cover before you arrive. Check the project sheet, and check what your own policies already cover.
Do you handle visas?
No. Entry requirements depend on your nationality and your destination, and only the consulate can tell you what applies. We can provide the documents a consulate asks about the placement once it is confirmed, but the application is yours to make — start early, it often takes weeks.
Where will I stay?
On most projects the host organisation provides accommodation, sometimes shared with other volunteers, and it is described on the project sheet. When it is not provided, the sheet says so. If what you find on arrival does not match the sheet, tell us: that is exactly the kind of problem we step in on.
What if something goes wrong during the placement?
Contact us. The association stays reachable while you are away and mediates with the host organisation when the placement does not match what was announced, or when a problem cannot be settled on site. Keep your file reference at hand: it is what lets us look up your project and your contacts.
Your account and your data
How do I follow my applications?
Everything happens in your account: the applications you sent, their status, the documents still expected and your messages with the association. Notifications warn you when something changes, but your account is always the reference.
Which documents will I have to provide?
It depends on the project. The documents expected are requested in your account once your placement is on track, so that nothing gets lost in a mailbox. Typically an identity document, sometimes a criminal record extract, a medical certificate or proof of insurance.
Can I cancel an application?
Yes, as long as the placement has not been confirmed: tell us as soon as you know, because a place kept for nothing is a place another volunteer could have taken. After confirmation, cancellations are handled with the host organisation, case by case.
What do you do with my personal data?
We use it to process your application, to run your membership and to pass on to the host organisation what it needs to welcome you, and nothing else. The details, your rights and how to exercise them are in our privacy policy.
Your question is not here?
Write to us. Questions we get more than once end up on this page.