The order matters: you apply first, and a valid membership is what allows your application to be processed. The steps below describe exactly that journey — what you do, and what happens on our side.
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1
Step 1 of 5
Find a project
The catalogue is open without an account. Filter by country, theme, dates, age or language, then read the project sheet in full: it states the conditions set by the host organisation.
- Check the dates of the available sessions, the minimum age and the languages expected on site.
- Read what the host provides and what stays at your expense, including travel.
- Save the projects that interest you to your favourites once you have an account, so you can compare them.
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2
Step 2 of 5
Apply
Create your account, then apply directly from the project page. Your application goes to the host organisation through us, with your motivation and the details it needs.
- Tell the host why this project, and what you can actually contribute: it is read by a person, not sorted by a machine.
- You can apply to several projects; each application is followed separately.
- Your applications and their status are visible in your account at any time.
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3
Step 3 of 5
Become a member
Volunteering with SVI goes through membership of the association. A valid membership is the condition for an application to be processed, and it is what opens the support described below.
- Membership plans differ in what they cover, in particular the geographical scope of the projects they open, and in how long they last.
- The plan you pick, and what you owe, are shown on the membership screen in your account, with the amounts in force at that moment.
- Travel insurance is offered separately, as an option: it is not part of membership.
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Step 4 of 5
Pay
Payment happens in your account, after you have applied. Which amount is asked, and when, depends on the pricing currently applied by the association — the payment screen always states it before you confirm anything.
- Card and online payment providers, or bank transfer: choose what suits you on the payment screen.
- Every payment produces an invoice you can download from your account.
- Nothing is taken without your confirmation, and no amount is ever announced by email alone: check it in your account.
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5
Step 5 of 5
Get your placement confirmed
The host organisation reviews your application and confirms or declines it. Once it is confirmed, your file moves to preparation: documents, practical arrangements and contact with the people who will welcome you.
- You are notified in your account, and your application status changes as the host answers.
- If a project is declined, your membership stays valid for your other applications.
- Once confirmed, the remaining documents are requested in your account, not by scattered emails.
About the amounts
You will not find prices on this page, and that is on purpose.
- Membership plans, their scope and their amounts are configured by the association and can change: only your account shows the figures in force.
- What is asked of you, and at which step, depends on the arrangement the association currently applies. The payment screen states it in full before any confirmation.
- Travel insurance is an option, priced separately from membership.
What to prepare
- An identity document valid well beyond your return date.
- Your travel booking, once and only once the placement is confirmed.
- The documents listed on the project sheet, which vary from one host to another.
- A visa if the destination requires one: it is your responsibility, and it takes time.
What SVI does for you
- Checks your application and follows the exchange with the host organisation.
- Answers your practical questions before departure.
- Remains reachable during the placement, and mediates in case of a problem on site.
- Issues a certificate of participation on request after the placement.
Still have a question? Everything else is in the FAQ
Start with a project
The journey begins with the catalogue: no account needed to look around.