European Voluntary Service
The European Voluntary Service Programme is an EU funded programme for people aged 18-30 years.
EVS is a volunteer programme that is open to all young people aged between 18 and 30 living legally in one of the 27 programme countries of the European Union (plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Turkey).
The programme enables young people to volunteer in one of the many approved hosting organisations (there are several thousand in total) in participating countries for between 2 and 12 months. The EU cover all the costs of the programme i.e. travel, insurance, accommodation, pocket money etc and on arrival training is given by each National Agency.
The programme works by helping volunteers to make contact with accredited hosting organisations. Organisations select the volunteers that they would like to host on the basis of the interest that the volunteer brings to the project. You are not expected to have qualifications in any particular area and you cannot be excluded because you don't have such a qualification. In the end, however, the organisation will select the volunteer(s) it will work with so it is important to select project that you are genuinely interested in. You should also take care to make it clear to potential hosts that you are very interested in their work and would like to contribute to the organisation.
View the EU database of EVS projects.
The EU publishes a database with information on all the organisations that are accredited for EVS. Each organisation is presented through a short description, its motivation and EVS experience, the themes of work and contact details. It also informs if the organisation offers possibilities for young people with fewer oppportunities.
VSI is a recognised sending organisation under the EVS scheme. There are quarterly deadlines for funding applications and the process usually takes several months as it requires the volunteer, the hosting and the sending organisation to jointly submit an application for funding.
Interested?
View detailed information on what is EVS and how to apply (Word document).
Antonia Karpova, VSI EVS Volunteer with a childrens projects in Barcelona.
Terms and Conditions
- Travel costs, food and accommodation, pocket money, insurance provided by the EU.
- We ask volunteers to become a member of VSI.
Preparation
Our staff will meet with each volunteer, and together with the volunteer they will organise an appropriate preparation and orientation programme for all aspects of their volunteer project. This includes:
- meeting with former long term volunteers
- visits to similar projects in their locality
- learning the local language of the project
- practical issues - insurance, finances, visas, health etc
In addition, EVS Volunteers join in pre-departure and on-arrival training in the country they are going to.
How to Apply for EVS Projects
To apply for EVS, contact the VSI office.