Your sending organization prepares you for your stay abroad. You get support in the search for suitable projects and have a * n contact person * in Germany while you are abroad. Participation in the preparatory seminar is mandatory.

During your EVS, you will be required to participate in two seminars with other volunteers, on-arrival and mid-term training.

An integral part of EVS is your language course in the respective national language. How the course is offered varies, sometimes it is an online course, regular language lessons or a tandem where you learn the new language and teach another person German.

During the EVS, you work between 30 and 38 hours a week in your project and have two consecutive days a week off. The language course counts as working time. There are also two vacation days per month, which you can take individually or collect for a longer vacation.

Accommodation is provided by the host organization. How it is designed can vary: it can be a small apartment, a shared room or a room in the project you are working on. Possibly there are no single rooms in some projects, but you will be asked and informed in advance.

You receive a meal allowance that varies from € 150 to € 250 per month, depending on your country of residence. Either you get the money paid in cash and you have to feed yourself, or you can eat for the amount in the project for free. You will not get the money in cash.

Your pocket money is between 60 and 150 € a month, it depends on which country you are in. The pocket money you receive in addition to food and free accommodation and is therefore good for life.

There is a travel package, which should cover the travel costs. Unfortunately, it is not always enough, sometimes a small part of the volunteer must be added. Apart from that, the cost of getting there and going to the preparatory seminar in Frankfurt is the only cost to the volunteers. Please always keep all tickets and boarding passes and hand them over to us or the partner organization!

You are covered by health, accident and liability insurance during your voluntary service. If you are covered by a family insurance policy, you will also be able to do this during your EVS and receive a European Insurance Card (EHIC).

Your duties as a volunteer in the EVS are to be open, motivated and reliable. As a volunteer, you are responsible to the project and the partners. You should be motivated, involved, open to the unexpected and ready to address any issues and seek solutions. Your duties also include attending the preparatory, on-arrival, midterm and return seminars. You also have to write an interim evaluation report and a final report for the Jugendwerk.