Frequently Asked Questions

We offer projects ranging from one week to 12 months and anywhere in between. You can decide exactly how long you want to go for.

Each project has a minimum duration which is highlighted on the project page. Our fixed date projects, like High School Programmes, follow a strict itinerary and are usually two weeks long.

Most participants go for between two and 12 weeks. You’ll find these prices listed on our website. However, if you would like to go for longer, then you can add on as many ‘Extra Weeks’ as you like.

In some countries, it is only possible to volunteer for up to six months because of visa restrictions.

At Projects Abroad, we offer all sorts of different projects that you can take part in. These range from volunteering and internships, to exciting cultural immersion experiences.

For example, if you want independence and flexibility, you’d be ideally suited to one of our Volunteer & Intern projects. Alternatively, our Gap Programmes run on fixed dates and allow people to come together from around the world at the same time to form a group.

Would you like to work with a group your own age? For teenagers, the best choice could be our High School Programmes. If you are over 50 years old, our Over 50s projects are ideal for you.

If you are part of a school or youth club, or just looking to go away with a group of friends, you might also want to read about our tailor-made Group Trips.

Whatever style of trip you’re looking for, we have you covered.

For most of our projects, you can choose when you want to starts and finish. Projects run all year round. However, some of our age-specific projects have a set start and finish date.

We accept applications on a rolling basis, so there is no fixed deadline for your application. We encourage you to apply as early as possible once you have decided on a project and when you want to leave. This is because:

• Some destinations and projects require at least three months to process an application and arrange visas. This includes the time it takes to prepare you for your upcoming trip. Other countries can be processed in as little as two to three weeks.
• Having more time to prepare makes it easier for you to fundraise, and for us to advise you on preparations for your trip. The more time we have, the better tailored your project will be to your interests and preferences.

If you decide last minute, do give us a call to see how quickly we can arrange it for you.

Our first aim is to build your skills with a lifechanging experience, but we also focus on benefitting the communities and ecosystems we work in. Here are just a few elements of our work that set us apart from other volunteering programs:

Industry-leading support network

Your safety is our top priority. We have teams in-destination all around the world, who will be there to provide 24/7 support when needed. We’ll also provide comprehensive pre-departure support to help you prepare. Everyone we hire and work with is thoroughly vetted and trained.

Our hassle-free approach

We take care of everything so you don’t have to. Your project fee includes three meals a day, accommodation, in-destination transport, airport transfers, and 24/7 support from our staff.

You will contribute to local initiatives

All our projects are guided by local experts to ensure that our resources are used where they are most needed. It is our job to ensure that we listen to local stakeholders and support the work they are already doing, rather than replacing them. This guarantees that our projects have the biggest impact.

Yes. You can combine projects, both within a country and across countries. See Combinations for more details and combination ideas.

Our prices include:

• Accommodation
• Food (three meals a day)
• Airport pick-up and drop-off
• Full induction and orientation by an experienced staff member on arrival
• Transport to and from your work placement
• In-country support and 24-hour back-up from our team of full-time local staff
• Emergency assistance from our international emergency response team
• Project equipment and materials, including access to our database with thousands of resources
• Training and workshops from our experienced local staff
• Regular social events and community activities with other volunteers and interns
• Access to our local office with internet connection
• Certification of project completion
• Access to our alumni services and discounts
• Visa support and advice
• Fundraising support, including your own personalised fundraising website
• Pre-departure preparation by your own specialist Volunteer Advisor
• Personalised MyProjectsAbroad website, with all the information you need about your project, accommodation and destination
• A free cultural awareness course
• Membership to our volunteer social media groups, to share information and to get in touch
• Support to help you complete registration or internship documents, if applicable

What is not included:

• Flights
• Visa costs (where applicable)

The project fees are important because they enable us to provide you with a good service and full support. This is why you pay a fee for your project.

The cost of each project is clearly marked on the corresponding project page.

You will not be paid for your work, but you will learn new skills, gain valuable work experience, and discover what you’re truly capable of, all while having a great time!

We do not have government funding or other outside funding, and our partner organisations are often not for profit, so these positions have to be voluntary and self-funded. We never ask our partner organisations or communities for financial support.

We are very open as to why we charge a fee and how your money is spent.

While we can’t book your flights for you, our Project Experts will be on hand to offer advice and support to make the process easier.

We’ll ensure you book the best return flights, pointing you towards the safest, most convenient, and cost-effective flight options, even for complex travel plans. Find out more about booking your flights.

While we can’t book your flights for you, our Project Experts will be on hand to offer advice and support to make the process easier.

We’ll ensure you book the best return flights, pointing you towards the safest, most convenient, and cost-effective flight options, even for complex travel plans. Find out more about booking your flights.

Thousands of teenagers fly internationally on their own to our projects every year, and airlines have procedures in place to help make the journey safe and straightforward.

Many airlines offer an Unaccompanied Minor (UM) service or similar support for young people travelling without an adult. Depending on your child’s age and the airline you choose, this service may be compulsory rather than optional.

It is therefore very important to check your airline’s rules before booking your flights. Requirements vary between airlines and can also vary depending on the route, connections and the age of the traveller.

Before booking, please:

• Check the airline’s requirements for young people travelling alone. Do this for both the outbound and return journeys, and for any connecting flights or different airlines involved in the journey.
• Check whether an Unaccompanied Minor service is compulsory for your child’s age. If it is, you will need to arrange it in advance for them to travel.
• Book and pay for the service directly with the airline. Any airline fees for this service are not included in your Projects Abroad programme fee.
• Consider using the service even when it is optional. For younger travellers in particular, parents may appreciate the additional support an airline can provide while their child navigates the airport and their flight.
• Tell Projects Abroad if you have booked an Unaccompanied Minor service. We can then provide the details of the appropriate member of our local team who will meet your child on arrival and make sure the necessary airport handover arrangements are understood.

What happens on the return journey?

Our local team will make sure your child gets to the airport in good time and will assist them with check-in.

However, unless your child is travelling on one of our Projects Abroad chaperoned flights, our staff do not normally accompany participants through airport security or to the departure gate.

If your airline requires an Unaccompanied Minor service for the return flight, please arrange this directly with the airline and let us know the airline’s handover requirements in advance. When completing airline forms, please do not state that a Projects Abroad staff member will accompany your child to the departure gate unless this has specifically been agreed with us.

Would you prefer your teenager to fly with a Projects Abroad chaperone?

For selected High School Programmes and routes, we also offer chaperoned flights, where a Projects Abroad chaperone travels with the group and supports participants throughout the journey.

These typically fly from London, UK and selected airports in the United States.

This can be a great option for teenagers travelling internationally without their parents for the first time, and gives parents additional peace of mind.

Contact us to learn more.

We are happy to accommodate groups on our projects overseas.

If you are a small group, just let us know on your application form that you are joining with friends. Our staff will make sure that you are working together or close to each other and living in the same place. In many cases, it is also possible for friends to join different programmes in the same country whilst living in the same place.

If you are a bigger group, like an educational institution or business, we can organise a tailor-made Group Trip to fit your needs.

You are welcome on most of our Volunteer & Intern projects from the age of 16 and there is no maximum age limit. These projects run all year round and have flexible dates. Many of our participants are between 18 and 25 years old, but a rapidly increasing number of career breakers and retired people are now taking part too.

Our most popular projects are fixed-date experiences specifically designed for teenagers, called High School Programmes. These projects are just for 14 to 18 year olds and provide an incredible learning opportunity, including age-appropriate activities, heightened supervision from our staff, and social activities.

We also offer Over 50s trips that cater specifically to older participants looking to travel with like-minded people.

For most of our projects, no qualifications are necessary – you only need reasonable spoken English. For example, no TEFL or teaching qualifications are necessary for our Teaching Projects (although you are very welcome if you do happen to have them).

Our professional staff will be there to guide you in the beginning of your project. They will ensure you know what to do and what is expected of you before you start out on your own. And if you ever need their help, they are only a call away.

All of our Childcare and Teaching volunteers also have access to our resource database. These include hundreds of ideas that can be implemented in the classroom. You can find worksheets that can be printed for the children, games that can be played and different songs that can be learned.

Please read the specific project pages for more details.

Yes. We accept volunteers from all over the world – in fact, we actively recruit in much of Europe, North America, Australasia, and Japan. We like to have a multinational mix – that’s what cultural exchange is all about.

You can visit our International Websites for more information.

We believe extraordinary experiences should be accessible to everyone. Whether you are neurodivergent, have a medical condition, or have specific accessibility or support needs, you belong on a Projects Abroad programme.

We’ll work closely with you to find a project that matches your interests and ensures you have the right environment to thrive. From managing allergies to supporting SEND and neurodivergent students, we’ve successfully guided a diverse range of participants through the journey of a lifetime.

Contact us to discuss your requirements.

When you apply, we ask you for the name and address of a referee. This will be someone who knows you well – such as a school tutor or an employer. We then get in touch with them and ask for a reference. This is usually enough to assure us that you are suitable for a project. We occasionally invite prospective volunteers for an informal interview to iron out any concerns.

In addition to this, all volunteers aged 18 and over are required to provide a criminal record check as part of the application process. We will contact you about this after receiving your completed application form.

Above all, our projects are incredible learning opportunities. Alongside professional experience in the field you choose (which looks brilliant on your CV, by the way), you will step out of your comfort zone and build vital personal skills.

You’ll gain confidence, independence, and adaptability from your travels as you hone skills like team-working, presentation, and communication from your project.

Plus, this is an unrivalled opportunity to gain an insight into a completely different culture and way of life, developing your cultural intelligence and empathy.

Yes. Many of our volunteers choose to fundraise, although you certainly don’t have to. For your convenience, we have put together a detailed Fundraising Guide that will provide you with ideas and advice on how to proceed.

Yes. The best way to find real, independent reviews on our experiences is to read the reviews on our TrustPilot page.

If you prefer, you can contact us and let us know where you’d like to go and which project you’d like to join. We will then put you in touch with people who have done these projects in the past.

This depends on where you choose to go and what, if any, vaccinations you have had in the past. We recommend booking an appointment with your local doctor, who will be happy to advise on what vaccinations you may need.

The next step is either to contact us for more information or, if you’ve decided definitely what you want to do, apply now.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss our projects in more detail, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

We believe our staff support overseas is unparalleled. We have full-time, paid, and trained English-speaking staff in each destination.

It is their job to set up placements, check out your accommodation, meet you at the airport, and provide you with any support you need 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more details, see Safety & Back-up.

Before you travel, we will match you with a Destination Expert who will ensure that you are fully prepared for your trip and know exactly what to expect.

During your project, you will also have the support of your supervisor at your place of work. They will be on hand to give you help and advice throughout your time on the project.

Going the extra mile is something that comes naturally to our staff, and we believe it makes our projects just that little bit more special.

Before we set up projects at a destination, the country must be politically stable and safe. If they are not, we don’t go.

We are in constant contact with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office regarding stability and safety and, of course, we have the added security of our overseas staff in each destination.

You’ll be met at the airport or the nearest bus or railway station if travelling overland.

The moment you walk through the arrivals gate, you’ll be able to spot our Projects Abroad staff. They’ll be standing in clear view with a Projects Abroad sign, waiting for you. All transfers to and from the airport are paid for and arranged by us.

Please see Safety & Back-up for more details or check the arrival procedures page for your specific destination.

If you are ill whilst overseas, the staff at the local Projects Abroad office will know where the best medical care can be found. You will receive information on this during your induction when you first arrive and, of course, you can reach our staff by phone 24 hours a day if you fall ill.

Projects Abroad staff will be on hand to liaise with your family, and the relevant medical professionals.

Yes. However, you will need to check visa requirements and flight restrictions. Holding a date-changeable flight ticket will give you added flexibility.

If you want to extend your project, just talk to our overseas staff. Each additional week you spend on a project will be charged at the ‘Extra Week’ price.

For Volunteer & Intern projects, you will have the evenings and weekends free to travel independently. You may take this as an opportunity to go on trips to local places of interest. For every twelve weeks worked you are entitled to two weeks off from your placement.

You can also travel once your project ends. Many participants often form small groups after finishing their experience with us. Depending on the destination you choose, you may find mountains, beaches, jungles or great cities to visit!

However, Our age-related projects (like High School Programmes) have set itineraries. This means that all your weekend and social activities have been planned for you in advance. You won’t need to plan anything extra as our staff will have organised everything for you.

Your accommodation will depend on the country you choose to volunteer in. Most volunteers stay with local host families. This provides you with an insight into the local culture and helps with learning the local language. Living with a family also acts as an additional support network.

In some destinations, you will live together in shared apartments. Volunteers on the majority of our Conservation & Environment projects also live together in a range of accommodation, from beach-side dormitories to wooden bungalows.

You should not expect western standards, but the accommodation is good by local standards. Although we cannot guarantee to meet all requests, please let us know if you have any preferences regarding accommodation or the type of area where you would like to stay.

In all of our destinations, you will be able to access the internet. In most destinations, you can buy a local sim card for your mobile phone or download an eSim. This will help you keep in touch with home, other volunteers, and our local staff in the destination.

You can also access the internet at the local Projects Abroad office. If you are placed in a rural area, you may have to wait until you go into town and visit an internet cafe.

Generally, you should only use your host family’s phone in emergencies. The internet will be the best, and cheapest, way to contact home.

The first thing to remember is that by volunteering with Projects Abroad, you won’t be alone. You are likely to be living and working with other volunteers and will definitely have other volunteers in the same destination as you. Our local staff arrange regular events to make sure volunteers get to meet each other. You will also have the support of our overseas staff 24 hours a day if needed.

In terms of travelling, in general, women do not experience any more problems than perhaps the occasional curious stare. However, regardless of the country, it’s always a good idea to be careful and follow common sense advice.

Providing that you are aware of the possible dangers and prepared for the differences a foreign country will present to you, you should not have any problems. The two most important pieces of advice for a female traveller are to be aware of cultural differences – in the way people act or dress – and always trust your gut instincts.