European Solidarity Corps FAQs

Welcome to the FAQ section of the European Solidarity Corps. If you have more questions contact us directly, we will be happy to help you.

What is the European Solidarity Corps?

The European Solidarity Corps is a funding programme of the European Union that creates opportunities for young people aged 18-30 to undertake a long-term voluntary placement with the costs paid. Projects can be of community interest, in the social, environmental or cultural field.

Who can join the European Solidarity Corps?

To participate in ESC you must be aged between 18 to 30 years old and be motivated by supporting important causes, discovering other cultures and living closely with people from other countries.

You can register for the European Solidarity Corps when you are 17 years old, but you cannot start an activity until you have reached 18. Also, you must not be older than 30 at the start of the activity.

To participate in volunteering activities, you must be legally resident in the EU Member States* or one of the following countries:
• North Macedonia and Turkey
• Liechtenstein, Iceland and Norway
• Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia
• Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine
• Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia
• Russian Federation

I am 30 years old, can I apply for a project?

You can apply for European Solidarity Corps projects as long as you are 30 years old at the start of the project.

When are the projects carried out?

The European Solidarity Corps projects are carried out throughout the year. Likewise, the duration of the CES volunteering ranges from 2 months to 12 months, depending on the project. You can request participation in a long-term project (ex: 10 months) even if you have already completed a short-term project (in this case, 2 months, to reach the 12-month limit). This cannot be done the other way around.

What projects do the European Solidarity Corps offer?

European Solidarity Corps projects will cover a wide variety of topics but all will be within the Mission of the European Solidarity Corps, and meet its Principles.

You will be able to find projects in all the countries of the European Union. In the following link you can find all the projects that volunteers are looking for right now by clicking here. Make sure the organisation is looking for participants from your country!

When can I request a project?

CES has three official call outs, in February, April, and October but you can apply to projects throughout the year.

How much does it cost?

The ECS is a paid volunteering activity and is designed to have all costs, e.g. accommodation, covered.

What costs are covered?

The cost of round-trip flights to and from the country of origin; accommodation and food expenses during the project period; an amount of pocket money (varies according to the cost of living of the host country).

What will the accommodation be like in the project?

Each project will be different and the accommodation is specified in the description of each volunteer project. It varies a lot: a room in a house shared with other volunteers, a double room with other volunteers, a house for the volunteer… each project has its own characteristics, although all of them have to meet the minimum requirements for it to be a decent home.

Will I be with mostly European volunteers in the project?

The ESC is a great opportunity for integration with the local community through volunteering, making each experience unique and each format unrepeatable. Exactly who you will be with vary greatly between projects. In some cases you may be with more European volunteers in the host organisation, in other cases they may be local volunteers or you may be the only person volunteering for the European project. In all cases you will have a designated mentor from the host organisation who will accompany and guide you throughout the process.

Am I insured during the activity?

The CES has specific insurance for the volunteer throughout the project throughout the world, which begins on the day of departure and ends two months after the return. During these two months, the insurance will only be valid in the two sending and receiving countries.

What language is spoken?

The language of the project is specified in the project description although in many of the projects English is requested as the language. In some specific cases, a specific level of the local language may be requested (such as in social volunteering with local people or volunteering in communication issues, for example). In case a project is interested in your profile, it will have a Skype interview to get to know you a little better and see your required language level. However, the ESC offers language training in the language of the host country.

How do I apply for projects with the European Solidarity Corps?

Follow the instructions given in the ‘How to apply’ section.