How to Find Paid Volunteer Work Abroad

“Paid volunteering” might seem like an oxymoron. In most cases, you volunteer for free, giving your time and energy - for free - to a community that needs it. However, you may be surprised to find that offering up your time and expertise for a few weeks or months abroad might see you actually being remunerated for your efforts.

While paid volunteering positions are rare, they do exist! From volunteering abroad for free, fully funded volunteer programs, to actually being paid to volunteer abroad, read on to find out how you can find paid volunteer work abroad!

Yes, paid volunteer work is possible! However, it’s important to understand that “paid volunteering” can mean different things. While you can get paid to volunteer abroad, payment can come in various forms. 

What paid volunteer work actually means

Typically, paid volunteer work is all expenses-covered positions, such as accommodation, meals, transportation, and potentially even a small stipend. 

In rare cases, volunteers can actually earn a salary or a Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) for their efforts abroad. While smaller volunteer organizations may offer a small stipend, larger organizations - like the Peace Corps or UN Volunteers - may offer an allowance in addition to paid expenses, medical insurance, completion bonus, and even more. 

However, the most common form of “paid volunteer work” comes in the form of room and board exchanges. This is an excellent option for travelers who are budget conscious or can’t afford to rely entirely on their savings while volunteering abroad, but it won’t necessarily allow them to save up. 

Often, you can find volunteer or work opportunities on platforms such as WWOOF or Workaway, where you can stay at a host’s home and be provided food in exchange for a few hours work every day. 

While there are many opportunities to volunteer for free, most positions don’t offer payment. In fact, volunteers may be expected to pay a small fee in order to join certain programs.

From economic boundaries, ethical objectives, and providing entry-level and real-world opportunities to volunteers, there are many reasons why volunteer work isn’t paid. 

• Community-focused missions: Charities and nonprofits exist to serve the community, not generate profit. Because many operate on limited budgets, they typically can’t afford to pay volunteers.
• Legal and logistical barriers: Hiring employees requires contracts, visas, payroll, and extensive paperwork. Volunteering avoids these complications while still allowing organizations, communities, and volunteers to benefit. Even if an organization can’t hire extra staff, it can still offer meaningful volunteer roles that provide valuable experience.
• Different skill expectations: Paid volunteer positions - like with VSO or Peace Corps - usually require specific qualifications or expertise. Volunteer roles, however, are often designed for people with little to no prior experience, giving them a chance to learn while contributing.

Although the volunteer abroad requirements for different fields, organizations, and positions vary, here’s what might qualify you for paid charity or volunteer work abroad: 

• Formal qualifications: While many volunteer positions don’t require you to have formal education qualifications, others - like the Peace Corps - may require you to hold a Bachelor’s degree. Additionally, if you’re applying for a specialized position, like that of a healthcare volunteer or a research divemaster, you’ll likely need prior qualifications.
• Experience: While this isn’t always the case, many paid volunteer work opportunities may require you to have prior experience. If an organization receives a high number of volunteer applications, they will prioritize those who have experience.
• Nationality: Your passport may determine whether you qualify for paid volunteer work abroad, as it may determine where you can volunteer according to visa regulations or organization requirements.
• Commitment: You’re more likely to find paid volunteer work abroad if you can commit more time to a cause. It makes more sense for volunteering organizations to remunerate volunteers who can stay for longer and integrate with co-workers and the local community. Many paid volunteer roles require volunteers to commit for around 6+ months.
• Soft skills: Last but not least, you need soft skills to be a successful volunteer, whether this means being personable, sociable, a good communicator, disciplined, and so on. While you need to demonstrate a good level of intuition and independence skills, you’ll also need to be collaborative and effective within a team. 

If you don’t meet the requirements for paid volunteer work, you can still volunteer for free or apply for a scholarship. 

Gap year or volunteer scholarships are one of the best ways to offset or even fully cover volunteer abroad costs. Students and recent graduates often have the most opportunities, but funding exists for others, too. Many organizations offer scholarships and grants ranging from $500 to $15,000 USD to students and gap year students who want to engage in experiential travel abroad. 

While you won’t earn enough to “save”, compensated or low-cost volunteer opportunities do exist, especially if you have strong skills or are flexible about what counts as “payment.” If not, scholarships and grants can still open the door to a meaningful first volunteer experience.

You should look into scholarships or alternatives if you identify with some of the following points: 

• You’re a student or recent grad
• This is your first time volunteering
• You’re new to the field and want to gain industry-specific experience
• You can only commit to a short-term volunteer program

Read more: Volunteer Abroad Scholarships & Grants You Should Apply For

More often than not, you’ll find that government sponsored programs offer some of the best volunteer benefits.

These paid volunteer abroad opportunities often come in the form of government-led programs or independent government agencies that send volunteers abroad to select countries to promote cultural understanding, volunteerism, and public service. 

Their government support and funding means that they can offer a range of benefits for volunteers. Volunteers who work abroad with government-sponsored programs can often receive benefits such as accommodation, salary or stipend, travel costs, student loan assistance, and more. 

Here are some of the most popular government-sponsored paid volunteer abroad programs:

• Peace Corps: The Peace Corps is one of the most popular and well-known government sponsored programs. As a Peace Corps volunteer, you’ll commit two years of service (and 3 months of training) to supporting communities in foreign countries. In return, you’ll receive paid housing, a monthly allowance, medical coverage, and a $10,000+ USD readjustment allowance after completion.
• UN Volunteers: With UN Volunteers, you can volunteer at home, online, or abroad. Volunteers will commit 3 to 48 months of hard work in a range of countries and continents. Whether your role involves admin support in Spain, social media marketing in Nigeria, economic support in Turkey, or other, there’s a range of roles to choose from. Benefits include a monthly Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA), medical insurance, and more.
• Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO): Estimated to have positively impacted the lives of over 4 million people globally, VSO is an independent, non-profit organization that works in partnership with the UK government on specific programs. Volunteer placements range from 3-24 months, and volunteers receive benefits such as accommodation, a monthly living allowance, visa and background check support, and more.
• Improving Economies for Stronger Communities (IESC): IESC, a U.S. nonprofit that has supported economic growth in 139 countries and helped create over 1.5 million jobs since 1964, recruits experienced professionals to serve as Volunteer Experts. In this role, volunteers may train young entrepreneurs, link small businesses to financing and buyers, help farmers access new markets, and more to improve the local community. 

Read more: 10 Peace Corps Alternatives to Inspire You to Volunteer Abroad

Volunteer abroad programs that provide room and board are far more common than salaried or paid charity work abroad. While these positions do offer a range of money-saving benefits, they aren’t as extensive as government-sponsored programs. However, there’s much more room for flexibility, with positions requiring only a few weeks of volunteering at minimum. 

Here are some of the most popular platforms for volunteer roles with paid accommodation and board. 

• WWOOF: WWOOF - or Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms - lets you travel affordably through work exchanges on organic farms, whether it’s a vineyard in France, a ranch in the U.S., or something else. After paying a small membership fee, volunteers can benefit from room and board while supporting sustainable farming initiatives, learn agricultural skills, and meet locals and fellow travelers.
• Workaway: Workaway advertises a range of volunteer opportunities across the world, whether it’s farmwork, deckhanding on a ship, doing admin at a hostel, pet sitting, or something else. While each position varies, benefits typically include free accommodation.
• Worldpackers: With thousands of hosts in over 140 countries, Worldpackers offers work exchange opportunities in homestays, schools, holistic centres, organic farms, and much more for conscientious travelers. Volunteer opportunities come in the form of permaculture, housekeeping, tourism, and more. 

Read more: How to Volunteer Abroad for Free

There are many factors to consider when searching for paid volunteer opportunities. Here’s how you can find paid volunteer work abroad: 

1. Understand your skills: It’s important that you identify your skills and experience in order to understand what sort of roles will be available to you. If you have a bachelor’s degree or experience in a specific field, you’re more likely to find paid volunteer work abroad.
2. Decide on a sector: You’ll need to decide on a sector that resonates with your goals. Are you passionate about environmental conservation, or do you want to combat poverty issues? Or, maybe you’re flexible as long as you can put your effort towards a good cause.
3. Choose a country: When considering a country, you’ll need to not only take into account factors such as the culture and climate, but the availability of paid volunteer roles.
4. Search for volunteer roles: You can find paid volunteer roles on many different sites online, from volunteer programs on GO to job boards like NGO, work exchange platforms, and more. Additionally, consider checking in with your employer to see if they offer corporate volunteering programs.
5. Gather documents and apply: Prepare your documents ahead of time to ensure that there aren’t any issues when applying. Gather important documents such as your passport scan, formal qualifications, resume, letters of recommendation, and so on.
6. Apply for your visa: Depending on the unique country you’re heading to, you may need to apply for a visa. Some countries forbid any form of work on a tourist visa, even unpaid voluntary work, so be sure to check with your volunteer coordinator. 

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions regarding finding paid volunteer work abroad: 

Can you volunteer abroad for free?

Yes, you can volunteer abroad for free. Many volunteer programs cover expenses such as accommodation and meals, but you’re likely to cover airfare yourself. 

What’s the difference between paid and all expenses paid volunteer work?

Paid volunteer work often includes a monthly Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA), whereas an “all expenses paid volunteer” role likely covers accommodation fees and meals.

Read more: 5 Realistic Ways to Get Cheap or Free Accommodation While Traveling

What volunteer programs have all expenses paid?

Long term and government-sponsored programs like the Peace Corps and UN Volunteers often offer all expenses paid opportunities for volunteers. You can also find a range of volunteer programs on Go Overseas that cover many of your expenses like accommodation and meals. 

What skills do I need to volunteer abroad?

Generally, you don’t need industry-specific or hard skills to volunteer abroad, as many opportunities are open to entry-level volunteers. However, to find paid volunteer work abroad, you’ll generally need a degree, experience, or excellent personal skills. 

Read more: 10 Things I Wish I Had Done Differently as a First-Time Volunteer

Finding paid work as a volunteer abroad is possible, you just need to know where to look. Whether through government programs, all expenses paid volunteer exchanges, or scholarships, there are many ways to make volunteering abroad affordable. With the right preparation and flexibility, you can make a real impact while keeping costs low.

Read more about volunteering abroad: 

• Best Volunteer Abroad Programs for Young Professionals
• Volunteer Abroad Scholarships & Grants You Should Apply For
• How Much Does It Cost to Volunteer Abroad?