Do you pay anything to volunteer?
No. The European Solidarity Corps Guide 2026 states that participation in volunteering activities must be free of charge for the volunteer. No host or sending organisation in the Corps can ask you for a registration fee, a placement fee or a deposit. If someone asks you to pay to join an ESC project, it is not following the programme rules: report it to the National Agency of that country.
The EU grant is paid to the organisations, which use it to cover your costs. Below is what the grant pays for, and how.
Who pays for your travel?
Your return trip from home to the project is covered by a fixed contribution based on the distance. The contribution is higher if you choose green travel (train, bus, car sharing) for most of the journey. Some examples from the 2026 rates, per person, for the trip there and back:
- 100 to 499 km: 211 euro, or 285 euro with green travel;
- 500 to 1,999 km: 309 euro, or 417 euro with green travel;
- 2,000 to 2,999 km: 395 euro, or 535 euro with green travel.
Green travel also adds up to 4 extra travel days to your funded period. Ask your organisation who books the tickets and how the contribution is used before you buy anything. If travel from your area is unusually expensive, the organisation can ask the National Agency for extra funding.
What about accommodation, food and local transport?
The host organisation must provide suitable accommodation and healthy meals, or a food allowance, including during your holidays, and make sure you have local transport to reach your tasks. Accommodation is often a shared flat with other volunteers; the type is described in each project.
How much pocket money do you get?
Pocket money is a fixed amount for each day of your activity, paid by the host organisation weekly or monthly. It depends on the host country. These are the 2026 daily rates:
- 12 euro: Denmark
- 11 euro: Ireland
- 10 euro: Croatia
- 8 euro: France, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway
- 7 euro: Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Sweden
- 6 euro: Belgium, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Türkiye, partner countries neighbouring the EU
- 5 euro: Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia
- 4 euro: North Macedonia, Romania
That is roughly 120 to 360 euro a month. It is meant for personal expenses, not for rent or food, which are already covered.
Are you insured?
Yes. For cross-border activities the Corps insurance covers you from the moment you leave for the host country until 2 months after the activity ends. It works as a top-up to your European Health Insurance Card, which you must get before departure and use whenever possible. If you cannot get the card for free, the Corps insurance gives you primary cover. For in-country activities, the insurance reimburses costs not covered by your national health system.
Do you get language and training support?
Yes, at no cost:
- Online Language Support on the EU Academy platform, for activities of 2 months or more. If your language or level is not offered online, the project can receive 150 euro to pay for another course.
- Training: pre-departure training for cross-border activities, on-arrival training, a mid-term evaluation for activities of 6 months or more, and the General Online Training.
- A mentor who supports you during the placement.
What might you still pay yourself?
The essentials are covered, but a few things are usually up to you:
- Personal spending beyond the pocket money: trips in your free time, eating out, hobbies.
- Travel costs above the contribution, if you book an expensive ticket before agreeing it with your organisation.
- Documents you would need anyway, such as a passport or an ID card.
Visa and visa-related costs, residence permits, vaccinations and medical certificates can be covered as exceptional costs if the organisation requests them from the National Agency. Ask about them early, when you are selected.
How can you tell a free project from a paid one?
A real European Solidarity Corps project is published on the European Solidarity Corps Portal or by an organisation with a Quality Label, never asks for a fee, and gives you a volunteering agreement before departure. Offers that ask you to pay a “program fee” are commercial volunteering trips, even when they use similar words. Our guide to free volunteering in Europe explains how to spot them.
Next steps: check the requirements in Who can join the European Solidarity Corps?, then follow How to apply. For an overview, see our European Solidarity Corps guide.