WHAT IS EVS? 

EVS (European Voluntary Service) is an international volunteer programme funded by the European Commission. It enables all young people legally resident in Europe, aged between 18 and 30 years, to carry out an international volunteer service in an organisation or in a public body in Europe, Africa, Asia or South America for a period ranging from 2 to 12 months. It is very similar to the International Civil Service: provides the reimbursement of travel expenses (90%) and complete coverage of the costs of food and accommodation for the international volunteer.

Thanks to the intercultural dimension and its non-formal approach, European Voluntary Service is a unique opportunity to come into contact with cultures different from your own and to acquire new skills and abilities useful for your personal and professional growth.

European Voluntary Service is based on the following principles:

• increasing your own skills through the practical experience of volunteering abroad;
• encouraging the learning of another language;
• developing the ability to interact with persons of different language and culture;
• spreading tolerance among young people of the European Union;
• promoting active citizenship;
• supporting the development of local communities.

European Voluntary Service is NOT:

• occasional, part-time volunteering;
• an internship in an enterprise, in a humanitary organization or in an NGO;
• a recreational or a tourist activity;
• a language course abroad;
• a paid job.

European Voluntary Service proposes projects in different areas: culture, youth, sports, social care for the elderly, the disabled and the immigrants, cultural heritage, art, leisure, media and communications, environmental protection and education, rural development and development cooperation.

It is possible to do EVS in:

• all 27 European Union Member States;
• EFTA countries (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein);
• candidate countries (Turkey, Croatia);
• countries of Eastern Europe and the Caucasus;
• other countries of the world (with different timing and procedures).