Volunteer Abroad: The Portal for Work and Vacations Overseas

Volunteer Work Abroad Programs and Vacations

Volunteering abroad is the best option for meaningful work and vacations in developing countries or for social causes anywhere. Some volunteer positions do "pay," at least room and board, and it may be possible to defer educational loans during a volunteer assignment. For summer work camps or volunteer vacations, apply generally March-May. For long-term volunteer options like the Peace Corps, apply six to nine months in advance.

The following volunteer abroad organizations are organized by country and region below, and include many first-hand participant reports that provide both practical and inspirational perspectives from volunteers.

Volunteer Abroad by Region

Volunteer Abroad by Country

Worldwide	Argentina	Guatemala	Philippines
Africa	Australia	Honduras	Poland
Asia	Belgium	Iceland	Portugal
Australasia	Bolivia	India	Romania
Central America	Brazil	Israel	Russia
Europe (Central & Eastern)	Cambodia	Italy	South Africa
Europe (Western)	Canada	Kenya	South Korea
Latin America	Chile	Lithuania	Spain
South America	China	Japan	Sri Lanka
	Colombia	Madagascar	Sweden
	Costa Rica	Mexico	Switzerland
	Denmark	Mongolia	Taiwan
	Dominican Republic	Morocco	Tanzania
	Ecuador	Mozambique	Thailand
	El Salvador	Namibia	Tibet
	Fiji	Nepal	Turkey
	Finland	New Zealand	Uganda
	France	Nicaragua	United Kingdom
	Germany	Nigeria	United States
	Ghana	Peru	Vietnam
	Greece

Featured Volunteer Programs and Vacations Abroad

Volunteer and Intern Abroad in Over 40 Countries Worldwide with Global Vision International (GVI)

Volunteer Abroad for the Experience of a Lifetime in 12 Countries with Cross-Cultural Solutions

Volunteer in 50 Countries Worldwide with United Planet

Worldwide Volunteer Work Abroad with Projects Abroad

Volunteer Vacations Abroad in Brazil, Costa Rica, Nepal, Peru, Thailand, or Vietnam with Globe Aware

Volunteer in Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, India, Sri Lanka and many more countries around the world with i-to-i

Volunteer Abroad Placements Available in Australia, South Africa, India, Costa Rica and Peru with Working Abroad

Volunteer Abroad in Argentina, Australia, Benin, Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Ghana, India, New Zealand, Tanzania, and Thailand with Center for Cultural Interchange

Volunteer in Argentina, China, Costa Rica, India, New Zealand, Peru, or Spain with Geovisions

Volunteer in India, Nepal, Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, Vietnam, Phillipines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Cambodia with Volunteering Solutions

Volunteer Abroad in Ecuador, Tanzania, or Vietnam with Experiential Learning International

Volunteer in Peru, Belize, Mexico, India, Thailand, Ghana, and Brazil with MyProWorld

Volunteer to Teach English in Spain at Low Cost with Pueblo Ingles

Volunteer in Cambodia, Laos, Nepal, and Thailand with OpenMindProjects

Ethical Volunteering in Cambodia, Columbia, Peru, Thailand with a U.K. Charity with Globalteer

Volunteer in Argentina with GICARG

Volunteer Work in Argentina with Road2Argentina

Volunteer Work Abroad Worldwide — including Ecuador, Ghana, India, Nepal, Thailand, South Africa, and Uganda — with the Twin Group

Volunteer Conservation Work Week in Scotland with Trees for Life

Get AMPED Abroad! Volunteer and Live in Argentina, Ecuador, Guatemala

Volunteer in Argentina and South Africa with Connect-123

Articles on Volunteer Work and Vacations Abroad

We are pleased to offer a vast assortment of articles which discuss the experience of volunteering abroad as a means of immersing yourself in another culture while helping to bring native people some positive change in their lives.

The following articles cover the subject of volunteering abroad both in the theoretical and in the most practical sense, including:

Topical articles by experienced international volunteer professionals in the Volunteer Work and Vacation Abroad Advisor section below.
FIrst-hand Volunteer Work and Vacation Abroad Participant Reports by those who have chosen from the many volunteer work and vacation programs available overseas.

Volunteer Work and Vacation Abroad Advisor

How to Evaluate International Volunteer Sending Organizations by Zahara Heckscher

The Changing Face of International Volunteering by Volker Poelzl

Learning to Love Voluntourists: Harnessing their Energy and Curiosity for Volunteer Service Vacations by Alison Gardner

Volunteer Abroad the Right Way: An Interview with Zahara Heckscher

Choosing a Volunteer Abroad Placement Organization by Zahara Heckscher

How to Choose the "Right" Volunteer Program Abroad by Joseph Collins, Stefano DeZerega, Zahara Heckscher

Volunteer Vacations to Fit: How to Select the Best-Suited Organization by Doug Cutchins and Anne Geissinger

Arranging a Volunteer Experience Abroad by Katie Krueger

Ramping Up: IVPA Establishes Standards of Excellence for International Volunteering by Sherry Schwarz

From Volunteer Work To a Career: Becoming an International Aid Worker by Matthew Bolton

The Ins and Outs of Volunteering: An Interview with Dianne Brause

Work as a Volunteer Travel Adviser by Heidi Resetarits

Making the Most of Volunteer Service with the Peace Corps by Brianne Goodspeed

After the Peace Corps by Mishelle Shepard

Learn Language and Do Good: Combine Volunteering with Language Study Abroad by Zahara Heckscher

Learn a Language While Volunteering Abroad by Susan Griffith

Volunteering Abroad: A Global Movement by Christine Victorino

Volunteering Abroad: Selecting the Perfect Opportunity by Christine Victorino

The Cost of Volunteering by Daniel Weiss

Volunteer Abroad on Your Own by Michael Don

Investing Yourself as a Volunteer by Reverend Dr. Henry Bucher, Jr.

Why Pay to Volunteer Abroad? by Le Ann Joy Adam

Why Volunteer Abroad? by Peter Hodge

Volunteer Vacations Gain Popularity by Margaret Jaworski

Whirled Transformations: The History and Future of Inter-Cultural Caring by Ann McLaughlin

Volunteering Overseas Over 50 by John Dwyer

Baby Boomers and International Volunteer Service by Ann McLaughlin

Volunteer Vacations: Seniors Have a Different Agenda by Alison Gardner

Making the Most of a Volunteer Vacation by Doug Cutchins and Anne Geissinger

Volunteer as a Senior and Make Retirement Count with Global Service Corps

Volunteer Vacations Can Change Your Life by Dianne Brause.

Delaying the Real World with a Volunteer Adventure Proposal Wins Fellowship Abroad by Colleen Kinder

Volunteer Service Programs. This Summer Vacation Make a Difference by Russell Carlock

Community Service Abroad: Volunteers Combine Alms and Elbow Grease by Molly Beer

Volunteer Placements: Coping With Potential Problems by Susan Griffith

Making a Difference: Volunteering and Education Abroad by Charles Gliozzo

International Volunteerism by Rebecca Jewell

Volunteer Abroad for an NGO as a Photographer by Jim Hall

Executive Volunteering Abroad by James G. Coon

Volunteer Work Abroad on Organic Farms by Caroline Nye

Work for Peace as a Volunteer Abroad by April Thompson

Featured Volunteer Work and Vacation Abroad Participant Reports

First-hand volunteer reports by those who have actually participated in both large and small programs overseas offer inside details which no listing information can fully provide.

We are pleased to offer a rich edited selection of volunteering experiences below from a variety of perspectives by region (including Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, and Latin America below). Note: For many more volunteer participant reports from abroad go to the specific region and country program pages.

Volunteer Abroad Participant Reports from Africa

Volunteering in Africa: Top Tips and Volunteer Sending Organizations by Zahara Heckscher

The Real Peace Corps

Volunteering in Angola, Africa

Volunteer at the Lion Park in South Africa

Volunteer Teaching English in Africa

Volunteer Effectively in Nigeria: The Key is Thinking Grassroots

Agribusiness Volunteers in Nigeria: Give and Gain in a Developing Country

Volunteering in Tanzania with Cross-Cultural Solutions

Volunteer with Global Service Corps in its International Health program in Tanzania

Volunteer Service in Ghana with AFS

Volunteering to Teach in Ghana with Global Volunteers