To go on a humanitarian or volunteer trip abroad, there are two broad routes: structured, selective programs run by governments or established organizations (the US Peace Corps, VSO in the UK), which provide support and protection, and short « volunteer trips » sold by private organizations, which are generally paid. Before choosing, check the real usefulness of the mission and whether your skills match it.
This guide presents two long-term programs with their verified conditions, the questions to ask an organization, and the pitfalls to avoid, notably « voluntourism » and orphanage volunteering. It recommends no paid organization in particular.
Volunteering abroad: the essentials
- Peace Corps (US): US citizens aged 18 or over, 27 months in total (three months of training, then two years of service), living allowance, medical and dental care during service.
- Peace Corps Response: shorter assignments of 6 to 12 months for people with more specialized experience.
- VSO (UK): mostly for experienced professionals, generally a degree and at least three years of relevant experience; placements most often run 9 to 24 months, with a living allowance and accommodation; no age limit.
- Short paid trips: possible, but their usefulness varies widely: ask precise questions.
- Avoid: volunteering in orphanages, which the UK government and the sector advise against.
Established volunteer programs
| Program | Who can apply | Duration | What is provided |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peace Corps (US government) | US citizens aged 18 or over (no upper age limit; green card holders cannot apply until they naturalize) | 27 months: about 3 months of training, then 2 years of service | Monthly living allowance for housing, food and incidentals; medical and dental care during service; transportation to and from the country |
| Peace Corps Response | US citizens with more specialized experience | 6 to 12 months | See the Peace Corps website |
| VSO (UK-based international development charity) | Mainly experienced professionals: a degree or equivalent and at least three years of relevant experience; no age restrictions; criminal background check | Requests most often run 9 to 24 months | Local-currency living allowance and accommodation (not enough to live an expat lifestyle or send money home) |
The Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is a US government program. Federal law requires volunteers to be US citizens aged at least 18; there is no upper age limit. A volunteer term lasts 27 months in total, including about three months of in-country training in language, cross-cultural and technical skills. Volunteers receive a monthly living allowance covering housing, food and incidentals, and medical and dental care during service. A degree is not always required: many assignments accept relevant work experience, although most opportunities ask for a four-year degree. Peace Corps Response offers 6 to 12-month assignments that require more specialized experience (peacecorps.gov, checked 12 November 2026).
VSO and other UK routes
VSO places skilled volunteers with local partner organizations. Its criteria for professional volunteers are demanding: generally a degree or equivalent in a related field and at least three years of relevant professional experience, a criminal background check and commitment to the full duration of the placement. Each application is assessed individually (vsointernational.org, checked 12 November 2026). Check the current eligibility rules of any youth volunteering scheme directly with its organizer.
Whichever country you are from, check any scheme with the organization itself: its eligibility rules, what it covers and how much it asks you to pay. If you would rather swap work for room and board on an organic farm, see our guide to WWOOFing: how it works.
Short paid humanitarian trips
Private organizations offer missions of two weeks to a few months, with little selection, for fees that generally cover accommodation, supervision and a contribution to the project. These stays can be useful, but their quality is very uneven. Before paying, ask these questions:
- What exactly is the mission, and who defined it: the organization or a local body?
- Do I have the skills to do it? A simple test: « Could I do this in my own country? »
- What share of the fees goes to the local project, and for what?
- Does my presence replace a local job?
- What preparation before departure and what supervision on site?
- What insurance is included (health, repatriation, liability)?
- Is the organization registered where required and does it have a track record? Can you speak to past volunteers? (UK FCDO advice)
Voluntourism and orphanages: avoid
France Volontaires warns against « voluntourism », stays where the traveler’s experience takes priority over local needs. The most cited case is volunteering in orphanages, which volunteering organizations strongly discourage: a regular turnover of volunteers can sustain facilities where many children still have parents, and harm their emotional stability. The UK government’s travel guidance says that visiting or volunteering in orphanages can have serious unintended consequences for vulnerable children, that turnover of volunteers without relevant training and experience can be harmful to children’s development and emotional wellbeing, and that some dishonest organisations have deliberately housed children in poor conditions (GOV.UK, « Volunteering and adventure travel », updated 12 June 2025). VSO also campaigns against orphanage tourism. Prefer missions without prolonged contact with vulnerable children, or supervised by professionals.
Preparing to go
- Entry requirements: a specific visa may be required for volunteering, even unpaid. Check the country page on travel.state.gov (US citizens) and the GOV.UK foreign travel advice for the destination (UK citizens), and see our page on travel entry requirements.
- Health: see a travel clinic several weeks before departure; some destinations require yellow fever vaccination (see our travel vaccines guide).
- Insurance: for a mission outside an established program, travel insurance covering medical costs and repatriation is essential, and the FCDO advises you to check what cover the organizer provides and what support exists if you need to return home early: see our guide to travel insurance.
- Language: English is often the working language; Spanish is useful in Latin America, French in French-speaking African countries.
Want to combine volunteering with discovery? Our guides to Senegal, Madagascar, Cambodia or Costa Rica help you prepare the travel side, and our page on solo travel gives advice for a first solo trip.
Frequently asked questions
Can you do a humanitarian trip for free?
Established programs such as the Peace Corps provide a living allowance and cover many costs, but they are selective and last months. Short missions without selection are, as a rule, paid.
What age do you need to be to go on a humanitarian mission?
The Peace Corps requires volunteers to be at least 18, with no upper limit; VSO says it has no age restrictions. Other organizations set their own rules.
Do you need special skills?
For long programs, the organization selects according to the role (VSO, for example, generally asks for a degree and three years’ relevant experience). For any mission, only accept tasks you could carry out in your own country.
Why avoid orphanages?
The UK government and the volunteering sector advise against it: a turnover of volunteers without relevant training can harm children and sustain problematic institutions.
Am I covered by insurance during my mission?
In the Peace Corps, medical and dental care is covered during service. For a private mission, buy travel insurance that covers medical costs and repatriation, and check what the organizer provides.
Our sources
- Peace Corps (peacecorps.gov), applying FAQs and programs and service options, checked 12 November 2026.
- VSO International, « Who can volunteer with us » and orphanage tourism campaign, checked 12 November 2026.
- UK FCDO, « Volunteering and adventure travel » (GOV.UK, updated 12 June 2025), checked 12 November 2026.
- France Volontaires (france-volontaires.org), consulted 14 October 2026.
- Guidisto Volontariat, « Humanitaire » page (warning about orphanages), consulted 14 October 2026.
- Our methodology
Updated November 2026.