International voluntary workcamps

Vissza

International Voluntary Workcamps are for you!

We are part of a global network of more than 60 organisations from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. An important aspect of the workcamps is that they are always organised in close cooperation with local communities, and are driven by a local need. The themes of the camps can be very varied: you can work with children, with the elderly, with animals, but there are also many eco-camps on the environment, local farming techniques, restoration of old castles, festivals, and even language camps. All this in a colourful international team!

If you have Hungarian residency now (official permit to stay in Hungary e.g. lakcímkártya), then we can support you to participate in a workcamps.

If you do not have a Hungarian residency permit, then the first step to participate in a workcamp is to contact a sending organisation from your country. You can find all the members either among Alliance members or CCIVS members.

If you want to participate on one of Egyesek’s workcamp inform your sending organisation and they will help you how to apply! Check all of our workcamp offers here!

If you did not find an organisation in your country feel free to contact us at outgoing@egyesek.hu. We will help you to find the way to go on a workcamp!

The season starts in mid-March, when organisations upload their camps to the database. The high season is in summer, when you can choose from thousands of camps, but you can also find opportunities in the off-season, in autumn or winter.

You can register via the online interface.

  1. Browse the database of camps
  2. What you like, „add to basket”
  3. Fill in the application form with your details, and if they ask for a cover letter, upload that too
  4. At the end, prioritise the camps you have chosen
  5. You can pay the camp registration fee by credit card (in case of ESC financed camp, please skip that payment).
    Your application will be sent to us, we will forward it first to the partner organising the first camp you have applied for, who will get back to you within 2-3 days to let you know if your application has been accepted (which usually depends on whether there are still places available). If not, we will forward your application to the next camp, and so on until your application is accepted. Once this happens, you will be notified immediately. If there are no spaces left at any of the camps, we will help you find additional camps that fit your needs.
  6. You will receive an email notification when your application is accepted
  7. An information letter will be sent at least 1 month before the camp starts from the host organisation with the details you need to organise your trip: location, date, meeting point and other information (visa arrangements, exchange rate, etc.)

Could more than one person register for a camp?
Yes, but a maximum of 2 people from one country can attend a camp. Please indicate your partner’s name on your application form so that your application will be processed together.

Cancellation
The local communities supported by the camps rely on volunteers to help them achieve their goals. To make a successful camp, it is essential that they know the number of volunteers as soon as possible. Therefore, please do not cancel your participation once you have been selected. If you are unable to participate under any circumstances, you may in some cases be able to use the registration fee already paid to apply for another camp.

Anyone! The camps are independent from the European Union, the Erasmus+ Programme, the European Solidarity Corps.

Most camps are open to people over 18 with no upper age limit. However, there are some camps that are open to younger people, and there are even plenty of camps specifically for volunteers aged 15-17! And that’s not all, you can even bring your family to a family workcamp!

Camps do not usually ask for specific knowledge or skills, but if you do need to have previous experience in a particular field, you will see this clearly in the description. In this case, you may be asked to introduce yourself and tell them why you would like to participate in the camp in a motivation letter of half a page or 1 page at most.

The language of the camps is usually English, and a basic knowledge of the language is usually enough: understand what’s going on around you, communicate with your peers and the camp leader. In one or two cases, you may be asked to speak another language if this is essential for the job you need to do at the camp. If this is the case, it will be clearly indicated in the description.

The length of the camps varies, but most projects are short term (2-3 weeks). However, you can also find medium term (a few months) and long term (6-12 months) camps.

Your accommodation and meals will be provided. Your accommodation can also be very varied, depending on where the camp is: youth hostel, dormitory, hostel, gym mattresses, tent, etc. Meals can be similarly varied, often with volunteers, for example, preparing meals for the group together. Living together, „collective life”, is an important element of camps, as it creates a real group spirit, giving you the opportunity to get to know each other and each other’s cultures, for example by cooking together. According to the campers, these are some of the most memorable moments of the camp!

The camp always has a technical leader who has the necessary expertise for the activity, so he or she will be there to help you during your work. You’ll also have a camp leader who will be with the group at all times, making sure everyone is settled and comfortable, and who you can turn to with any problems you may have.

Travel expenses
You are responsible for the cost of your travel to the camp. However, you have the freedom to organise your trip as you wish. You can choose very cost-effective options, such as carpooling or even hitchhiking. But you can find very affordable options even if you travel by plane, bus or train.

Shared cars – BlaBlaCar

Cheap flights – RushFlights / SkyScanner / Momondo / PelikanHopper

Participation contribution

Most camps do not charge a fee, but if you do, you will find it in the description under „additional host fee”. This is if you are involved in a specific activity and need a specialist or some equipment, for example, or if the community has no other resources to provide accommodation and meals for volunteers, or if you are going for a long distance.

Registration fee

With the registration fee you support the activities of Egyesek. Please pay this amount at the time of registration via our credit card payment platform. Your registration form will be forwarded to the organisations running the camp once we have received the payment.

What will it be used for? It will be used to maintain our workcamp activities within the organisation, to finance the costs of our network membership and to cover communication costs. It also enables us to organise camps in Hungary and to involve young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in our international youth programmes.

Registration fee amount:

  • 18.000 HUF for short-term camps (max. 1 month)
    29.000 Ft for medium and long term camps (from 1 month + 1 day)

Please pay the registration fee the same day after you have registered at the end of the registration process or by clicking on this link.

Refund/Cancellation:

If we are unable to place you in one of the camps you have applied for, you can claim a refund of the registration fee or you can choose to have your registration credited to a later application.

If you cancel after your application has been accepted, we will not be able to refund your registration fee.

Thank you!

You can arrange your insurance through us. All you have to do is indicate this when paying the camp registration fee. You can read the terms and conditions here and we will send you the policy by e-mail.