Is ESC Volunteering Fully Funded? What Is Covered

In the European Solidarity Corps, participation in volunteering activities must be free of charge for the volunteer. Volunteering is a full-time unpaid activity that has a duration of up to 12 months, and full-time means at least 30 and not more than 38 hours per week. In a Volunteering Project the eligible costs include travel, Organisational Support for costs linked to the subsistence of participants such as boarding, lodging and local travel, Pocket Money, Linguistic support and exceptional costs. The insurance scheme is provided free of charge to you during the entire period of your mobility. Our guide on ESC volunteering from start to finish walks through every stage, and how much money you actually need for Erasmus+ and ESCsets out what you still pay yourself.

Last updated: October 2026.

What does the European Solidarity Corps grant cover?

The European Solidarity Corps covers the cost items below, and each item has its own scope and its own funding rule.

✈️ Travel: a contribution to the travel costs of participants from their place of origin to the venue of the activity and return. Our guide on how Erasmus+ and ESC travel reimbursement works shows how the amount per distance band is calculated.

🏠 Organisational Support: costs directly linked to the implementation of volunteering activities, such as preparation, monitoring and support of participants, and costs linked to the subsistence of participants, such as boarding, lodging and local travel. Our guide on the hidden costs of a fully funded project lists what still comes out of your own pocket.

💶 Pocket money: a contribution to additional personal expenses for participants. Our guide on how much pocket money you get on ESC lists the daily amount per host country.

🗣️ Linguistic support: costs linked to the support offered to participants, prior to departure or during the activity, in order to improve the knowledge of the language they will use to carry out their volunteering tasks. Our guide on what Online Language Support is explains the free online courses.

📄 Exceptional costs: eligible exceptional costs include visa and visa-related costs, residence permits, vaccinations, medical certifications and clearance requirements costs, and costs connected to personal insurance for in-country activities. The request for financial support for exceptional costs must be motivated and approved. Our guide on visa and residence for ESC and Erasmus+ explains the paperwork.

How is your travel paid in an ESC volunteering project?

The travel contribution is based on unit costs and on the travel distance per participant, including accompanying persons, and travel distances must be calculated using the distance calculator supported by the European Commission. The applicant must indicate the distance of a one-way travel to calculate the amount of the EU grant that will support the round trip.

Below 500 KM, participants will, as a general rule, travel with low emissions means of transport, and over 500 KM, participants are strongly encouraged to use a combination of different modes of transport to make their travel more sustainable. Green travel is travel that uses low emissions means of transport for at least half of the round trip, such as bus, train, bike or car-pooling, and traveling by boat will be considered as green travel if combined with another low emissions means of transport. Our guide on how Erasmus+ and ESC travel reimbursement works lists the distance bands.

Who pays for your accommodation, food and local transport?

Organisational Support covers costs linked to the subsistence of participants, such as boarding, lodging and local travel, and costs directly linked to the implementation of volunteering activities, such as preparation, monitoring and support of participants. The Organisational Support contribution is based on unit costs, per day per participant.

Organisational Support is based on the host country and the duration of the activity per participant, including accompanying persons, if necessary including also one travel day before the activity and one travel day following the activity, and up to four additional days for participants receiving a green travel grant. Our guide on what ESC Volunteering Teams are covers the team format, and the hidden costs of a fully funded project lists what the grant does not pay.

How much pocket money do you get?

Pocket money is a contribution to additional personal expenses for participants, based on unit costs, per day per participant. Pocket money is based on the host country and the duration of the activity per participant, excluding accompanying persons, if necessary including also one travel day before the activity and one travel day following the activity, and up to four additional days for participants receiving a green travel grant.

Our guide on how much pocket money you get on ESC lists the daily amount for each host country, and how much money you actually need for Erasmus+ and ESC compares that amount with real living costs.

Are you insured, and who pays for the insurance?

The European Solidarity Corps supports insurance coverage, when needed, either through the insurance provided by the European Commission for cross-border activities, or through reimbursement of the costs linked to insurance for in-country activities. The European Solidarity Corps provides insurance coverage from the moment participants leave their residence to the host country until their return home after finishing the activity. For activities supported under Volunteering Projects, the enrolment to the insurance must be done before the departure of the participants, and the enrolment covers the duration of the activity, including travel days. Our guide on insurance for ESC volunteers explains the coverage and how a claim is made.

What support do you get that is not money?

🗣️ Language learning support: available for participants carrying out a solidarity activity in the framework of the European Solidarity Corps, and depending on the Action, language learning support takes the form either of a grant of 150 EUR linguistic support or of an online course via the Online Language Support (OLS). Participants in volunteering activities including Volunteering Teams in High Priority Areas and Humanitarian Aid Volunteering and Solidarity Projects are eligible to receive language learning support through OLS. For participants in Volunteering Projects, a specific grant of 150 EUR linguistic support may be provided if the required language or level in the language of mobility is not available in OLS yet. The 150 EUR linguistic support is only for activities lasting 60 days or more, and for cross-border activities only for languages and levels not offered by the Online Language Support. Our guide on what Online Language Support is explains how to start a course.

🧭 Mentoring: personal support through mentoring should be provided to all participants in volunteering activities. Mentoring consists of regular meetings between the mentor appointed by the host or support organisation and the participant, within as well as outside the place where the activity takes place. The content and frequency of the mentoring meetings will vary according to the individual needs, and possible topics are personal wellbeing, wellbeing in the team, satisfaction with the tasks and practicalities. Our guide on your ESC mentor explains what a mentor does.

🤝 Reinforced Mentorship: an intensified mentoring process that might be necessary to support young people with fewer opportunities, if they are not able to implement an activity independently or with normal mentoring or tutoring support. Reinforced Mentorship involves closer contact, more frequent meetings and more time allocated to the implementation of tasks, and guarantees a step-by-step support of the participants during project activities as well as outside working hours. Our guide on inclusion support in Erasmus+ and ESC explains who counts as a young person with fewer opportunities.

🎓 Recognition of learning outcomes: the competences that are the non-formal and informal learning outcomes gained in the solidarity activities shall be identified and documented, in particular through EU level recognition tools such as Youthpass and Europass. Every young person taking part in European Solidarity Corps activities is entitled to go through the Youthpass process and receive a Youthpass certificate at the end of the process. The identification and documentation of non-formal and informal learning outcomes is offered to participants on a voluntary basis, and is mandatory for participating organisations if the participant requests it. Our guide on what Youthpass is explains the certificate, and how to put Youthpass on your CV and LinkedIn shows how to use it afterwards.

Does the funding work the same way in every type of ESC volunteering?

Our guide on EU funded volunteering opportunities compares the different volunteering formats side by side.

How is Volunteering Teams in High Priority Areas funded?

💶 Volunteer support: a contribution to travel costs and exceptional costs such as visa and vaccinations costs, personal insurance for in-country activities, residence permits, medical certifications and a contribution to additional personal expenses for volunteers, which is pocket money. Volunteer support is based on unit costs of 26 EUR per day per volunteer, based on the duration of the volunteering team activity, if necessary including also one travel day before the activity and one travel day following the activity, per volunteer, including accompanying persons. Our guide on what ESC Volunteering Teams areexplains the team format.

How is Humanitarian Aid Volunteering funded?

💶 Volunteer support: a contribution to travel costs and exceptional costs such as visa and vaccinations costs, residence permits, medical certifications and a contribution to additional personal expenses for volunteers, which is pocket money. Volunteer support is based on unit costs of 35 EUR per day per volunteer, based on the duration of the activity, if necessary including also one travel day before the activity and one travel day following the activity, per volunteer, including accompanying persons. Our guide on what Humanitarian Aid Volunteering is explains where these projects run.

Frequently asked questions

Does the European Solidarity Corps pay you a salary?

No, volunteering is a full-time unpaid activity that has a duration of up to 12 months. Pocket money is a contribution to additional personal expenses for participants. Our guide on ESC pocket money amountslists what volunteers receive in each country.

Does taking part cost you anything?

No, participation in volunteering activities must be free of charge for the volunteer. Our guide on costs that remain in a fully funded project covers the small expenses volunteers still meet.

Is your insurance free?

Yes, the European Solidarity Corps insurance scheme is provided free of charge to you during the entire period of your mobility, for the reimbursement of medical expenses and the payment of non-medical expenses. Our guide on ESC volunteer insurance with Henner explains what the cover includes and how to claim.

Does the grant cover your visa and vaccinations?

Yes, visa and visa-related costs, residence permits, vaccinations, medical certifications and clearance requirements costs are eligible as exceptional costs. The request for financial support for exceptional costs must be motivated and approved. Our guide on visa and residence for ESC and Erasmus+ explains the paperwork.

Do you get money for travel days?

Yes, Organisational Support and pocket money both include, if necessary, one travel day before the activity and one travel day following the activity, and up to four additional days for participants receiving a green travel grant, and pocket money is based on the duration of the activity per participant, excluding accompanying persons. Our guide on green travel in Erasmus+ and ESCexplains the extra travel days for sustainable journeys.

Do you get language support in every project?

Participants in volunteering activities including Volunteering Teams in High Priority Areas and Humanitarian Aid Volunteering and Solidarity Projects are eligible to receive language learning support through OLS. The 150 EUR linguistic support is only for activities lasting 60 days or more, and for cross-border activities only for languages and levels not offered by the Online Language Support. Our guide on Online Language Support (OLS) shows how volunteers get access to the courses.

So is ESC volunteering fully funded?

Participation in volunteering activities must be free of charge for the volunteer. Our guide on the hidden costs of a fully funded project lists what falls outside those items. The related pages below from Youth Works Hub cover each part of this guide in more detail.

👉 ESC projects: youthworkshub.org/category/esc-projects