European Solidarity Corps (ESC) volunteering is fully funded: technically you pay nothing, although you sometimes pay costs such as tickets and visas first and are reimbursed afterwards. No fee is ever asked for applying, in ESC or Erasmus+ youth projects; nobody should pay anything at the application stage. Our guide on what the European Solidarity Corps is explains that programme, and our guide on what Erasmus+ is explains Erasmus+. Our guide on what ESC volunteering covers lists what is paid for you, and what Erasmus+ covers does the same for the other programme. Our guide on the hidden costs of a fully funded project explains what you pay first and what you pay yourself. The sections below follow the money stage by stage: application, before you leave, the first weeks, the rest of the project and the reimbursement.
Last updated: October 2026.
What does a funded project cover?
In the European Solidarity Corps, participation in volunteering activities must be free of charge for the volunteer. You are entitled to travel costs from your place of origin to the venue of the activity and return, free food and accommodation, and subsistence costs such as local travel provided by the host organisation. You will receive a small allowance (pocket money) for your personal expenses throughout the duration of the activity, including travel days and vacations. In Erasmus+ Youth Exchanges and youth worker activities, food and accommodation are fully covered for participants; this is mandatory, not an exception. Our guide on how much pocket money you get explains the allowance, and Youth Exchanges explains that activity.
Do you pay anything when you apply?
Applying is completely free, and you do not need to write a project to take part in the ESC: you apply to the projects that are published. A request for money under any name (application fee, placement fee, commission, booking fee, visa processing fee) is a warning sign of a fake or problematic call. In ESC and Erasmus+ youth projects, nobody pays anything at the application stage, and nobody transfers money to an organisation. Our guide on how to spot a real Erasmus+ or ESC project lists the warning signs of a fake or problematic call.
Which costs do you pay first before you leave?
In Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps projects, participants usually buy their own return ticket first and the organisation reimburses them afterwards; for participants with limited financial means, organisations can also support them, so this should be agreed with the sending and host organisations before buying. These are the items to check before you leave for an ESC project:
🎫 Ticket: the volunteer buys the ticket after the visa is issued and the host organisation reimburses it during the project; some organisations buy the ticket themselves and tell the volunteer in advance
✅ Ticket approval: before buying, email the route, date, time and price to the host organisation and get its approval (this is required)
🧾 Flight invoice: send the flight invoice to both the host and the sending organisation; a bank receipt or payment confirmation is not an invoice
💶 Ticket above the travel limit: if the ticket costs more than the travel distance band amount, the participant pays the difference; if it costs less, the remaining amount stays with the organisation
🛂 Visa and vaccinations: visa and vaccination costs are usually paid first by the volunteer and reimbursed later, but this must always be confirmed with the organisation in advance
🧳 Baggage: baggage fees are part of the ticket cost and are reimbursed within the travel limits; for any extra cost, get the organisation's approval first
🚕 Airport transfer: transfer from the airport to the project town is part of the travel costs and is reimbursed within the travel limits
🚫 Costs not covered: VIP or fast-track processing, premium lounges, courier or other optional service fees, fees of consultancy offices or visa agencies, and private health insurance, because in cross-border activities ESC volunteers already have the free Henner insurance
Our guide on how flights are booked and reimbursed covers the ticket step by step, how travel distance bands work explains the limit, visas and residence permits covers the visa side, and insurance for ESC volunteers explains the free Henner insurance.
How much cash do you need for the first weeks of an ESC project?
Bringing 50 to 100 EUR helps for the first weeks until a bank account is opened. Volunteers with limited means can agree with the organisation to receive cash against a signed receipt. ESC pocket money is paid weekly or monthly, in cash against a signed receipt or by bank transfer, depending on the organisation. Common arrangements are a single payment at the start of each month, a monthly bank transfer, an advance for the first month, or payment every two weeks. The details are written in the volunteering agreement. The biggest money problem is when pocket money is paid monthly and volunteers spend it in the first week, then have no money for the rest of the month. Our guide on how much pocket money you get explains the amount and the payment.
What do you pay for yourself during an ESC project?
ESC volunteers spend their own money mainly on daily personal expenses (not food) and on personal travel. Pocket money is for personal needs only, because accommodation, food and insurance are already covered: small shopping, personal trips around the city, cafés, social events, books, sport and cultural activities, personal care products, phone line or mobile data top-ups, snacks and other small pleasures. The pocket money must not cover project costs (for example local transport or food) because it is intended for your personal expenses. A SIM card and phone line are usually paid by the volunteer from pocket money; some organisations provide them, so clarify this with the organisation. In the European Solidarity Corps, the organisation usually provides the accommodation and gives food money, so the volunteer can cook at home or eat out; the details are set out in the info pack. Our guide on what ESC volunteering covers lists what is paid for you.
What changes in Erasmus+ Youth Exchanges and youth worker activities?
In Erasmus+ Youth Exchanges and youth worker activities, participants receive no pocket money or cash allowance: food, accommodation and travel are covered and the host organisation arranges everything, while personal expenses are the participant's own. In a Youth Participation activity abroad, participants' travel, accommodation and food are covered. Our guide on Youth Exchanges explains that activity, mobility of youth workers explains youth worker activities, and Youth Participation Activities explains Youth Participation.
Does an Erasmus+ project ask participants for a participation fee?
In Erasmus+ Youth Exchanges, training courses, seminars and study visits, about one in ten calls asks participants for a participation fee; Youth Works Hub does not support this practice. The participation fee is not a payment made in advance: it is usually deducted from the travel reimbursement. A participation fee is usually a contribution the organisation asks for its own institutional capacity, not a cost of the programme. A participation fee is never paid at application, only by selected participants, and in many cases it can be negotiated or even waived by the organisation. If an organisation asks you to pay at the application stage, report it to the National Agency or the European Commission and let us know, so we can report it too. Our guide on what Erasmus+ covers explains what the programme pays for.
When do you get the money back?
When travel costs are reimbursed differs from project to project; it should be written in the info pack, and if it is not, you must clarify it with the organisation before the project. To receive the travel contribution, the volunteer gives the host organisation proof after the journey: tickets, invoices or boarding passes. Missing tickets or invoices mean the contribution may not be paid in full. The host organisation reimburses visa and residence permit costs by bank transfer, in cash with a receipt, or together with the pocket money. Some organisations pay these costs in advance, but this is their own choice. Visa and residence permit fees are reimbursed at their actual amount: 100% of the eligible cost, as long as you hand in the receipts. The volunteer does not receive money directly from the National Agency. Our guide on leaving a project early explains what happens when a volunteer leaves before the project ends.
Frequently asked questions
Do you pay a sending organisation?
No: if a call asks for a sending (support) organisation, you can find all organisations holding a Quality Label on the European Youth Portal and ask one of them to be your sending (support) organisation; this is completely free, so most organisations will accept you. Our guide on the supporting organisation explains who the sending organisation is.
Do you pay for insurance in the ESC?
In cross-border activities, ESC volunteers already have the free Henner insurance. You will be insured throughout your activity, either through the insurance provided by the European Commission (for cross-border activities) or through the national health system or private personal insurance (for in-country activities). Our guide on insurance for ESC volunteers explains how it works.
Do families pay anything?
ESC is not a job and pays no salary, but costs are covered and the volunteer receives pocket money; families pay nothing to anyone. Our guide on what ESC volunteering covers lists what is paid for the volunteer.
Can you earn money with a job during a long-term ESC project?
No: during a long-term project you cannot do paid work, even in your free time, and you cannot continue formal education (university, master's, doctorate) in the host country. Our guide on your first steps as an ESC volunteer explains the first steps of a volunteer.
Where to go next
Youth Works Hub has a Match page that finds projects suited to you; using Match requires an account on the site, and signing up with Google is available but not required. The Youth Works Hub pages below cover the next steps.
Related pages: the hidden costs of a fully funded project · how much pocket money you get · how travel distance bands work · how flights are booked and reimbursed · visas and residence permits · leaving a project early
👉 ESC projects: youthworkshub.org/?tab=esc-projects
👉 Erasmus+ projects: youthworkshub.org/?tab=erasmus-projects
