In the European Solidarity Corps (ESC), you can leave the project if there is a serious incident or conflict situation that cannot be resolved in other ways, but this should always be the last resort and should be agreed with the National Agency. If something goes seriously wrong and it cannot be solved, the project can end early, and this is not a failure. Never end a project without telling your sending organisation. Our guide on what the European Solidarity Corps is explains the programme.
Last updated: November 2026.
Can you leave an ESC project early?
Yes: you can leave the project if there is a serious incident or conflict situation that cannot be resolved in other ways, but this should always be the last resort and should be agreed with the National Agency. In practice, if something serious and outside your control happens, inform the host and sending organisations immediately, and the organisations report it to the National Agency. Our guide on the agreement you sign before starting explains the withdrawal clauses.
What should you try before you decide to leave?
Before deciding to leave, try other solutions first (a change of tasks, support from the mentor, mediation), communicate in writing by email rather than by phone or messaging apps, and keep emails and screenshots. Talk first to your mentor, then to your sending organisation, and if needed to the National Agency.
🧑🤝🧑 Your mentor: if a conflict situation arises, you may ask your mentor to facilitate communication between you and the local environment or the host organisation.
🔄 A different mentor: if conflict arises between you and the mentor, you can ask participating organisations to get another person appointed as your mentor.
📣 A complaint: you should refer a complaint on a specific project to the National Agency or directly to the European Commission.
Our guide on your ESC mentor explains what the mentor does, and our blog on when things go wrong on a project covers real problems and how they are solved.
Who do you tell, and in what order?
If something serious and outside your control happens, inform the host and sending organisations immediately, give documents that prove it (medical report, official letter, police report, flight cancellation notice), and the organisations report it to the National Agency. Communicate in writing by email rather than by phone or messaging apps, keep emails and screenshots, and never end a project without telling your sending organisation. In practice the support (sending) organisation is the organisation that speaks your language and knows the situation in your country when something goes wrong abroad. Our guide on the supporting organisation explains its role, and our guide on what National Agencies are explains theirs.
What counts as force majeure?
Force majeure is a situation or event that stops organisations and individuals from doing what they have to do in the project; it must be unforeseeable, exceptional and beyond the parties' control. Examples are a natural disaster, war or unrest, a terrorist attack, an epidemic, your own serious illness, the serious illness or death of a close family member, major transport disruption, or official travel bans. Force majeure cannot be due to error or negligence of the organisations or other participants involved in the project and must prove to be inevitable in spite of the exercise of all required due diligence. Our guide on the agreement you sign before starting explains what your agreement says.
What happens to your money if you leave early?
✅ With force majeure: if it is accepted as force majeure, you can leave without penalty, payments are calculated for the days you actually spent in the project, and the return journey is paid.
⚠️ Without force majeure: pocket money and food money are paid only for the days you stayed, the return journey is not guaranteed, especially if you leave before the middle of the project, and visa or permit costs are usually not reimbursed.
Every case is assessed separately, so discuss yours with the sending organisation. Our guide on ESC pocket money explains how it is paid, and our guide on whether ESC is fully funded lists what is covered.
What happens to your insurance?
Solidarity volunteers and Humanitarian Aid volunteers are covered under the European Solidarity Corps insurance plan from the day they leave home for the host country until the end of the second month after the mobility ends. If you decide not to return to your country of residence after your volunteering activity, your insurance cover finishes. The insurance also covers follow-up medical treatments until 2 months after finishing the activity. Our guide on insurance for ESC volunteers explains the cover.
What if the host organisation ends your project?
If the host organisation removes a volunteer or ends the project early, the organisation discusses it with the National Agency and the process starts after that. Our guide on the supporting organisation explains who stands by you in your own country.
Which time limit applies to your next ESC project?
The total amount of time spent by a young person in European Solidarity Corps volunteering activities must not exceed 12 months and the activities carried out must not overlap. Solidarity Projects are not included in the 12-month time limit. Our guide on doing ESC more than once explains which second activity is allowed.
Frequently asked questions
Is leaving early a failure?
No: if something goes seriously wrong and it cannot be solved, the project can end early, and this is not a failure. Our blog on mental health and wellbeing on a project covers how to look after yourself.
Do I need to tell my sending organisation first?
Yes: never end a project without telling your sending organisation. Our guide on the supporting organisation explains its role.
What if I do not get on with my mentor?
If conflict arises between you and the mentor, you can ask participating organisations to get another person appointed as your mentor. Our guide on your ESC mentor explains what the mentor does.
What do I need for the certificate of participation?
You receive a certificate of participation in the European Solidarity Corps portal at the end of your volunteering experience, provided that the activity is finalised and you have submitted your participant report. Our guide on what comes after your project explains the participant report and the certificate.
What if I have a problem in an Erasmus+ Youth Exchange?
If a problem comes up in a Youth Exchange, the young person should go first to their own group leader, then to the host coordinator, and last to the facilitator. Our guide on what a Youth Exchange is explains who is who.
Before you decide
Youth Works Hub has a Match page that finds projects suited to you: it asks 8 questions and shows the results as a swipeable deck of cards, and saved projects stay on your profile page. Using Match requires creating an account on the site; signing up with Google is available but not required.
Related pages: your ESC mentor · the agreement you sign before starting · insurance for ESC volunteers · ESC mistakes before you go · doing ESC more than once
👉 ESC projects: youthworkshub.org/?tab=esc-projects
