Individual Volunteering in the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) is a solidarity activity of a duration of 2 weeks to 12 months, excluding travel time. Volunteering Teams are from 2 weeks to 2 months, excluding travel time. In Humanitarian Aid Volunteering, individual volunteering has a duration of 2 to 12 months, excluding travel time, and volunteering teams volunteer together for a period between 2 weeks and 2 months, up to 59 days, excluding travel time. A Solidarity Project is a non-profit solidarity activity initiated, developed and implemented by young people themselves for a period from 2 to 12 months. ESC individual volunteering projects have many different durations; there is no typical length. Our guide on what the European Solidarity Corps is introduces the programme, and the complete guide to ESC volunteering walks through every stage of a volunteering activity.
Last updated: October 2026.
How long is Individual Volunteering?
Individual Volunteering is a solidarity activity of a duration of 2 weeks to 12 months, excluding travel time.
🕐 Short term: Short term individual volunteering is participation lasting between 14 and 59 days, excluding travel days.
🕛 Long term: Long term individual volunteering is participation lasting between 60 and 366 days, excluding travel days.
🌍 Cross-border or in-country: Individual volunteering activities can take place cross-border, in a country different from the country of residence of the participant, or in-country, in the same country as the country of residence of the participant.
⏳ Extension: Extending a project after it starts is technically possible, but the organisation must have the grant for it; a volunteer who wants to extend must talk to the organisation early.
Our guide on what ESC volunteering is explains how a volunteering activity is organised, and the agreement you sign before starting covers the document that fixes your dates.
How long are Volunteering Teams activities?
Volunteering Teams are from 2 weeks to 2 months, excluding travel time.
⏳ In days: Up to 59 days, excluding travel days.
📅 Time of year: Volunteering Teams can take place at any time of the year.
Our guide on what ESC Volunteering Teams are explains how a team is put together before departure.
How long is Humanitarian Aid Volunteering?
In Humanitarian Aid Volunteering, individual volunteering is an activity of a duration of 2 to 12 months, excluding travel time. Volunteering teams volunteer together for a period between 2 weeks and 2 months, up to 59 days, excluding travel time.
Eligible participants are young people aged 18 to 35 who are legally residing in an EU Member State or in a third country associated to the Programme and who have registered in the European Solidarity Corps Portal to express their interest in engaging in Humanitarian Aid Volunteering. Our guide on what Humanitarian Aid Volunteering is explains where these projects run, and opportunities for young people outside the European Union explains what is open to you if you live elsewhere.
How long is a Solidarity Project?
A Solidarity Project is a non-profit solidarity activity initiated, developed and implemented by young people themselves for a period from 2 to 12 months.
👥 Minimum five young persons: A Solidarity Project gives a group of minimum five young persons the chance to express solidarity by taking responsibility and committing themselves to bring positive change in their local community. There is no maximum number of the group's members.
🏡 In your own country: The activities will take place in the country of residence of the applicant, facilitating in particular the participation of young people who may encounter difficulties to engage in transnational activities.
🙋 Who can join: A Solidarity Project is implemented by a group of minimum 5 young people aged between 18 and 30 years who are legally residing in one and the same EU Member State or a third country associated to the Programme and have registered in the European Solidarity Corps Portal.
Our guide on what ESC Solidarity Projects are covers how a group of young people starts one.
Do travel days count towards the duration?
No. Individual Volunteering has a duration of 2 weeks to 12 months, excluding travel time, and Volunteering Teams are from 2 weeks to 2 months, excluding travel time.
📏 Short term: Short term volunteering is participation in volunteering activities lasting up to 59 days, excluding travel days.
📏 Long term: Long term volunteering is participation in volunteering activities lasting 60 days or longer, excluding travel days.
🧮 Two months: Up to 2 months is up to 59 days, excluding travel days.
Our guide on how flights are booked and reimbursed covers the journey itself, and how Erasmus+ and ESC travel reimbursement works shows how the amount is worked out.
How many hours a week does ESC volunteering take?
ESC volunteers work at least 30 and not more than 38 hours a week; the rest of the time is their own.
🏖️ Days off: ESC volunteers work five days a week and, in addition, have 2 days of leave per month, which they can combine; for example, a 10-month project gives 20 days of leave in total.
💶 Free of charge: Participation in volunteering activities must be free of charge for the volunteer.
Our guide on whether ESC is fully funded sets out what is paid and what is not, and how much pocket money you get on ESC covers the personal allowance.
Is there a limit on how much time you can spend in total?
Yes. 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.
You can take part in:
🧍 A single long activity: You can take part in a single individual cross-border volunteering activity longer than 2 months.
🔎 A second long activity: A second individual cross-border volunteering activity longer than 2 months is allowed only if the National Agency approves it, either for young people with fewer opportunities or in other duly justified cases. A second long-term project is approved only very rarely.
🧩 Multiple activities: You can take part in multiple individual cross-border volunteering activities lasting up to 2 months.
👥 Teams: You can take part in multiple volunteering teams activities.
🏠 In-country activities: You can take part in multiple in-country volunteering activities.
Having taken part in an ESC project before is not an obstacle: you can take part again as long as your total time in ESC volunteering does not exceed 12 months. Studies and work need planning: short-term projects fit summer holidays or semester breaks, while for a long-term project university students usually suspend their enrolment.
Our guide on doing ESC more than once works through the combinations, and the difference between ESC and Erasmus+ compares the two programmes side by side.
Frequently asked questions
Can I do ESC for just a few weeks?
Yes: short term volunteering is participation in volunteering activities lasting up to 59 days, excluding travel days. Volunteering Teams are from 2 weeks to 2 months, excluding travel time. Our guide on how a team volunteers together describes the shorter team format.
What is the longest ESC volunteering activity?
Individual Volunteering has a duration of 2 weeks to 12 months, excluding travel time. Long term volunteering is participation in volunteering activities lasting 60 days or longer, excluding travel days. Our guide on your first steps as an ESC volunteer covers what happens once you arrive.
Where is the line between short term and long term volunteering?
Short term volunteering is participation in volunteering activities lasting up to 59 days, excluding travel days. Long term volunteering is participation in volunteering activities lasting 60 days or longer, excluding travel days. Our guide on how to choose the right project explains what to compare before you apply.
Can I extend my project after it starts?
Extending a project after it starts is technically possible, but the organisation must have the grant for it. A volunteer who wants to extend must talk to the organisation early. Our guide on the agreement you sign before starting covers the document that fixes your dates.
Can I do a second long ESC project?
A second individual cross-border volunteering activity longer than 2 months is allowed only if the National Agency approves it, either for young people with fewer opportunities or in other duly justified cases. A second long-term project is approved only very rarely. Our guide on doing ESC more than once works through the combinations.
Is language support available in a short 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 Online Language Support (OLS). Online Language Support is given to the volunteer online; the volunteer receives a link and uses the course through it. The 150 EUR linguistic support is only for activities lasting 60 days or more. Our guide on what Online Language Support is explains how the course works.
Count your days before you apply
On Youth Works Hub, the Match page finds projects suited to you: Match asks 8 questions and shows the results as a swipeable deck of cards. Using Match requires creating an account on the site; signing up with Google is available but not required. Read the dates on every opportunity before you send anything, because the length of the activity decides how much of your year it takes. Our guide on how to find Erasmus+ and ESC projects shows where open calls are published.
Related pages: the complete guide to ESC volunteering · projects young people run themselves · how a team volunteers together · doing ESC more than once · how to find Erasmus+ and ESC projects
👉 ESC projects: youthworkshub.org/?tab=esc-projects
