If you are looking for a summer job or you are interested in a gap year, voluntary work abroad may be the perfect way to gain valuable experience. With a volunteer project you will get professional and personal experience, you will improve your career choices, it will allow you to learn about another culture and will encourage your personal development, co-operation, tolerance and open-mindedness.

There are many organisations that will help placing you in the perfect work experience job.

What is a Volunteer Job?

Volunteer service is offered by choice, it contributes to the well-being of an individual and the community and is usually coordinated by a non-profit or public sector organization. These positions rarely offer any salary or wage.

Volunteer work can be a good way to gain new skills and experience while learning more about the country and acquiring some local language skills. Volunteering internationally offers a native's perspective into a country, a chance to work with people from around the world and unparalleled experiences.

Volunteer Programs in Peru

A lot of charities and volunteer organisations exist throughout Perú, and opportunities depend on what you are looking for. Many volunteer placements include free accommodation and meals, but make sure you establish this before beginning work.

• Workaway.info and Worldpackers: The biggest worldwide database to find volunteer programs around the world.
• Perú-volunteer.com
• Love Volunteers
• UBELONG
• IVHQ

The European Solidarity Corps (former EVS)

The European Solidarity Corps is an European Union program that offers young people (between 17 and 30) the opportunity to work as a volunteer for two weeks to twelve months in a non-profit project abroad. Accommodation, food, and insurance are covered during the programme, as well as a monthly allowance provided. However, you might have to cover a part of your travel costs when exciding the maximum allowed.

How to proceed: Start with the Database of Volunteering Opportunities to find projects that suit your interests. Alternatively, you can directly search between all Accredited Organizations to find an organization you would like to work with. You need to find both a sending organization in your country that will assist you with the procedure, and a host organization in Perú that is carrying out a project that you want to volunteer for.

*Note that most of the ESC positions are only open for EU citizens and, in most cases, they will take place within the EU Member States or the following Partner Countries:

• Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey
• Liechtenstein, Iceland and Norway
• Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia
• Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine
• Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia
• Russian Federation

In exceptional occasions, programs in other continents are opened.

Insurance Abroad

Wherever you go, it is recommended that you take out travel insurance as it covers any event that might occur when you are abroad. Many volunteer programs already handle visa arrangements and include insurance coverage in their program fees or as part of their compensation. If they do not, compare around for rates and coverage before contracting any Healthcare & Medical Insurance.

Consult the section on "International Healthcare & Medical Insurance" to find out more about your options or compare companies on our services site, for example:

• Coverworks Worldwide Travel Insurance: Coverworks Travel Insurance was established to specialise in providing dependable and affordable cover both for the backpacker and for the independent traveller
• Insure & Go: Cheap cover online for gap years & backpacking, skiing, adventure travel, single trips & annual travel
• Go Travel Insurance

You might also want to look at our other articles on Summer Jobs and Internship abroad on the left column of this page for other opportunities.

Work Visas & Permits

You can travel to Perú with your working place already assigned. However, if you first want to travel to the country as a tourist to settle down before you look for a working position, you can also do than before your tourist visa expires.

In this case, you will need to present some documents to the National Superintendence: Original and copy of current passport and the Andean Migration Card (TAM), the payment in the Banco de la Nación for the permit (S16 – US$5) and the Migratory Quality Visa Change - F004 property filled in, in order to change your visa status into resident/worker, etc.

Please refer to "Passport & Visa" section of the guide for full details.

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