FAQs

Here’s how to choose a project, book your place and get ready to go:

1. Choose the project

Head to the projects page and filter by country or area of interest (education, environment, health, women's empowerment and more). Not sure where to start? No problem — our team can help you work it out. Send us a message on WhatsApp or by email.

2. Fill in the application form

The form is free and non-binding. We ask for your preferred destination and dates so we can check availability. We'll come back to you promptly with an initial confirmation.

3. Confirm your place

To confirm your place, pay the registration deposit. This fee covers pre-departure preparation, personalised orientation and ongoing support from our team. Once it's paid, you'll get:

- a full information pack on the project and accommodation,
- local coordinator contact details,
- the pre-departure guide with practical and cultural tips,
- official letters for visa applications (if needed),
- a document for exemption from international vaccination certificate fees.

4. Getting ready to go

Our pre-departure kit also walks you through the practical details: flights, insurance, visa and the documents you'll need. You can ask us questions right up until you leave.

5. Arrive and join your project

Once you land, the local team will be there to meet you. From day one you can count on:

airport transfer on arrival (at scheduled times),
accommodation in a homestay or volunteer house,
three meals a day,
an on-site coordinator and 24/7 support.
That way you can settle in and focus on getting involved with the project and the community hosting you.

6. Once you're back home

The trip doesn't end when you fly home. You'll receive an official certificate of participation — useful for your CV and university placements. You can also stay part of the HeyLocals community, come to events and keep supporting projects from afar.

Want to browse the available projects?
You can find everything here: /our-projects/

Prefer to talk it through? You can book a free information call: /group-call

Most projects are open to anyone — no special qualifications or previous experience needed. What matters is being 18 or over, along with curiosity, adaptability, respect for different cultures and a willingness to get involved.

For some specific programmes (healthcare, university placements) technical skills or qualifications may be required — we always explain this clearly in the project description. If you're unsure, we'll talk you through the best fit.

General requirements

Minimum age: 18.
Under-18s can take part if accompanied by a parent, or with written consent and a signed waiver from a parent/guardian.

Background check: for safety reasons, every participant submits a self-declaration (clean criminal record) at least 15 days before departure.

Language: a basic level of English is recommended for most projects. Local coordinators speak English, and fellow travellers tend to come from across Europe and beyond.

In short: if you've got enthusiasm and an open mind, you've already got most of what you need. We build the rest together, step by step.

Costs vary by project, destination and how long you stay. As a rough guide, a 2-3 week trip costs around £550-£1,300.

The fee covers everything you need to do the trip safely and without stress, including support before, during and after.

The fee includes the following, although this can vary slightly by project:

- Accommodation in a comfortable, safe volunteer house
- 3 meals a day (usually brunch and dinner at weekends)
- Airport pick-up on arrival (at scheduled times) and project-related transfers
- Orientation day on arrival to get to know the project, staff and local context
- A dedicated coordinator throughout your stay, plus 24/7 support from the local team
- Ongoing support from the HeyLocals team (phone and WhatsApp)
- Materials and tools you'll need for activities
- Cultural experiences and outings organised with the host community
- Weekly catch-ups with the local team
- Official certificate of participation, useful for your CV and university credits
- Pre-departure course and materials so you arrive prepared
- DBS / background check support where required
- Full support on flights, visas and vaccinations (some health costs may vary by region)
- A community of fellow travellers to connect with
- A direct contribution to the local project — part of your fee goes straight to it, with no extra contribution requested on site

Your fee covers more than meals and accommodation. It supports a safe, well-organised trip that benefits both you and the community hosting you.

Your fee helps cover the cost of your stay and supports the local organisation hosting you.

The partners we work with are small, community-led organisations — often started by local people who wanted to do something for their area. They don't have fundraising teams, big grants, or the resources to write international project bids, but they do invaluable work on the ground every day.

Because they're small, they can't usually cover meals and accommodation for volunteers. So volunteers contribute directly to those costs, which also helps support the project that hosts them.

A well-organised, safe and useful experience takes funding. It takes people, resources, coordination and care.

With your fee, you're not paying to 'help' — you're contributing to a network of relationships, cultural exchanges and small projects that wouldn't exist in this form without it. The fee also funds the standards of organisation, logistics and safety that don't just happen on their own.

Your contribution covers:

- running costs: meals, accommodation, local transport, materials and wages for the people working at partner organisations
- a direct contribution to the project hosting you (you won't be asked to fundraise on site)
- the work of HeyLocals: vetting projects, supporting you before and during the trip, creating useful resources and building the network around you

You can choose between two options:

- Flexible dates

With this option, you can join the project you want in practically any week of the year (apart from closure periods, which are always shown on the project page and booking form). We usually ask you to arrive on a Sunday and leave at least the following Saturday. If you want to stay a few more days, there's flexibility.

- Group trips

These trips have set dates — you'll find them on the project page. On these trips, you'll be with a group organised by us, with dedicated coordination.

The difference is in how the trip is organised: some partners ask us to bring more volunteers at certain times of year, or have activities that work better with larger groups. The experience itself, the work and what we expect of you stay the same.

No, you won’t be on your own.

Most of our projects are run through partnerships with local organisations that also work with international partners. During your stay you'll meet volunteers and travellers from all over the world, all with the same desire to get involved.

You'll stay in shared volunteer houses, alongside people working on the same project or other programmes in the area. It's a great way to make friends, share experiences and build connections that often last well beyond the trip.

The local team also regularly organises evening activities, group meals and outings, so the social side stays lively throughout.

You’ll get to know the local culture and share everyday life with people from other countries who also want to take part and learn.

No, flights aren't included in the project fee. You book your own flights, so you can choose when and how to travel to suit your budget and plans.

That said, you won't be left to figure it out alone:

- we'll suggest the best arrival window,
- we'll help you find suitable flight options,
- and if you'd like, we can put you in touch with other travellers on the same dates so you can plan together.

Safety is a top priority. We only work with organisations we know personally, or that have been working for years with reliable international partners. We carefully assess every project, including how it’s organised and how it treats the people involved.

Our aim is to offer a calm, accessible trip for people of all ages, with or without international travel experience. So even if it's your first time travelling solo, you'll find a safe, structured and welcoming setting.

Every participant submits a DBS check (or equivalent background check) before departure. Host facilities also have clear rules against inappropriate behaviour, drug or alcohol use, harassment and disrespect for the local context.

Throughout the trip you'll be supported by a local coordinator on site, available 24/7 for anything you need. Before you go, you'll receive a complete pack with practical information, tips, contacts and emergency numbers, so you arrive properly prepared.

Of course, these are trips in non-European settings, sometimes in rural areas. A bit of adaptability and an open mind go a long way. But one thing's certain: you won't be left on your own.

If you'd like an official copy of our due diligence document for a specific project, get in touch and we'll do our best to share it.

As early as you can. It may also help you find cheaper flights. As a guide, we recommend applying at least 1 to 2 months before your departure date.

For peak-season projects (June-August), or ones with limited places, give yourself at least 3 months — that way your place is secure and you can prepare without rushing.

If you need to leave at short notice, message us anyway. In some cases we can speed things up. Just keep in mind that visas or some documents can take time, so last-minute departures aren't always possible.

Once your place is confirmed, we'll ask you to settle the fee and send the documents we need (passport, travel insurance and background check). Some timelines are flexible depending on the project — you'll find the details on the specific page or you can ask us directly.

Yes, absolutely. Let us know when you book and we'll do our best to place you on the same project and at the same accommodation.

You can also travel with a partner, a sibling, or organise a larger group (for university students or families, for example).

Yes. At the end of the trip you'll receive an official certificate of participation. It's useful for your CV, and you can also present it to your university to request credits (if your course allows).

We can also write a personalised letter describing the activities you took part in. Just ask us after your trip and we’ll arrange it.

A volunteer’s contribution goes beyond the daily tasks.

The contribution of a volunteering trip isn't only about technical skills or how long you stay. There's the direct side — supporting teachers at a local school, helping with daily activities at a children's centre, lending a hand to rangers at a nature reserve. And there's the indirect side, less visible but just as real: exchange, curiosity, listening.

Volunteers who arrive well prepared and are welcomed properly can support the work of local communities — bringing energy, ideas, attention and new connections. At the same time, you tend to come home with a different perspective: new questions, a better understanding of cultures and challenges very different from your own.

It isn't about doing great things — it's about doing small things with respect and intention. You don't go to save anyone, you go to share spaces, stories and everyday life. It's a trip that gives something to both sides.

When approached with care, this exchange continues to benefit both sides long after the trip ends.

Yes, you can travel even if you're under 18, as long as you're at least 14 and have written consent from a parent or legal guardian.

You'll need to sign a waiver before departure, but don't worry — we'll walk you through the process step by step.

Over the years, plenty of under-18s have joined our projects and got on really well with both the group and the local coordinators. If it's your first time abroad, you're not on your own — we're here, and there's a whole team ready to look after you.

We ask you to arrive curious, respectful and open to learning. Our projects work best when travellers are proactive, flexible and ready to adapt to settings that are very different from their own.

The more you put into the experience, the more you get from it. People who arrive with enthusiasm, a willingness to learn and a desire to get involved come away with much more from the trip.

Bear in mind that many of the places we work in have their own rhythm — punctuality is looser, the unexpected is more common, but that slower pace is often what makes the connections feel more genuine.

So we ask you to:
– Be patient and stay positive, even when things don't go to plan.
– Respect the local culture, customs and rules of the place hosting you.
– Be kind to staff, residents and other volunteers.
– Hold off on judging — watch, listen and learn.

In return, you'll have an experience that — we promise — sticks with you for a long time.

Yes — all our projects follow a strict Child Protection Policy, agreed with our local partners.

The policy is there to protect children and young people from any form of abuse, exploitation or inappropriate behaviour, and also to protect volunteers from ambiguous situations or unfounded accusations.

Here's what it covers:
– Every participant must provide a background check before the project starts.
– During orientation you'll be given the full policy and asked to sign a document confirming you've read and understood it.
– A detailed code of conduct sets out how to behave around children and young people (covering photographs, physical contact, gifts, private spaces, etc.).
– Activities involving children are always supervised by qualified local staff.
– Inappropriate behaviour or policy breaches lead to immediate removal from the programme and, where needed, reporting to the relevant authorities.

The goal is that every trip is not only useful, but ethical, safe and respectful for everyone involved.

Yes, in most cases. If you let us know at least 30 days before departure, we can change the date or destination free of charge, subject to availability.

With less than 30 days to go, changes are still usually possible — there may just be some extra costs to cover the logistical reorganisation, as set out in our Terms and Conditions.

Either way, message us as soon as something feels uncertain — we'll always try to find the best solution with you.

Yes, we strongly recommend a local or international SIM so you stay connected — especially for emergencies and contacting coordinators on site.

For all our destinations, we recommend Airalo (you can check prices here) — an easy way to buy eSIMs straight from your phone, even before you leave. We're official partners, and it works simply and securely in nearly all the countries where we operate.

At weekends, when there aren't project activities, you'll have free time to explore the country you’re visiting.

To help you make the most of it, we’ve selected trusted experiences through our GetYourGuide partners — day trips, cultural tours, diving, trekking, street food and plenty more, always with local guides and proper organisation.

👉 Browse the available experiences. You can book before you leave or directly on site, depending on your time and interests.

Yes — travel insurance is compulsory for our projects. You'll need cover that includes, at a minimum, medical assistance, accidents, lost luggage and trip cancellation. Some destinations may also require COVID cover.

To keep it simple, we're official partners with Heymondo — an insurer designed for people travelling independently or joining programmes abroad. With HeyLocals you get an exclusive 10% discount on all their policies.

👉 Activate your insurance with the discount
If you're unsure what cover you need for a particular destination, just message us and we'll happily talk it through.