1. Application periods and application process
2. Coordination fee
3. Extra fees
4. Travel costs
5. Filling the application
6. If you are unable to use the Online Placement System
7. Motivation letter
8. Visa
9. Applying to camps working with children
10. Information after submitting the application
11. Cancelling your participation
12. Cancellation of camps
13. After the camp

1. Application period and application process

The application is filled in in the Online Placement System. Applications to voluntary workcamps are open throughout the year, but application periods to most European camps start in February and continue through the spring. Most voluntary workcamps take place between May and September.

Voluntary workcamps in the Global South are organized throughout the year.

We suggest that you apply to the camp of your choice early in the spring, when there is most likely still space in the camp. The camps are filled in application order and you cannot participate without applying first. 

Processing the application can take a couple of days or a couple of weeks, so please apply in good time before the start of the camp.

2. Coordination fee

Camp coordination fee 100€/ Camps in the Global South 125€

KVT’s membership fee (if you are not already a member): 20€/10€

You need to renew your KVT membership each year by paying an annual membership fee.

• Make all the payments to KVT’s account FI98 8000 1200 0695 17.
• You can pay the camp coordination fee and the membership fee in the same payment. Fill in your information in KVT’s member register via this form, or write your name, date of birth, address and phone number or e-mail in the message box of your payment. You can find more information on member registry and data protection practices here (in Finnish).
• If you wish to attend many camps, pay the camp coordination fee for each camp, but the membership fee only once.
• Send a copy or a screenshot of the receipt to . 
• We will process the applications when we have received the screenshot/receipt, or the payment has arrived to our account.
• If you don’t receive a place in the project of your choice and we can’t find another interesting project for you, we will refund the coordination fee in full. The membership fee won’t be returned. If you have to cancel your participation before the start of the project, notify KVT’s office. In these cases we can refund half of the coordination fee for pressing reasons.

3. Extra fees

Normally, there are no additional fees for European camps. Voluntary workcamps in the Global South generally have an extra fee. This is always mentioned in the camp description. The extra fee is normally paid in cash to the receiving organization or to the camp host, not to KVT. Some European camps also have an extra fee occasionally, for example Iceland.

4. Travel costs

The volunteer is responsible for their own travel costs to the camp site.

5. Filling the application

The Online Placement System contains all camps around the world.

• You can search for camps by country or by theme.
• The application is filled in through the Online Placement System.
• You can search for camps without registering.
• The number of free places in the camp can be seen in the camp description. The vacancies are partly updated manually, and all organizations do not use the system, so the information is not always up-to-date.

When you know you want to apply:

• Register and fill in all the required information.
• Choose at least one, or a maximum of six camps to apply to. If you do not get a place in your first choice, we will try the next options in that order.
• If you wish to take part in many camps, fill in a separate application for each camp.

If the camp description is in French or Spanish, fill the application in that language even if the application form is in English.

We do not inquire about vacancies on camps from the receiving organization before you have applied to the camp.

Remember to click the Final submission link on the last page of the application.

6. If you are unable to use the Online Placement System

If, for some reason, you are unable to use the Online Placement System, contact .

7. Motivation letter

Some camps require an additional motivation letter. If there is a mention of this in the camp description, write the letter according to the instructions in the Online Placement System.

8. Visa

Some countries that require a visa are at least Russia (volunteers must always get the humanitarian visa), USA, Vietnam (for more than 2 months), Thailand, most African countries. It can take up to 6 weeks to get the visa. You can see the most current information on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

The receiving organization will write you a letter of invitation, which we will then send to you. With this invitation letter, you can apply for a visa at that country’s embassy or consulate. Acquiring the visa and paying for it are the volunteer’s responsibility. In some cases, such as when going to Russia, it might be easier and cheaper to get a visa via a travel agency. Voluntary workcamps do not require a business visa as the work is voluntary.

9. Applying to camps working with children

Some countries have strict legislation on working with children and youth. Our network SCI also has its policy concerning projects in orphanages or working with children who are in more vulnerable position. For this reason, applying for these camps requires additional certificates or a criminal record extract. The volunteer must often either have previous volunteering experience or experience working with children. These extra requirements are listed in the camp description and you will get more information on providing them either during the application process or after getting a place in the camp. Some camps might also require a Skype interview.

10. Information after submitting the application

Information about acceptance to a camp will come within a week of the application to your email.

If it takes longer than a week, you can contact the KVT office at .

In the acceptance message we ask you to confirm your participation to the camp. In some cases, when attending camps in the Global South, the volunteer needs to send a criminal record extract after being accepted to the camp. In most cases this is when the volunteer will be working with children, youth or people with special needs. The extract costs 12€. After being accepted, the KVT office will send you further instructions on how to order the extract.

About a month before the start of the camp, you will receive an infosheet for the camp, which contains more information about the camp location, the work, the items you will be needing and instructions for travelling. Please contact the KVT office if you do not receive the infosheet in good time.

11. Cancelling your participation

If you cannot attend the camp after all, inform the KVT office about this as soon as possible. We can only return half of the camp coordination fee, and this is when there is a very pressing reason for the cancellation. Remember that a late cancellation or not attending the camp and not informing KVT about this normally means that the vacancy will not be filled. This can be a nuisance to the camp host, the receiving organization and KVT.

12. Cancellation of camps

If the camp is cancelled we will inform you as soon as we are informed about this. If you wish, we can try to get you a place on another camp, but if this does not work for you, we will return your camp coordination fee. Workcamps are very rarely cancelled. KVT does not reimburse any travel or other expenses caused by the cancellation of a camp.

13. After the camp

After the camp we hope to get feedback from you. In addition to filling the feedback form, you are welcome to come to talk about your experiences in KVT’s trainings and info evenings, or to write about them on our website. Photographs are also always welcome!