Volunteering in Switzerland

Young adults between the ages of 18 and 30 who are resident in one of the following countries may carry out a European Voluntary Service in Switzerland: 
Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kosovo, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Northern Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, UK,  Ukraine. European Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) are also eligible. 

A young person may only participate in one EVS volunteer placement, in order to give as many people a chance to participate as possible. An exception is made for young people who have completed a maximum of two months of volunteering.

The EVS positions available in Switzerland are published in the right column and updated regularly. All published positions are checked by Movetia and the organisations concerned are accredited. To apply, send your application directly to the email address indicated in the pdf document of the EVS position you are interested in. The selection of volunteers is done directly by the host organisations and not by Movetia. In case of questions related to a specific EVS position, please contact the host organisation directly.

Movetia’s funding covers :

• (partly or fully) international travel costs (varies according to distance)
• Food and accommodation costs 
• Transport to and from work
• Pocket money 
• Language support (only if the language of the host organisation is different from the mother tongue)
• Participation in training seminars

Insurance and any visa costs are the responsibility of the host organisation.

The European Voluntary Service is a Swiss programme of European volunteering. The programme is financed by the Swiss Confederation, while the European Solidarity Corps is financed by European funds. The two programmes have some similarities but operate separately from each other. Movetia advises against dual participation in the Swiss European Voluntary Service programme and the European Solidarity Corps programme. This is to ensure equal treatment of young people from Switzerland and ESC member countries and to give all young people the opportunity to participate in an EVS/ESC once in their lives.

Each volunteer who is selected to volunteer in Switzerland must participate in mandatory training seminars: 

• Pre-Departure training: Before coming to Switzerland, Movetia invites all volunteers to participate in an online training to prepare volunteers for their experience. 
• On-arrival training: Once in Switzerland, all volunteers are invited to an On-arrival Training which includes all volunteers who are in Switzerland at that time. 
• Midterm Evaluation: Young people who volunteer for more than six months are also invited to the Midterm Evaluation.

Yes, at the end of your volunteering, you will be able to complete, with the help of your host organisation, a certificate of participation. You will then be able to use this certificate to demonstrate to future employers the skills you have developed during this experience.