How to secure a visa for international volunteerism?

You decided that you would like to dedicate a certain portion of your time in order to volunteer in a foreign country? Good for you, we want to congratulate you on your dedication to help others. However, did you know that you might have to acquire an international volunteerism visa first? Don’t let this fact discourage you. It’s not as complicated as it sounds.

We decided to dedicate this article to the people who are dealing with these exact issues. Don’t take this as a detailed guide. Instead, we will try to cover all the important details about the topic, thus helping you reach your dreams faster. Let’s jump right into it.

Obtain your visa ahead of time

Yes, we know that you can technically get your visa at the airport once you reach your destination, but we believe it’s better to secure one ahead of time. Just apply for one online, and the whole process should not last for more than two months.

On the other hand, you can just get one at the airport, along with hundreds of people who were just as lazy as yourself. You guessed it right, this process can drag into infinity, thus causing you to lose several hours just waiting in line. Are you really willing to do such a thing just because filling out an online form seemed like such a big deal?

What type of visa should you get?

First of all, there are two types of visa you can obtain. One would be the traveling visa, while the other is the working one. What’s important to know is that a traveler visa is a lot easier to get. The good news is that if you plan on staying in the country for no more than 2 weeks, this type of visa will be good enough.

However, if you plan on staying longer than that, you will need to aim for the working option instead. Additionally, if your volunteering work includes a paycheck, you will automatically fall under the working visa category. Don’t think that you’ll be able to get away with having a traveling visa though, most countries in the world take this question very seriously.

Get your list of requirements from the right source

Don’t put your trust in the 3^rd party websites that help speed up the process of application for a visa. We are not saying that all of these websites are providing people with fake information. On the contrary, we believe that they can be quite good. However, if getting a visa is ranked high on your list of priorities, you should test your luck through your country’s governmental system first.

If that proves to be a dead end, turn your attention towards the destination you’re planning on visiting. Ultimately, if all else fails, you can always turn to the above mentioned websites for additional guidance. Without wishing to sound like the websites we said you should neglect, there are some basics that you’ll need to have, regardless of your destination.

Those include a valid passport, round-trip airline tickets, filled out application forms and some sort of proof from your volunteering organization of choice. Naturally, different countries have different requirements, which brings us to our original point that you should always ask around in advance.

Visas cost money

Here’s a basic fact, but some people might not be familiar with it. Sure, most visas only cost up to $50, but there are countries in which this requirement is almost worth 10 times more than that. Once again, these rates can be, but aren’t necessarily connected to the length of your stay. Still, if you happen to fall in love with volunteerism and want to extend the length of your stay, know that that’s also a possibility. The only thing is, the visa extensions also cost money, so be ready for some additional expenses.

We wish you nothing but the best of luck while fighting for your noble cause!