We are conscious that assignment costs are a key consideration that needs to be taken into account by all of our volunteers when planning an overseas placement.

We are keen to ensure that travel expenses are kept as low as possible and there are many ways costs can be reduced. We hope that this guide will help you to plan for associated costs, but we are happy to give further expert advice on possible savings that can be made on every element.

The main costs involved in taking on an assignment can be broken down into the following areas:

1. Volunteer placement fee
2. Flights
3. Accommodation
4. Food
5. Visa
6. Vaccinations and antimalarials
7. Travel insurance

We are keen to create assignments that closely match your budget, so if after reading this guide you have an idea as to how much you’re able to allocate for an assignment please do let us know and we would look to provide assignment options to you which fall within this.

Please note that all figures given are as a general guide only, and we would strongly encourage all volunteers to thoroughly research travel and living costs themselves.

1. Volunteer placement fee

The AfID placement fee is a contribution towards the many costs associated with sourcing assignment options that closely match your personal profile; your skills & experience, location preferences, interests and any concerns about volunteering overseas; as well as the individual support provided both in the lead up to your assignment and while overseas.

** Potential Cost Savings **

• Returning volunteers are entitled to a £50 reduction in the placement fee for each previous assignment (up to a maximum of two)
• Past volunteers can receive a further £50 reduction in the placement fee for their next assignment by referring a friend or colleague

2. Flights

These obviously vary considerably country by country, but below are some ballpark figures from doing a quick flight search on price comparrison sites Skyscanner and Travel Supermarket. The vast majority of our partners can be flexible on start and end dates so we can work around the best flight times for you.

** Potential Cost Savings ** 

• Booking your flights several months in advance will keep the price down, therefore we are happy to prepare assignments up to four months before your departure date
• Flights during school term time and flights with stop overs will also be cheaper
• In our past experience, you are likely to save up to £300 if you fly during off-peak periods

3. Accommodation

Our partners are typically able to provide a range of accommodation options, and can often provide either a homestay option free of charge or at low cost, or have accommodation for volunteers on site. Below are some guide prices.

** Potential Cost Savings **

• Accommodation in more rural locations tends to be at the lower end of price ranges while capital cities will be at the higher end
• If you’re able to commit to a longer term assignment (six weeks +) more partners will be willing and able to provide free or low cost accommodation options
• Central America is typically cheaper than South America
• The more flexible you are in terms of location and partner focus preferences the more likely we are to be able to provide you with options that include accommodation

4. Food

In our experience, making an allowance of £10-15 per day for food costs should usually be sufficient. Breakfast is often included with guest house accommodation. Breakfast and evening meals can often be included if you take up a homestay option, either free of charge or at a small additional cost. Some of our partners are able to provide meals – for example, it’s not uncommon for lunch to be provided at the offices of partner organisations.

** Potential Cost Savings ** 

• Breakfast is often included with Guest House accommodation
• Breakfast and evening meals can often be included if you take up a homestay option
• An apartment would give you access to kitchen facilities, saving on restaurant bills
• Eating traditional local dishes is likely to be cheaper than western restaurants
• Take advice from your partner organisation - the local staff will know the best value markets and restaurants

5. Visa

Visa requirements for each country vary considerably, and the rules are always liable to be changed at quite short notice. As such, we would always advise the volunteer on specific requirements as part of the assignment planning process. As a general rule, a tourist visa is often sufficient for shorter assignments. Budgeting for something in the region of £0 to £100 would be appropriate.

** Potential Cost Savings **

• We would be happy to focus our search for assignment options within country’s where the visa cost is not prohibitive
• A limited number of our partners are able to cover the costs of visas

6. Vaccinations and antimalarials

Depending on the location you are travelling to you may need to be vaccinated against some of the serious diseases found in other parts of the world. In the UK, and elsewhere, a number of vaccines are provided during childhood which will protect you against a number of diseases, but these do not cover most of the infectious diseases found overseas. The cost of travel vaccines at private clinics will vary considerably, but could be around £50 each. Book an appointment with your GP or healthcare provider to discuss what vaccinations and/or antimalarials would be appropriate.

** Potential Cost Savings ** 

• Some diseases are more prevalent in certain parts of the world and less common in others. We can focus our search on countries where the vaccination requirements may be less
• A limited number of our partners are able to cover the costs of vaccinations

7. Travel insurance

Standard travel insurance is usually sufficient for the vast majority of countries we operate in, but always check with your provider to ensure that volunteering as well as the location and length of stay is covered by your policy. Single trip cover for a two week assignment could be as low as £15-25, but this will obviously increase depending on the length of your stay and level of cover.

** Potential Cost Savings ** 

• If you know you are going to be travelling overseas more than once in the year, consider an annual policy rather than single trip cover
• Shop around for the best deals using online price comparison sites such as moneysupermarket.com or comparethemarket.com