Volunteer Abroad Glossary

Preventive medication taken before, during, and after travel to a malaria-endemic region to reduce the risk of contracting malaria.

Antimalarial prophylaxis refers to a course of prescription medication—commonly atovaquone/proguanil (Malarone), doxycycline, or mefloquine—taken to suppress or prevent malaria infection during travel in high-risk areas. No prophylactic is 100% effective, so it is used alongside mosquito-avoidance measures such as insecticide-treated nets and DEET-based repellent. The appropriate drug, dosage, and duration depend on the destination country, local resistance patterns, and the volunteer's medical history; a travel-medicine clinic should be consulted at least four to six weeks before departure.

See also: Yellow fever certificate, Typhoid vaccine, Travelers' diarrhea

Source: WHO — Malaria prophylaxis; CDC — Malaria prevention for travellers

A criminal-record check required by reputable volunteer programs for any role involving children or vulnerable adults; in the UK this is administered by the Disclosure and Barring Service.

A background check is a pre-placement vetting step that confirms a volunteer has no criminal convictions that would make them unsuitable for a role working with children or vulnerable adults. In the United Kingdom, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) issues three levels of check—basic, standard, and enhanced—with enhanced DBS checks being the standard expectation for child-facing volunteer roles. Equivalent processes exist in other countries (e.g., a Working With Children Check in Australia, a police clearance certificate in many others). Reputable international volunteer programs either conduct their own checks or require volunteers to present a current certificate from their home country before placement.

See also: Child safeguarding, Sex offender registry check, Code of conduct

Source: UK Disclosure and Barring Service

An internationally recognised teaching qualification awarded by Cambridge Assessment English for educators who teach English to adult learners.

CELTA is a 120-hour initial teacher-training qualification developed and awarded by Cambridge Assessment English. It covers lesson planning, classroom management, and the practical teaching of grammar, vocabulary, and the four skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking) to adult learners of English. CELTA is one of the most widely accepted English-teaching credentials globally and is often required or preferred by reputable volunteer-teaching programs, language schools, and NGOs. It is distinct from TEFL and TESOL, which are generic terms; CELTA is a specific qualification from a named awarding body.

See also: TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language), TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), Skills-based volunteering

Source: Cambridge Assessment English — CELTA

The policies, procedures, and practices that volunteer programs put in place to protect children from harm, abuse, or exploitation.

Child safeguarding in the volunteer-abroad context refers to the comprehensive framework an organisation uses to ensure children are not harmed through contact with volunteers or staff. It includes written safeguarding policies, mandatory background checks, clear codes of conduct, supervision ratios, reporting procedures, and training for all personnel. International guidance—notably from UNICEF, Save the Children, and Lumos—stresses that short-term rotating volunteers should not work unsupervised with children, and that orphanage-style placements present structural safeguarding risks regardless of individual volunteer intent. A program that cannot share its safeguarding policy before you apply should be treated as a red flag.

See also: Orphanage tourism, Background check / Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), ChildSafe Movement

Source: UNICEF — Child safeguarding in volunteering; Lumos — Think Before You Volunteer

A global child-protection initiative that accredits travel and volunteer organisations against a set of seven standards designed to prevent the exploitation of children.

The ChildSafe Movement, originally developed by Friends-International, is a globally recognised child-protection framework that sets out seven standards covering policies, staff training, complaints mechanisms, and responsible tourism practices. Organisations that achieve ChildSafe accreditation have been independently assessed against these standards. The movement is particularly significant in Southeast Asia, where it gained traction as a response to widespread orphanage tourism, but it is now applied internationally. Volunteers can use ChildSafe accreditation as one positive signal when vetting a program, though it does not replace a full due-diligence assessment.

See also: Child safeguarding, Orphanage tourism, Code of conduct

Source: ChildSafe Movement

A written document that sets out the behavioural standards and expectations all volunteers must agree to before and during a placement.

A volunteer code of conduct is a formal agreement between the program operator and the volunteer specifying required and prohibited behaviours—commonly covering photography policies, appropriate interactions with beneficiaries (especially children), confidentiality, substance use, social-media posting, and adherence to local customs. It is a foundational safeguarding document: without one, both the volunteer and the program lack clarity on where ethical lines are drawn. Reputable programs require volunteers to sign a code of conduct before departure and reinforce it during in-country orientation. Its absence is a significant red flag.

See also: Child safeguarding, Ethical volunteering, Pre-departure orientation

The local staff member or partner organisation responsible for receiving volunteers on arrival, providing orientation, and supporting them throughout their placement.

An in-country coordinator (sometimes called a field coordinator or local host) is the named individual or team who manages volunteers day-to-day once they arrive at the destination. Responsibilities typically include airport pickup, delivering the in-country orientation, liaising between the volunteer and the local community project, handling emergencies, and providing a local emergency contact number. The quality and accessibility of the in-country coordinator is one of the strongest indicators of program quality; a sole-operator model where volunteers communicate only with a foreign head office is a structural weakness. Volunteers should ask for the coordinator's name and direct contact details before committing to a program.

See also: Pre-departure orientation, Re-entry / debriefing, Homestay / host family

An embassy is a country's main diplomatic mission in a foreign capital; a consulate is a smaller diplomatic office, often in a secondary city, providing consular services such as visas.

An embassy is the primary diplomatic representation of one country in another and is headed by an ambassador; it handles the full range of diplomatic relations between the two states. A consulate is a subsidiary diplomatic office, typically located in a non-capital city, that focuses on practical consular services for citizens and visitors—including issuing visas, authenticating documents, and providing emergency assistance to nationals abroad. For volunteers, the key distinction is practical: visa applications are often processed by a consulate rather than the embassy itself, and emergency consular assistance will be handled by whichever office has jurisdiction over your location in the destination country.

See also: Tourist visa, Volunteer visa / work permit, FCDO — UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Volunteering that prioritises the genuine, long-term benefit of host communities over the volunteer's personal experience, and avoids practices that cause harm.

Ethical volunteering is defined by the principle that the community's needs—not the volunteer's desire for an enriching experience—should drive program design and placement decisions. In practice it means: matching volunteers to roles where their skills add genuine value, ensuring local leadership of projects, requiring appropriate background checks for child-facing roles, maintaining transparent fee structures that direct funds to local partners, and avoiding models (such as orphanage volunteering) that international consensus identifies as harmful. Organisations including IVPA, the Forum for International Volunteering, and ICVA publish ethical standards against which programs can be assessed.

See also: Voluntourism, White saviorism, Skills-based volunteering

Source: IVPA — Standards for ethical volunteer programs; ICVA — Volunteering and development

A digitally issued travel permission linked to a passport that allows entry to a country without a physical visa stamp, typically applied for and granted online before departure.

An eVisa (electronic visa) or electronic travel authorization (ETA) is an official entry permission issued digitally by a destination country's immigration authority. The applicant submits their passport details, photograph, and sometimes supporting documents via an official government website and receives an approval electronically, usually by email, before travelling. An ETA (used for example by Canada and Australia's Electronic Travel Authority system) differs from a full eVisa in that it grants permission to board rather than a right of entry, which remains at the discretion of the border officer. Volunteers should apply only through official government portals; unofficial 'visa service' websites often charge inflated fees for the same process.

See also: Tourist visa, Visa-on-arrival (VOA), Volunteer visa / work permit

The UK government department responsible for foreign affairs, diplomacy, and overseas development, which publishes country-level travel advisories that volunteers should consult before departure.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is the UK government department that sets and communicates British foreign policy, manages the overseas diplomatic network, and administers international development funding. For travellers and volunteers, its most important output is the Travel Advice pages—country-specific guidance covering entry requirements, safety and security, health, and local laws. FCDO advisories use a tiered risk language (from 'normal precautions' to 'advise against all travel') that informs insurance eligibility and program-operator risk assessments. Non-UK volunteers should consult their own government's equivalent (US State Department, Global Affairs Canada, Smartraveller in Australia).

See also: US State Department Travel Advisory, Tourist visa, Travel insurance (vs. health insurance)

Source: FCDO Travel Advice

A UK-based membership body for international volunteer-sending organisations that promotes quality standards and ethical practice in the sector.

The Forum for International Volunteering (formerly the Year Out Group and latterly operating under various sector-coordination mandates) has historically served as a UK umbrella body representing organisations that send volunteers abroad for medium- to long-term placements. Its focus on sector standards, member accountability, and information for prospective volunteers positioned it as a quality-assurance layer between individual programs and the public. Volunteers can use membership of such sector bodies as one—though not the only—due-diligence signal, alongside independent reviews, published safeguarding policies, and fee transparency.

See also: IVPA — International Volunteer Programs Association, Ethical volunteering, Program fee (vs. registration / placement fee)

A structured period—typically one year—taken between life stages (commonly school and university, or university and employment) during which a person travels, volunteers, or develops skills outside a formal academic or career track.

The gap year concept is widely documented in the UK (where it is also called a 'year out') and increasingly globally as a recognised transitional period for personal development. It may include volunteering abroad, language learning, travel, internships, or employment. Not all gap years involve volunteering, and not all volunteer experiences are gap years; the overlap is significant but not total. Gap year organisations range from structured programs with pre-departure training and in-country support to loosely organised travel with incidental voluntary work. The quality and ethical rigour of the volunteering element varies enormously and should be evaluated by the same standards applied to any volunteer-abroad program.

See also: Voluntourism, Internship abroad, Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO)

Source: British Council — Gap year guidance

An accommodation arrangement in which a volunteer lives with a local family in the destination country, sharing meals and daily life as a paying or program-supported guest.

A homestay places a volunteer within a local family household rather than in a volunteer house, guesthouse, or dormitory. It is widely valued for the cultural immersion and language-learning opportunities it provides, and when managed well it can generate sustainable income for host families. Quality varies significantly: reputable programs vet homestay families, define clear expectations for both sides, maintain regular welfare contact, and provide an escalation path if the placement is unsuitable. Volunteers should clarify meal arrangements, internet access, curfew expectations, and the availability of emergency contacts before accepting a homestay placement.

See also: Coordinator / in-country host, Pre-departure orientation, Per diem

A global federation of LGBTQ+ organisations that publishes annual reports on the legal status of LGBTQ+ people by country, widely used by volunteers to assess safety and legal risk.

The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA World) is a Geneva-based federation of over 1,700 member organisations across 160 countries that advocates for the human rights of LGBTQ+ people. Its annual State-Sponsored Homophobia report maps criminalisation laws, legal protections, and social attitudes country by country, making it an essential reference for LGBTQ+ volunteers assessing destination safety. A volunteer program serving LGBTQ+ participants should routinely reference ILGA data and the relevant FCDO or State Department advisory when advising on destination safety.

See also: FCDO — UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, US State Department Travel Advisory, Ethical volunteering

Source: ILGA World

A structured work placement in a foreign country, typically tied to a professional field of study, which may be paid, unpaid, or subsidised through a program fee.

An internship abroad is a formal work-experience placement in an international setting, usually aligned with the intern's academic field—medicine, law, education, conservation, journalism, and so on. It differs from volunteering in that it is explicitly framed as career development and professional skill acquisition, though the ethical considerations around unpaid labour, skills matching, and community impact overlap substantially. Regulatory environments vary: some countries require an internship visa or work permit even for unpaid placements; others allow internships under tourist-visa terms up to certain durations. Volunteers and interns alike should clarify their visa status with both the program and the destination country's immigration authority.

See also: Gap year, Volunteer visa / work permit, Skills-based volunteering

A US-based association of international volunteer-sending organisations that maintains ethical standards and a code of conduct for member programs.

The International Volunteer Programs Association (IVPA) is a membership organisation founded to promote quality and transparency among organisations that place volunteers internationally. Its member organisations are expected to adhere to shared ethical standards covering fee transparency, community benefit, safeguarding, and honest marketing. IVPA membership is one indicator that a program has agreed to independent scrutiny of its practices, though it does not replace direct due diligence by the prospective volunteer. IVPA also publishes consumer guidance on evaluating volunteer programs.

See also: Ethical volunteering, Forum for International Volunteering, Program fee (vs. registration / placement fee)

Source: IVPA — volunteerinternational.org

Lonely Planet is the world's largest travel guidebook publisher; Bradt Travel Guides specialises in less-visited and developing destinations often relevant to volunteer and ethical travellers.

Lonely Planet, founded in 1973, produces mainstream travel guides, digital content, and apps covering the majority of global destinations and is the most recognised consumer travel brand. Bradt Travel Guides, a UK independent publisher founded in 1974, focuses on destinations that mainstream guides underserve—many in Sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe, and the Caribbean—making it particularly useful for volunteers heading to less-visited countries. For volunteer travel specifically, Bradt guides often contain more on community tourism, responsible-travel considerations, and on-the-ground logistics in emerging destinations. Neither publisher is a substitute for checking current FCDO or State Department advisories, which are updated in real time.

See also: FCDO — UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, US State Department Travel Advisory, Gap year

Source: Bradt Travel Guides

The range of procedures, treatments, and clinical decisions a healthcare worker is legally and professionally authorised to perform based on their training and licensure.

Scope of practice defines the boundaries within which a qualified health professional may legally and safely operate. For volunteer programs, it is the principle that a volunteer may only perform clinical tasks they are trained and licensed to do in their home country—regardless of what a local clinic or program may invite them to do. A pre-med student cannot suture wounds, perform clinical examinations, or make triage decisions simply because they are abroad; doing so exposes patients to harm and the volunteer to legal liability. Reputable medical volunteer programs document the scope permitted for each role and ensure clinical supervisors enforce it consistently.

See also: Skills-based volunteering, Ethical volunteering, Code of conduct

Source: WFME — Global standards for medical education

The practice of visiting or volunteering in residential childcare institutions abroad as a tourism or volunteering activity, widely criticised by child-protection organisations as harmful to children's welfare.

Orphanage tourism (also called 'voluntourism in residential care' or 'orphanage volunteering') refers to short-term visits or placements in institutions housing children, marketed to foreign tourists and volunteers as enriching experiences. Major international child-protection bodies—including UNICEF, Lumos, Save the Children, and ReThink Orphanages—have concluded that this model incentivises family separation, exposes children to repeated attachment disruption, and creates conditions for exploitation. Research by Lumos and others has documented that the majority of children in such institutions are not orphans but have at least one living parent, often relinquished due to poverty. UNICEF and the Australian government have both issued guidance explicitly discouraging orphanage volunteering.

See also: Child safeguarding, White saviorism, Ethical volunteering

Source: Lumos — Think Before You Volunteer; UNICEF — Children in alternative care; ReThink Orphanages

A fixed daily allowance paid or provided to cover a volunteer's living expenses—such as meals and local transport—during their placement.

Per diem (Latin: 'per day') is a standard reimbursement or allowance mechanism widely used in paid employment, NGO fieldwork, and some longer-term volunteer programs. In the volunteer context it commonly appears in programs run by international development organisations (e.g., UN Volunteers, VSO) where the participant is not an employee but is compensated for basic living costs to enable full-time engagement. Per diem rates vary enormously by country and organisation. Volunteers receiving a per diem rather than a stipend (see Stipend) should note the distinction, as per diems are typically non-taxable living-cost reimbursements rather than income.

See also: Stipend (in volunteer context), Program fee (vs. registration / placement fee), Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO)

Training and preparation provided by a volunteer program before the volunteer travels, covering cultural context, health and safety, the project's goals, and expectations.

Pre-departure orientation (PDO) is the structured preparation a program delivers to volunteers before they travel. High-quality PDOs typically cover: the history and culture of the destination country; health requirements (vaccinations, malaria prophylaxis, water safety); safety protocols and emergency contacts; the program's code of conduct; an overview of the local partner organisation; and realistic expectations about the volunteer role and living conditions. PDOs may be delivered in person, online, or through preparatory reading packs. Their quality correlates strongly with volunteer satisfaction and—more importantly—with the program's commitment to preparing volunteers to be genuinely useful rather than disruptive.

See also: Coordinator / in-country host, Code of conduct, Re-entry / debriefing

The total amount a volunteer pays to participate in a program, encompassing placement services, in-country accommodation, meals, orientations, and support—distinct from a simple registration deposit.

The program fee is the comprehensive cost charged by a volunteer-sending organisation for its services, typically covering: placement matching, pre-departure support, in-country accommodation, meals, orientation, in-country coordinator support, and insurance (or insurance assistance). A registration or placement fee is usually a smaller upfront amount charged to secure a spot, credited against the full program fee. Ethical practice requires operators to publish a line-item breakdown of what the program fee covers and how much reaches the local partner organisation. A gap between the headline fee and the amount benefiting the local community is a standard critique of commercial voluntourism operators.

See also: IVPA — International Volunteer Programs Association, Stipend (in volunteer context), Ethical volunteering

The structured process through which a volunteer reflects on and adjusts to returning home after an international placement.

Re-entry (or re-integration) is the psychological and practical adjustment process experienced by volunteers returning from a significant period abroad. Common experiences include reverse culture shock, difficulty articulating what they experienced, a sense of disconnection from peers, and frustration with perceived indifference at home. A debriefing session—offered by quality programs—provides space to process these experiences, make sense of what the volunteer contributed, and channel ongoing commitment to global issues. Programs that invest in re-entry support tend to produce longer-term advocates for ethical development rather than one-time participants.

See also: Pre-departure orientation, Gap year, Ethical volunteering

A background screening step that verifies whether a prospective volunteer appears on a national or international sex offender register before they are placed in a child-facing role.

A sex offender registry check cross-references a volunteer's identity against official registers of individuals with convictions for sexual offences. In the United Kingdom, the Sex Offenders Register is embedded in the enhanced DBS check process; in the United States, volunteers may be checked against NSOPW (the National Sex Offender Public Website). International programs working with children should conduct checks in every country the volunteer has lived in for an extended period, not only the country of current residence. The absence of this check for child-facing roles is a categorical safeguarding failure.

See also: Background check / Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), Child safeguarding, Code of conduct

Source: UK Disclosure and Barring Service

Volunteering in which the participant contributes specific professional or technical expertise that the host organisation genuinely needs and cannot readily source locally.

Skills-based volunteering (SBV) is widely considered the most beneficial model of volunteering because it matches the volunteer's actual competencies—medical, legal, engineering, financial, educational, and so on—to a real skills gap in the host organisation. Unlike general labour volunteering (painting walls, carrying bricks), SBV provides something the community cannot easily replicate through local hiring. International development organisations including UN Volunteers and VSO increasingly prioritise SBV in their placement models. Effective skills-based volunteering also requires that the volunteer transfer knowledge to local counterparts rather than simply delivering a service, ensuring durability of impact.

See also: Ethical volunteering, TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language), Medical scope of practice

Source: UN Volunteers — Skills-based volunteering

A modest fixed payment provided to a long-term volunteer, primarily to cover living costs and enable full-time engagement, rather than to remunerate professional services.

In the volunteering context, a stipend is a modest, regular payment designed to cover basic living costs—typically accommodation, food, and local transport—during a medium- to long-term placement. It is distinct from a salary in that it is not intended as professional compensation for the value of the volunteer's work. Stipended volunteer programs include Peace Corps, VSO, and UN Volunteers. Tax treatment varies by jurisdiction and program structure. Volunteers accepting a stipend should confirm whether it affects their tax residency, home-country benefit entitlements, or visa classification at the destination.

See also: Per diem, Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), Internship abroad

A generic term for the practice and qualification of teaching English to speakers of other languages in countries where English is not a native language.

TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language and is used both to describe the field and as a certificate category offered by many training providers. Unlike CELTA—which is a specific, awarding-body-certified qualification—'TEFL certificate' is a generic label applied to courses ranging from fully accredited 120-hour programs to brief online courses with no accreditation. Reputable volunteer-teaching programs and schools distinguish between accredited TEFL qualifications and unaccredited ones, and increasingly require CELTA or an equivalent regulated qualification for positions involving teaching adults. Volunteers should clarify which specific certificate their program requires and verify the accreditation status of any TEFL provider they use.

See also: TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults), Skills-based volunteering

An umbrella term for both the field of English language teaching and a range of qualifications covering the teaching of English to learners in any context, including English-speaking countries.

TESOL—Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages—is a broader descriptor than TEFL in that it encompasses teaching English both in foreign-language contexts (TEFL) and within English-speaking countries (sometimes called ESL, English as a Second Language). TESOL International Association, a professional membership body, publishes standards for English language teaching programs globally. As with TEFL, 'TESOL certificate' is a generic term; the specific accreditation and hours of the qualification matter more than the label. Volunteers planning to teach English should research whether their destination program specifies TEFL, TESOL, CELTA, or an equivalent nationally regulated teaching qualification.

See also: TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language), CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults), Skills-based volunteering

Source: TESOL International Association

A temporary entry permission granted by a destination country for the purpose of tourism, which does not authorise paid employment or, in most countries, organised voluntary work.

A tourist visa grants the holder permission to enter and remain in a country for a specified period for tourism, leisure, or family visits. In the vast majority of countries, working—whether paid or unpaid and organised—requires a separate permit, and arriving on a tourist visa with the intention of volunteering may violate immigration rules. Some countries do permit brief, informal volunteer activities on a tourist visa; others draw a firm line. A volunteer program that advises participants to enter on a tourist visa and declare 'tourism' to immigration is exposing volunteers to deportation and potential bans from future entry. Always verify the visa requirements of the destination country through official immigration authority sources.

See also: Volunteer visa / work permit, eVisa / electronic travel authorization (ETA), Visa-on-arrival (VOA)

A policy that covers trip-specific risks—cancellation, medical evacuation, loss, and liability—for a fixed travel period, distinct from a domestic health insurance plan.

Travel insurance for volunteers typically needs to cover a range of risks that standard domestic health insurance does not: emergency medical treatment and hospitalisation abroad, medical evacuation to a facility capable of providing adequate care (including repatriation), trip cancellation, personal liability, and sometimes high-value equipment. Volunteer-specific travel insurance policies exist and are important because standard travel policies often exclude 'manual labour' or 'hazardous activities', which can include construction volunteering, animal handling, or remote fieldwork. Domestic health insurance plans rarely cover overseas evacuation costs, which can run to tens of thousands of dollars. Volunteers should read the exclusions clause carefully and confirm that their specific placement activities are covered.

See also: FCDO — UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, US State Department Travel Advisory, Medical scope of practice

A gastrointestinal illness caused by consuming contaminated food or water, the most common health problem affecting international travellers and volunteers.

Travelers' diarrhea (TD) is characterised by three or more loose stools per day, often accompanied by cramps, nausea, and sometimes fever, typically occurring within the first two weeks of arrival in a developing-world destination. It is most commonly caused by enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) but can result from a range of bacterial, viral, and parasitic pathogens. Prevention centres on food and water hygiene: drinking only bottled or treated water, avoiding raw leafy vegetables and street food from unhygienic vendors, and regular handwashing. Mild cases are managed with oral rehydration salts and rest; severe or persistent cases require medical evaluation and may warrant antibiotic treatment. Volunteers should carry ORS sachets and know the location of the nearest reliable medical facility.

See also: Antimalarial prophylaxis, Typhoid vaccine, Medical scope of practice

Source: CDC — Travelers' diarrhea

A vaccination against Salmonella typhi—the bacterium that causes typhoid fever—recommended for volunteers travelling to areas with limited access to safe food and water.

Typhoid fever is a systemic bacterial illness transmitted through consumption of food or water contaminated with the faeces of an infected person. Two vaccine types are available: an oral live-attenuated vaccine (Vivotif, given over four doses) and an injectable inactivated polysaccharide vaccine (Typhim Vi), both providing moderate protection for two to three years. Vaccination is recommended by the CDC, NHS, and WHO for travellers to South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and parts of Southeast Asia—regions that encompass many popular volunteer destinations. Neither vaccine provides complete protection, so food and water hygiene practices remain essential.

See also: Yellow fever certificate, Antimalarial prophylaxis, Travelers' diarrhea

Source: CDC — Typhoid vaccine information

Official risk assessments issued by the US Department of State rating every country on a four-level scale from 'Exercise Normal Precautions' to 'Do Not Travel'.

The US Department of State Travel Advisory system provides country-level safety ratings on a four-tier scale: Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions), Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution), Level 3 (Reconsider Travel), and Level 4 (Do Not Travel). Advisories are updated regularly based on security, health, civil unrest, and natural disaster conditions. They also often include sub-national information for specific regions within a country. For international volunteers, advisories are relevant both in their own right and because many travel insurance policies restrict or exclude coverage for destinations at Level 3 or 4. Non-US travellers should consult their own government's equivalent (FCDO for UK citizens, Smartraveller for Australians).

See also: FCDO — UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Travel insurance (vs. health insurance), Volunteer visa / work permit

Source: US Department of State — Travel Advisories

An entry permission issued at the port of entry—rather than in advance at a consulate—allowing eligible passport holders to obtain their visa upon arrival in the destination country.

A visa-on-arrival (VOA) scheme allows eligible travellers to obtain their entry visa at the airport, land border, or seaport rather than applying in advance through a consulate or embassy. Eligibility is determined by the destination country's bilateral agreements with the traveller's country of nationality. VOAs are typically issued for tourism purposes and carry the same limitations as other tourist visas regarding work and organised volunteering. Some countries that previously offered VOAs have transitioned to eVisa systems requiring advance online applications; volunteers should verify the current entry procedure with the official immigration authority of their destination country, as schemes change frequently.

See also: Tourist visa, eVisa / electronic travel authorization (ETA), Volunteer visa / work permit

A UK-based international development organisation that places skilled professionals in long-term volunteering roles in developing countries, typically for assignments of three months to two years.

Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) is one of the world's oldest and largest international development volunteer organisations, founded in 1958 and headquartered in the UK. VSO places skilled volunteers—healthcare workers, teachers, engineers, governance specialists, and others—in multi-month to multi-year assignments aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Unlike commercial voluntourism operators, VSO focuses on skills transfer, capacity building within local organisations, and measurable development outcomes. VSO volunteers typically receive a modest living allowance (stipend) rather than pay a program fee, and placements are competitive, requiring relevant professional qualifications and experience.

See also: Skills-based volunteering, Stipend (in volunteer context), Ethical volunteering

Source: VSO — vsointernational.org

An immigration permission specifically authorising a foreign national to carry out volunteer or non-commercial work activities in the destination country for a defined period.

Some countries issue a dedicated volunteer visa or require that organised volunteer activity be conducted under a work permit or specific NGO-activity visa. Requirements vary considerably: Thailand, for example, issues a non-immigrant O-A visa that can be used for certain volunteer activities; Kenya requires a Class G work permit for long-stay volunteers working with registered NGOs. Where a volunteer visa exists, travelling on a tourist visa and conducting organised volunteering is a visa violation that can result in deportation and future entry bans. Volunteers should research the visa category required in their specific destination country and confirm the arrangement with both the program operator and the official government immigration source.

See also: Tourist visa, eVisa / electronic travel authorization (ETA), Visa-on-arrival (VOA)

Source: FCDO Travel Advice (entry requirements)

A form of travel that combines tourism with volunteer work, typically in a developing country, often criticised when the tourist experience takes precedence over genuine community benefit.

Voluntourism blends the words 'volunteer' and 'tourism' and describes short-term international placements—commonly one to four weeks—that combine sightseeing and travel with participation in a community or conservation project. The model has grown substantially since the early 2000s and spans a spectrum from genuinely beneficial skills-based placements to exploitative commercial products that prioritise the paying volunteer's experience over community outcomes. Academic and development literature (notably work by Pippa Biddle, Daniela Papi-Thornton, and the ICVA) identifies structural criticisms: short-stay volunteers rarely have time to add meaningful value, fees frequently flow to intermediaries rather than communities, and some program models actively perpetuate dependency. Ethical evaluation requires scrutiny of fee transparency, local leadership, skills matching, and safeguarding standards.

See also: Ethical volunteering, White saviorism, Orphanage tourism

Source: ICVA — The state of volunteering

A pattern of behaviour in which a white person from a wealthy country travels to a poorer country to 'help', prioritising their own sense of purpose and moral worth over the actual needs and agency of the community.

White saviorism (or white saviour complex) describes a dynamic—extensively documented in post-colonial studies and development literature—in which well-intentioned volunteers or aid workers from wealthy, predominantly white Western countries enact help in ways that centre their own emotional experience and self-image rather than the expressed priorities of the communities they engage with. It perpetuates unequal power relationships, can undermine local expertise and leadership, and frames global inequality as a problem solvable by individual moral action rather than structural change. The term entered mainstream development discourse significantly through Teju Cole's 2012 Atlantic essay on the 'white savior industrial complex'. Awareness of this dynamic is considered foundational to ethical volunteering preparation.

See also: Voluntourism, Ethical volunteering, Skills-based volunteering

Source: ICVA — Volunteering and power dynamics

An internationally recognised vaccination certificate (the 'yellow card') confirming a traveller has been vaccinated against yellow fever, required as a condition of entry by many countries in Africa and South America.

The yellow fever vaccination certificate—formally the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP), colloquially called the 'yellow card'—is issued to individuals who have received a yellow fever vaccine. Under the International Health Regulations, many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and tropical South America require proof of vaccination on entry, particularly if the traveller is arriving from another yellow-fever-endemic country. The vaccine is a live-attenuated single-dose immunisation that provides lifelong protection for most recipients; it must be administered at an approved vaccination centre and recorded on the official certificate. Volunteers heading to endemic regions should obtain the vaccine at least ten days before travel.

See also: Typhoid vaccine, Antimalarial prophylaxis, Travelers' diarrhea

Source: WHO — Yellow fever