30 Questions to Ask Before Booking a Volunteer Program Abroad

About the program and role (Q1-7)

1. What specifically will I do, day by day? (Not 'support the community' — be precise.)
2. Who is the local partner organisation, and how long have you worked with them?
3. Who supervises me day-to-day, and what are their credentials?
4. What tasks are out of scope for volunteers?
5. What's the realistic impact of my work over my placement length?
6. How many other volunteers are typically on-site at the same time?
7. What languages do I need to function in the role?

Fees and finances (Q8-13)

1. Show me a percentage breakdown of where my fee goes.
2. What share of the fee reaches the local partner?
3. What's included in the fee (accommodation, meals, training, transport)?
4. What additional costs should I budget for (visa, vaccines, weekend travel, weekend food)?
5. What's your refund and cancellation policy in writing?
6. If the program is cancelled by you, what's my recourse?

Safety and emergency (Q14-19)

1. What's your written emergency / medical evacuation procedure?
2. Is there a 24/7 in-country contact? How is it staffed?
3. What's the nearest hospital to the placement site, and what's its capacity?
4. What does your insurance recommendation cover and not cover?
5. What's the current safety and travel-advisory situation for this placement region?
6. What's the protocol if I report a safety concern at the placement?

Safeguarding and ethics (Q20-25)

1. Can I read your child safeguarding policy in advance? (For any role near children.)
2. Do you require a recent background check from my country of residence?
3. What's your policy on photography of community members and consent?
4. What's your animal-welfare policy? (For any role involving animals.)
5. What clinical tasks are volunteers in this role authorised to perform — and which are not? (For medical roles.)
6. Where can I report a concern that bypasses my placement supervisor if needed?

Vetting and references (Q26-30)

1. Can you connect me with 2-3 recent volunteers from this specific placement?
2. Where can I read independent reviews of this specific program?
3. How long has this specific placement been running?
4. What has the program changed in response to past volunteer feedback?
5. What's your single biggest piece of advice for someone considering this trip?

FAQs

Do I really need to ask all 30 questions?

Not all 30 — but most. Skip questions that don't apply to your role (medical ones if you're not in healthcare, child-safeguarding ones if you have no child contact). For the rest, getting clear written answers is what separates a good operator from a marketing-driven one.

What if they refuse to answer in writing?

That's an answer. A reputable operator has standard responses to these questions and will share them. If they want to 'discuss on a call' instead of put it in writing, escalate or walk away.

Are these questions just for first-time volunteers?

Useful for everyone, but especially first-timers. Experienced volunteers may already know the answers from research; first-timers benefit most from forcing a written response.