Federal Voluntary Service (BFD)

The Federal Voluntary Service (BFD) is often viewed as a replacement for the Civil Service "on pause" since 1st July 2011. But the BFD is far more than this. It is a voluntary service that is cross-generational and across gender. Men and women from the age of 16 become involved – after completing school – in the Federal Voluntary Service for 6-18 months in social, cultural and ecological or other tasks concerned with public welfare. There is no upward age limit in this voluntary service. Volunteers are state-insured and are professionally accompanied.

During the BFD, volunteers can on the one hand collect meaningful life experiences and on the other hand make use of their own knowledge and expertise.

Moreover the deployment projects profit from the support of volunteers, who give new impulses to the daily work on site. Here are a few aspects that volunteers mostly mention:

• collecting and contributing personal and professional experiences
• sharing knowledge and skills with others
• making new contacts
• strengthening social competencies
• taking on responsibilities for oneself and others
• learning about new career fields
• acquiring or furthering professional expertise/working in a team
• possibly having the service credited as a pre-internship for a following degree or training
• being able to include social involvement in your CV
• the feeling of being needed and being able to give back to society
• time to reconsider own perspectives and  to determine new goals

With the Federal Voluntary Service you will receive:

• monthly pocket money, along with catering in some cases, otherwise an adequate allowance for meals
• in some cases an accommodation allowance
• holidays according to the Federal Holiday Act (usually 24 days)
• a certificate and report for the accomplished voluntary service after completion