Requirements of participation
These terms and conditions apply to all participants and volunteers who join a workcamp in Germany.
At the time in which you apply you should live in Germany or in a country in which we are not represented by a partner organization. Should we have a partner organisation in your country, you need to apply via this partner organisation. The list of partners can be found here.
The age restrictions and specifications of a respective camp can be found in the description of the camp. What matters is your age at the beginning of the camp.
As soon as you've found a suitable camp for you, you can apply here. Please fill in the application form completely (incl. email-address and emergency contact). For minors the signature of the participant as well as the signature of the parent/guardian is required and must be send via post or fax.
Your application is valid for one of the workcamps indicated by you on your form. In case your first camp choice is booked out we will place you, without confering with you again, in your second or third choice. As soon as we've been able to place you in one of the camps you will receive a confirmation of registration by email. After the receipt of confirmation, please transfer your participation fee.
If you are living in Germany:
€ 100 (for the first workcamp)
€ 80 (after the second workcamp in a year)
If you are living in in another country, that is not represented by the "Alliance of European Voluntary Service Organisations"
120€
+50€ Participation fee for volunteers from abroad
ijgd-members receive a discount of € 20.
Some camps require additional fees, so called Extra-Fee. These extra-fees are mentioned in the respective camp descriptions.
Meals and a small free time program during the camp are free. Transportation to and from the camp must be paid for and organized by the participant. Should there be no free space in the camp that you want we will, as much as possible, propose alternatives. If you do not wish to accept any of our alternatives, you will be refunded your participation fees in full.
If you can not, for any reason, participate in a camp you have registered for, please inform us as soon as possible. This gives other volunteers the possibility to take your place. For cancellations four weeks or more before the beginning of the camp, we will refund 50% of the participation fee. For cancellations less than four weeks in advance, we are unfortunately unable to provide a refund. In justifiable cases (e.g. sickness) you are able to, without additional costs, re-register to a camp in which there are still free places.
You will receive a confirmation of registration from us by email. Transportation to and from the camp must be organized and paid for by the participant. You can begin with your travel plans directly upon receipt of your confirmation of camp registration. We will send the participants a detailed camp description (Infosheet) with trip details and the address of the camp three weeks before the beginning of camp at the latest, earlier in most cases.
When you volunteer as a workcamp participant it is compulsory that you work with the other participants on the described projects (around 20-30 hrs a week). It is only because of this work that your financial burden is so low. A change of plans in your workload for uncontrollable circumstances (e.g. bad weather…) is sometimes necessary but does not absolve you from your work commitments.
Engagement: The success of the camp depends on your engagement in your workload. This also includes being present from the first to the last day in the camp (exceptions only possible after verbal agreement has been made). You should also participate in the collaborative house work (communal cooking, cleaning, ect.) as well as arranging social events.
Expulsion: Should a participant continually fail to comply with his/her commitments and disturb camp life or conduct themselves with behavior contrary to their contract even though warning has been given, they will be immediately expelled from camp.
We, the ijgd, organize workcamps in Germany and, as the host for these projects, are active in moderating them. Should a camp, for example, become unable to take place because of a lack of registration it may be cancelled up to 30 days before the beginning of the camp. In this case we will inform all involved participants as quickly as possible. If you do not choose to accept any alternatives we offer, we will refund your previously paid participation fees and, potentially, incurred travel expenses as well upon presentation of the payment voucher. Further demands of participants from ijgd will not be respected.
In case of illness, your own personal insurance is responsible. In the event that you are not privately insured, it is essential that you bring your health insurance chip card with you. Participants residing in countries with which Germany has a social insurance treaty (EU-countries, Bosnia, Kosovo, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey, Tunisia et al) must bring with them proof of insurance for the German health insurance. Participants without their own health insurance coverage must disclose this to ijgd without delay; otherwise no demands can be placed on ijgd. Participants from countries other than those named above will be insured by ijgd. However, pre-existing conditions and chronic illness incurred before the beginning date of the camp are not covered by this insurance.
Accident insurance: In principle your own health insurance or the health insurance from the ijgd, which is reserved for select participants and group of participants, is responsible for accidents. Additionally during the work and free time you are accident-insured through the ijgd.
This additional accident insurance is used in the case of disablement to a maximum of € 80.000.
Liability insurance: The ijgd insures you against person and property damage (up to € 5 Million). Deliberately caused damages are not covered by ijgd insurance.
Miscellaneous insurance: In principle we advise you to obtain travel insurance and luggage insurance.
Insolvency insurance: Participants are insured by ijgd case of insolvency according to the German Civil Code.
