Registration:

1. What is the deadline for registering for a specific project?
   You need to register at least six weeks before you intend to start with your work, if possible even earlier. There are no fixed registration dates, so you may register with us at any time. Make sure you check the dates of our orientation seminars before confirming your plans, as you will only be allowed to start with your work after having participated in one of our seminars. They usually take place in Cape Town (South Africa) on every first Friday and every third Saturday of each month. We recommend that you register with us as much in advance as possible, in order to make sure that you can get placed with your favourite project(s).
2. What is the difference between volunteering with one of Atlantic Volunteers' partner projects and an internship?
   With regards to the actual work there is not a great difference. Internships usually have to fulfill certain specific requirements as stated by a university. That means a lot more paper work for you, for the project and for us. Our partner projects here in South Africa all are understaffed and lack financial (and other) resources, and not all of them are able to handle extra paper work. According to some universities, sometimes an intern has to be supervised by a qualified psychologist or by somebody else with a specific degree; or the intern has to work a certain number of hours. In this case it will be difficult to find a suitable project that can fulfill all the requirements.
   If you would like to do an internship and your university does not have very specific requirements in this respect, and if you would like to experience the different cultures and learn more about the people of South Africa – then working with our partner projects is the right option for you.
   In any case you get a certificate on request at the end of your stay.

Means of payment:

1. I would like to transfer the registration fee together with the program fee in order to avoid paying the bank charges twice. Is this possible?
   Yes, this is possible, and saves you and us some time and money.
2. My bank says that I need an IBAN-number for the transfer. What is this number?
   There is no IBAN-number for South Africa. The details stated in the registration form are sufficient for transferring money from any country.
3. Is there another option how to pay the registration fee?
   At present we only have an account in South Africa, as Atlantic Volunteers is a South African organisation, and this is the cheapest option. We are looking into opening up an account in Europe as well.
4. Is the program fee due only once?
   Yes, your program fee only needs to be paid once. It includes all materials for the seminar and lunch during the seminar as well.

Choosing the right project:

1. How does the placement procedure work? May I choose my favourite options and give some input as to where I would like to work?
   We are going to place you according to where you would preferably like to work and we are certainly not going to put you in a field which you are not interested in. However, we only place volunteers where support is really needed – for example it does not make sense to place too many volunteers with the same project at the same time, while another project desperately needs support. We always want to make sure that the needs and wishes of all parties involved are being met. In most cases we will be able to place you with your first or second choice. If this might exceptionally not be possible, we will place you with another similar project working in the same field or area.
2. Is Atlantic Volunteers authorised to offer the 'FSJ' for young German volunteers?
   Unfortunately we cannot offer the 'FSJ' at this stage as Atlantic Volunteers is only registered as a non-profit organisation in South Africa.
3. Is it possible to volunteer together with a friend in the same project?
   This is possible in most projects. Usually this is a very good option, as you know each other already and are able to work together better.
4. I am thinking about writing my bachelor's thesis / master's thesis via Atlantic Volunteers on the partner project I am going to work with / on its work. Is this possible?
   Please refer to 'internship/volunteer work'.

Scheduled duration of work:

1. What is the recommended duration for volunteer work?
   Our volunteers work with the partner projects for 3 to 6 months on average. The longer you are able to support a project, the better it is! Especially if you are working with children you should remember that they will get attached to you and used to having you around and being able to share their concerns with you. Minimum duration is between six weeks and two months, depending on the project.
2. What if I have to leave South Africa earlier than planned? Or what if I do not enjoy working with my project and would like to change to another project?
   If you have to travel back home due to unforeseen circumstances, this will obviously be possible. However, the fees that have been paid already are non-refundable.
   If you would like to leave earlier or change the placement due to reasons that concern the project and the work you are doing, please make sure that you discuss this with us and with a trusted staff member / supervisor in the project. Often misunderstandings occur due to cultural differences that need to be talked about. Only in extremely exceptional cases we can consider to place you with another project, as the project counts on your support.
3. Is it possible to extend my stay if I realise that I would like to live and work in South Africa a bit longer?
   Yes. It is possible to extend your stay at relatively short-term notice and this is usually very much appreciated by the project, providing that there is still a volunteer place available in that project.
4. When should participants arrive in South Africa?

   We recommend that you arrive 2 days before the seminar at the latest, so you have one day to recover from the flight, and another day to explore your new environment.

Additional costs:

1. How much is a flight to Cape Town?
   Depending on the time of the year, flights from Europe are from 650,- Euro onwards for a return ticket.
2. What do I need to budget for normal living expenses in South Africa?
   Apart from the fee(s) due to Atlantic Volunteers, all other expenses are completely up to you and depend on your habits and expected standard of living. For example a monthly ticket for the train ('third class') is around 10 Euro; hiring a car for a month costs at least 240 Euro. Food and rent is usually a little bit (though not much) cheaper that in Europe and North America, but this largely depends on where you live and where go shopping.

Accommodation:

1. What are the chances that I can get free accommodation at the project I am going to work with?
   Only 3 of our partner projects (children's homes) are able to offer free accommodation for volunteers. Due to their specific challenges, these projects are only open to volunteers / interns with previous work experience or previous experience living in a Third World country. They are located far away from transport routes and we recommend to rent or purchase a car, so that you do not have to depend on getting a lift with other staff members on your weekends off. Please also remember when applying for one of these projects with accommodation, that living and basically working with the children 24 hours / day is going to be very challenging and exhausting for you.
2. If I am not going to be accommodated at the project, how will I get to work and back home very day?
   Depending on where the project is located, you may go by bus, minibus-taxi or train. If the project is located far away from your accommodation you should consider hiring or purchasing a car.
3. If I am not going to be accommodated at the project, where else am I going to stay? Do I need to organise this accommodation myself?
   We are happy to place you with one of our host families, or book you into a backpackers or a house shared by other students. If you stay in South Africa for more than six weeks we recommend that you stay in a house or a host family.
   You may also organise your own accommodation if you wish to – in this case, please let us know where you are going to stay!
4. What could I bring with for the children or the host family?
   The children in the homes usually do not have enough stationery - pencils, pens, paper, crayons etc, toys and dummies. Host families are usually happy about something typical for the area you come from or some nice chocolate. If you are staying with a host family in a township or in the village of Mzweni in the Eastern Cape, we recommend that you buy a useful present during your stay with them – so that you can first check out what they might need or what might be missing in their household (e.g. a frying pan, a pot etc).

Visa:

1. Do I need a special visa ? If yes, where should I apply for it ?

   EU citizens who are going to stay under 3 months will not need a visa. If you are going to stay longer, please extend your visa during your stay in South Africa. We are going to send you further details on the application process, and we are happy to support you with the application in South Africa.