Volunteers from non-UK countries

We welcome help from overseas (non-UK) volunteers, including students. But you must be at least 18 years old and have good conversational English.

Sometimes we are able to place volunteers via partner organisations and EU funded schemes such as Leonardo and the European Voluntary Service.

As a charity, the Trust is unable to assist you with travel costs to and from the UK, or to offer payment other than out-of-pocket expenses while you are volunteering.

Visa requirements

Volunteers from countries within the European Union do not require visas.

Non-EU volunteers will need to apply for entry clearance / leave to enter the UK to undertake voluntary work from their nearest British Embassy or Consulate. Regulations are as follows:

• You must volunteer with a registered charity, such as the National Trust.
• You may be provided with accommodation, but no further remuneration.
• The work must be closely related to the aims of the organisation - not purely clerical, administrative or maintenance work.
• A maximum stay of 12 months is allowed.
• You must not seek or take paid employment while in the UK.

Despite the name of our programme, the National Trust's Working Holidays is not part of a government 'Working Holidays' visa scheme. Non-EU volunteers must apply for entry clearance / leave to enter the UK to undertake voluntary work.

Essential documents

When you apply, you will need:

• a letter from the National Trust offering you a position; and
• evidence that you can support yourself financially while in the UK.

Don't book travel until you have entry clearance

An entry clearance application may take several months to complete, and it is usual to be charged a non-returnable deposit. If you are granted a visa, it will be valid for up to twelve12 months from the day of issue. We advise that you do not book travel in advance, as you may lose money if you are not granted entry clearance.

Selecting placements

To aid your application, we advise you to select placements for which you have obvious skills. For example, if you are a teacher, apply for education positions.