Volunteering
Volunteering is genuinely popular in Belgium - a way to learn new skills, make a positive impact, and get into the local social fabric, all at once. It's also something future employers tend to view favourably.
How it works for you depends on why you're here. If you're already living in Belgium, volunteering is informal and open to anyone. If you're a non-EU national coming specifically to volunteer, it's a regulated process with its own permit.
This page covers both: the general rules that apply to volunteering in Flanders, and the specific permit route for those entering Belgium to volunteer.
Overview
If you're already living in Belgium - as an employee, student, or family member of someone who is - volunteering is straightforward: find an organisation, agree what you'll do, and get started. If you're a non-EU, EEA, or Swiss national coming to Flanders specifically to volunteer, you'll instead need a work permit obtained through a Single Permit, arranged by the organisation hosting you, and your stay is capped at 12 months.
What counts as volunteering
Under Flemish rules, an activity only counts as volunteering if it meets three conditions: it's done for a non-profit organisation, it's unpaid, and it's genuinely voluntary - meaning nobody can be required to do it. This means an internship, a community service order, or an alternative sanction doesn't count as volunteering, and neither does helping out family or neighbours informally, like mowing a neighbour's lawn.
A few practical points worth knowing:
- Volunteers can receive an expense reimbursement, but only under strict rules - volunteering itself is never paid work.
- Structured volunteer organisations are required to have insurance. This means the organisation, not you personally, is liable if something goes wrong and causes damage to a third party.
- If you receive unemployment benefit (RVA), a living wage (OCMW), or a sickness or invalidity benefit, you're required to report your volunteering to the relevant service beforehand.
Coming to Belgium specifically to volunteer
Non-EU nationals can volunteer in Flanders for a maximum of 12 months, but only under a recognised European Solidarity Corps (ESC) programme. In Flanders, these placements are monitored by JINT vzw, the national agency for the European Solidarity Corps. This route doesn't use a standalone work permit - you can only volunteer through a Single Permit, which combines your work authorisation and residence permit into one document.
Two things are worth knowing upfront: the 12-month permit cannot be extended, and once your volunteering placement ends, you're expected to leave Belgian territory.
The organisation hosting you - not you - applies for the Single Permit, since it's their approved ESC programme that makes the placement possible. Your application needs to include the volunteer agreement between you and the organisation, along with supporting documents about your identity and residence, submitted through the relevant one-stop shop for work and residence permits. Because the exact document checklist can change, your host organisation is the right party to confirm precisely what's needed.
Finding volunteer opportunities
If you're already living in Belgium, two resources are worth knowing about. Vrijwilligerswerk.be lists open volunteer positions across Flanders, searchable by interest and location. Compagnie Cordial (formerly known as Refu Interim) specifically matches newcomers with volunteer placements, which is a practical way to practise Dutch, meet new people, and get to know your city while you settle in. They also run in-person registration days (inschrijfdagen) in several cities, including Kortrijk - check their website for the next date near you.
Good to know: if you're volunteering while receiving unemployment or OCMW benefits, report it before you start, not after. It's a simple step, but skipping it can create complications with your benefits later.
Sources
- Vlaanderen.be - Vrijwilligerswerk
- Vlaanderen.be - Employing a foreigner in Flanders: volunteer
- Compagnie Cordial
- Vrijwilligerswerk.be
