What should I arrange before volunteering?
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Detailed explanation, checklist and sources
Agree duties, expenses, insurance and safety beforehand. Volunteering does not automatically entitle you to payment or insurance. If you receive benefits, check in advance what notification or permission is required and which duties continue.
On this page
1. Check that the role is genuinely voluntary
Volunteering is unpaid, freely chosen work serving a public or social purpose, without a profit motive or replacing a paid job. Looking after an ill relative or friend is informal care, a different category. The title of an agreement is not decisive: describe actual duties, hours, supervision and payments before agreeing.
2. Agree arrangements and find suitable support
Ask your municipality, a volunteer centre or an organisation directly for opportunities. Agree duties, availability, expenses, a contact person and how to stop; do not promise hours you cannot manage. Expense reimbursement is not an automatic entitlement. Ask which personal details are needed and why; blanket consent to any use is not a sound practical arrangement.
3. Check payments and tax
In2026 a modest payment for effort is generally tax-free up to €220 per month AND €2,200 per year. For hourly agreements the Tax Administration treats €5.75 from age21 and €3.40 below21 as non-market rates; a higher hourly amount may still qualify with justification. Reimbursement solely of proven actual costs is separate. When effort and costs are both paid, add them for the limits. Include payments from different organisations; exceeding limits may make the entire payment taxable. Check uncertain tax classification beforehand.
4. Arrange insurance and safe supervision
You are not automatically insured against damage or accidents. Ask the organisation/municipality which policy covers which tasks and exclusions. Request instructions and supervision for hazardous work; occupational safety rules apply particularly to major risks, minors, pregnancy and breastfeeding. A VOG conduct certificate is important when working with vulnerable people: free applications go through an admitted organisation and Justis, not automatically for everyone. Admission requires prevention policies among other conditions; legally mandatory VOG routes may be excluded.
5. Contact your benefits authority
Give UWV or your municipality the duties, hours and payments beforehand. Suitable paid work and job-search duties take priority unless a specific exemption applies; volunteers must not replace paid positions. WW has its own permission procedure. Ask about any municipal incentive payment. For social assistance recipients under27 a general expense allowance may reduce benefits, unlike reimbursement of actual expenses. Tax-free payment does not automatically mean every benefit remains unchanged.
6. Prepare carefully for volunteering abroad
Research the organisation, programme, costs and former volunteers’ experiences. Check travel advice, local rules and insurance covering these particular activities. EU youth information lists accredited organisations and possible funding, not automatic admission or funding. The government advises against orphanage/children’s-home volunteering: changing carers can harm children and projects can sustain exploitation, unnecessary separation from parents or trafficking. Choose a carefully checked alternative.
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What other support does the government offer?
Alongside municipal support and the conditional free VOG scheme, there are national volunteer awards and maatschappelijke diensttijd for young people. CBS and Movisie publish research and information. These are separate programmes, not automatic rights to money or a placement; check current eligibility.
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- Duties and available hours
- Agreed expenses and payments
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- Insurance, safety and supervision
- Benefit notification or permission
- Organisation checks and any VOG
Contact with a lawyer
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View the current application processSources
Need personal assistance? Request a lawyer through our chat. We explain the next step; submitting a request does not engage a lawyer. The links below support the legal information.
Rijksoverheid — begrip vrijwilligerswerk ↗Rijksoverheid — vrijwilligerswerk vinden ↗Rijksoverheid — ondersteuning ↗Rijksoverheid — verzekering ↗Rijksoverheid — onkosten ↗Rijksoverheid — buitenland ↗Rijksoverheid — uitkering ↗Rijksoverheid — regels ↗Belastingdienst — vrijwilligersvergoedingen ↗CIBG — voorwaarden gratis VOG ↗Sources may be in Dutch. General information about Dutch law, not individual legal advice.