Looking for a trusted local volunteer organization with the most affordable program fees? For €85 per week, join our rewarding volunteering opportunities. Yes, that’s correct, from the 5th week you will only pay €85 per week. Choose from a wide range of volunteering and internship projects.
VIN is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation, entirely dependent upon the resources of our volunteers and supporters.
VIN’s major goal is to empower marginalised communities in Nepal through mid to long-term volunteering projects. Our approach is consistent and sustainable and aims to use our resources efficiently. While our volunteers provide their time, expertise and financial resources to fund our operations. The VIN’s team work hard to ensure that our community programs run continuously and that our volunteers are provided with a well-organised and guided experience, which is enriching for all concerned.
Without the program fees that you pay, VIN would be unable to sustain the platform upon which both our project work and the support that we provide to volunteers and interns are based.
VIN is a Nepal-based, Nepalese-run non-profit organisation. We are not an agency and we place volunteers in our own sustainable programs. All our paid staff are Nepalese. They are paid reasonable salaries by Nepali standards, however, this accounts for very little of our overall costs. All of your program fees go directly to either fund your time in Nepal, including transport, food, accommodation, induction, or towards funding our community programs.
At VIN, we work hard to continue to work efficiently, ensuring that our program fees remain affordable for our volunteers and interns and our community work continues to be consistent and effective.
50% off on the volunteer program fee for Nepalese citizens who live abroad (NRN – Non-resident Nepalese) and want to volunteer in Nepal with VIN.
Program Booking Fee: €150 – is a non-refundable fee which covers processing your application and pre-departure support and is not deductible from program fees.
Euro (€)
| Program Duration in Weeks / Program Fees in Euro (€) | ||||||||||
| S.N | Program Type | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | Each additional week | |
| 1 | Volunteering | 350 | 450 | 550 | 720 | 890 | 1060 | 1230 | 85 | |
| 2 | Internship | N/A | N/A | 650 | 840 | 1030 | 1220 | 1410 | 95 | |
| 3 | Volunteer & Charity Trekking | 5 weeks volunteering & Trekking EBC/ABC Charity Trekking 1675 | ||||||||
| 4 | Volunteering & Travel Tour | 4 weeks volunteering and weekend (4 nights 6 days) travel tour 890 | ||||||||
| 5 | Buddhist Monastery placements are available 4 + weeks only | If you choose multiple projects, an 80 extra fee will be added to each project to cover logistic support. | ||||||||
| 6 | Medical Placements at the hospital will cost 100 EUR Extra | |||||||||
| 7 | Placements out of Kathmandu Valley: Okhaldhunga (250KM) will cost 200; Sindhuli (150KM) 150; and Nuwakot (35KM) will cost 50 extra for a return reserved Jeep transportation. The costs are based on the average shared fare with two or more volunteers. | |||||||||
USD ($)
| Program Duration in Weeks / Program Fees in USD ($) | ||||||||||
| S.N | Program Type | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | Each additional week | |
| 1 | Volunteering | 420 | 540 | 660 | 860 | 1060 | 1260 | 1460 | 100 | |
| 2 | Internship | N/A | N/A | 780 | 1010 | 1240 | 1470 | 1700 | 115 | |
| 3 | Volunteer & Charity Trekking | 3 weeks volunteering & 12days Charity Trekking 1999 | ||||||||
| 4 | Volunteering & Travel Tour | 4 weeks volunteering and weekend (3 nights 5 days) travel tour 1075 | ||||||||
| 5 | Buddhist Monastery placements are available 4 + weeks | If you choose multiple projects/Sites, a 100 USD extra fee will be added to each project to cover logistic support. | ||||||||
| 6 | Medical Placements at the hospitals will cost $120 USD Extra | |||||||||
| 7 | Placements out of Kathmandu Valley: Okhaldhunga (250KM) will cost $220; Sindhuli (150KM) $175; and Nuwakot (35KM) will cost $60 extra for a return reserved Jeep transportation. The costs are based on the average shared fare with two or more volunteers. | |||||||||
Please read the following information carefully before you book your position:
- The program costs are reviewed end of every year to adjust the inflation rates. Convert costs into your currency Click here.
- To book a volunteer/internship placement with us, you should pay €150 using PayPal Click here online or bank transfer as stated below. This amount is for processing your application; pre-departure support and ensures your arrival at VIN and NOT deductible from program fees. We only accept payment once you are accepted for the program.
- You may contact us for customized group Volunteering & program fee – based on your need.
- If you wish to work for more than one placement (project/site), then you are required to pay €80 extra to cover our extra logistic work.
- Program Induction (Please watch our Program Induction Video, click here to learn what to expect): 2 start dates are usually available each month. We start program induction 1st and 15th of each month. It varies from 1 to 3 days or even a week depending on program duration and nature of the work. The induction period is considered part of your volunteering/internship program period. If you wish to come in between for a short period, you will receive a basic orientation before the placement. Please arrive one day prior to the program induction date.
- Please read VIN’s online “Terms and Conditions“ before you confirm your placement.
- We may pay in advance by wire transfer or cash on arrival. If you wish to pay by Paypal, there will be 5.5% extra cost to cover PayPal transactions and bank transfer fees. We accept Nepali Rupees, Euros, US, GBP, Canadian, Singapore, and HK dollars.
The program fee covers:
1) Transportation
- Airport picks up by VIN staff with Nepali culture.
- Pick up from hotel to VIN office.
- Hostel/hotel to project site on the first day.
- From the project site to VIN office / Hotel on the last day on the exit day;
- If your project site is more than 10 KM from Kathmandu ring roads like Okhaldhunga (250km) or Okharpouwa (35km), then it will cost extra transportation. Due to unstable petroleum prices, transportation cost is unpredictable. So don’t hesitate to get in touch with our staff for the actual cost at the time of booking your placement.
2) Program Induction / On Arrival Orientation
- A presentation about VIN (story, strategies, success and failure stories, finances), Nepali history, politics, economy, and social issues.
- Survival Nepali language phrases; 2 hours each day during the induction.
- Nepali culture & Do’s & Don’ts.
- Health, safety and security tips.
- Program-related orientation, e.g. teaching /TEFL tips, women’s empowerment, construction, environment.
- Half-day sightseeing of world heritage sites, e.g. Patan Darbar Square, Pashupatinath / Baudhanath Stupa.
- Stationary & handouts of the presentations.
- Safe travel, trekking, and adventure assistance.
3) Food & Accommodation
- Food & accommodation at VIN’s hostel or a budget hotel on a same-gender sharing basis.
- Food & accommodation during placement with a host family/hostel/monastery -depending on your program.
- The living condition will be of Nepali standard – 3 meals provided.
4) Administrative Cost
- Staff salaries.
- Office rent & office supplies.
- Regular mentoring & follow-up support in-person visits and by phone, WhatsApp, and email.
- Meeting & socialising with volunteers & interns from different countries.
- 24/7 emergency support.
- Free wireless internet at our office.
- Communications like Internet & phone, emails.
- Online offline volunteer program promotions.
- Administrative charge.
- Government taxes & membership fees.
5) Community Project Funding
- Women’s empowerment: 300+ women’s clubs, women’s cooperatives, income generative projects, education & life skills
- Children’s Development: 55+ Early childhood development centres, 50 children’s clubs, children’s education support, libraries, school infrastructure development
- Public Health & Medical Care: Lab, medicine, mobile clinics, school health and 3000+ toilets constructed for poor families. Over 20000 people from the most marginalized communities have benefitted from our free medical check-ups and treatment by professional doctors in the past.
- Youth empowerment: Youth clubs and their activities to empower local youth.
- Environment conservation: Permaculture, Agroforestry, farming, plantation, research etc.
- Disaster Risk Reduction: Reconstruction support for poor families, Community centres
- Project staff salaries
- Support for local volunteers
The program fee excludes the following:
- Airfare, Visa and Visa extension fee – Tourist VISA fee in US$: 15 days – US$30, 30 days – US$50, 90 days -US$125 Per additional day:- US$3. Check the Nepal Immigration site for more info.
- Stationery during volunteering period if you wish to use abutment.
- Return transfer to airport $10- $15 – We can help you to drop you off at the airport if you need help.
- Transportation during weekends travel.
- Entrance fees to the cultural Heritage – main cultural sites;
- Personal travel and sightseeing (trekking, jungle safari etc. If you are interested VIN can organize for you at affordable fees).
- Laundry, internet access, telephone, drinks or other costs accrued during training and placement.
- Gifts to project staff and host family if you wish to buy any.
- Should you wish to spend more time in Kathmandu during pre and post-placement periods, please remember to budget accordingly.
- Travel and medical insurances, immunization, health expenses.
- You will also need a weekly budget of up to the US $20 to cater for all your other expenses like extra nutrition, bottled water etc.
Please use the following bank address to send money for VIN:
Account Name: Volunteers Initiative Nepal (VIN)
SWIFT CODE: SIDDNPKA
Account Number: 0191 5196068
Bank Name: Siddhartha Bank
Ward No 15, Swoyambhu, HallChowk,
Kathmandu, Nepal.
TEL: 01-4033606 / 4033607
OR
Account Name: Volunteers Initiative Nepal (VIN)
SWIFT CODE: EVBLNPKA
Account Number: 02000501209578
Bank Name: Everest Bank Limited
Balaju, Kathmandu, Nepal
Remember: If you wish to pay using Paypal, then you should pay 5.5% extra for Paypal fees and transfer charges and you are required to cover the wire transfer fees if you transfer to our above bank account.
Note: Once you start your placement if you wish to discontinue the project for any reason, the program fee you pay is not refundable.
VIN is solely funded through the volunteer program fees paid by volunteers and interns like yourself. VIN does not receive any public funding. Independent donations are welcomed and will be applied toward various projects established by VIN. If you are interested in providing a donation, please use our online DONATE NOW button.
Thank you for reading and understanding! See you soon in Nepal