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What happens if an application is canceled?
What happens if an application is canceled?

Read this article to discover what to do after an application is cancelled and learn more about Volunteer World's refund guarantee.

Linda Anderson avatar
Written by Linda Anderson
Updated over 3 months ago


We understand that sometimes things don't go as planned and that the volunteer or you have to cancel the application. Don't worry, we have a clear cancellation policy to secure you and the volunteer financially.

What happens if the application is canceled by the social project?

In the unfortunate event of cancellation through an organization, Volunteer World provides a cancellation policy for all volunteers.

Please be aware that if you as an organization cancel the application, you will need to pay back all final volunteer fees in case you have already received them.

Volunteers will also get a full refund of their deposit or can use the deposit to apply for another volunteer program (See Flex Option).

What happens if the application is canceled by the volunteer?

If the volunteer decides to cancel the program after the application is finalized, it will depend on the organization's refund policy. If the organization does not have a refund policy, the organization will receive a certain percentage of the final payment. For more details on the amount read through the numbers below:

Cancellation price (percentage of the final payment):

The organization will receive...

  • 20 % up to 35 days prior to the start of the volunteer program 

  • 30 % 34 - 26 days prior to the start of the volunteer program 

  • 50% 25 - 16 days prior to the start of the volunteer program 

  • 70% 15 - 6 days prior to the start of the volunteer program 

  • 95% 5 - 1 days prior to the start of the volunteer program 

Regarding the first payment (deposit + service fee), the volunteers can only reuse it to book to reschedule their stay or book a different program on Volunteer World (See Flex Option).

Travel Insurance

​In any case, we strongly advise all volunteers to get a travel insurance before their stay abroad. 

A travel insurance covers medical emergencies, emergency evacuations, trip cancellations, personal belongings and personal liabilities.  

Terms of Volunteer World's cancellation policy

We can only guarantee organizations and volunteers a cancellation refund if the communication and application process happens within our platform.

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