Volunteering associations

Verified 21 March 2022 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

Volunteering allows you to participate in missions of general interest in the fields of education, environment, humanitarian, sports, etc. You must be at least 25 years old. Missions are compensated.

Volunteering allows you to carry out missions of general interest in various fields, including the following:

  • Social
  • Education
  • Environment
  • Humanitarian
  • Sports
  • Science
  • Culture

You cannot perform religious or political missions.

The missions are proposed by associations or foundations recognized as being of public interest and approved by the State (for example, associations for persons with disabilities or for the rehabilitation of prisoners).

Missions may be performed in France or abroad.

You must meet several conditions.

Age

You must have at least 25 years.

Nationality

You must be in one of the following situations:

  • French
  • European national (from a country of the European Economic Area or Switzerland)
  • Foreigners who have been legally resident in France for at least 1 year

However, if you have not lived in France for at least 1 year, you can apply for voluntary association if you have one of the following residence permits:

  • Temporary residence card or visa bearing the student endorsement
  • Temporary residence card with mention of "private and family life"
  • General multi-annual residence permit
  • Residence card of a recognized refugee foreigner

To find a mission, you need to speak to a local Civic Service referee.

Warning  

you must not be an employee or a public official of the organization to which you are applying. But you can be a volunteer leader.

You sign a contract for 6 to 24 months.

This contract is renewable. The limit is 36 months in total.

You must devote at least 24 hours per week and at most 48 hours per week to your missions.

You are entitled to an allowance.

The amount varies, depending on the time spent on your missions, between:

  • Minimum: €123.19 crude (either €111.45 net)
  • Maximum: €824.86 crude (either €746.25 net)

You can receive assistance in kind (e.g. meals, transport). It can't go beyond 50% the amount of your allowance.

FYI  

the compensation is different if you volunteer in a community overseas department or a overseas collectivity.

Your allowance is exempt from income tax.

Health insurance

You are covered by health insurance.

The organization hosting you must declare you and pay the social security contributions.

Retirement

Your volunteering is considered for your retirement.

Your rights are calculated depending on the contributions paid by the organization hosting you.

You are granted annual leave of 2 working days per month actual service.

Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement

RSA (active solidarity income) or activity bonus

Payments of the SSA or activity bonus shall be suspended for the duration of the mission and shall resume at the end of the mission.

At the beginning and end of your mission, you need to update your situation with the Caf: titleContent or the MSA: titleContent.

Family Allowance Fund (Caf) online

MSA - Special spaces

Unemployment benefits

The payment of unemployment benefits is suspended for the duration of your mission. Payment resumes when the mission is completed.

The mission has no impact on the amount and duration of your unemployment benefits.

At the beginning and end of your mission, you must update your situation with Pôle emploi.

FYI  

if you terminate your employment contract in order to volunteer, such termination shall be considered as a lawful resignation by Pôle emploi. You will be entitled to unemployment insurance at the end of your employment.

Disabled Adult Allowance (DAA)

You continue to collect the AAH.

The assignment does not affect the amount of your AAH.

Student Grant

If your scholarship awarded on the basis of social criteria, being voluntary has no impact on its conditions of award or on its amount.

The compensation is not taken into account in the calculation of your grant. You continue to see it.

Who can help me?

Find who can answer your questions in your region

FAQ