You are about to discover a new culture, accomplish something unforgettable, and explore the best Viet Nam has to offer!

All GVN Volunteers must have insurance. You are free to take out insurance cover through any provider of your choice. However, as some policies do not cover volunteering, we recommend you check you are covered during your volunteer placement.

For your convenience we have arranged a comprehensive package specially designed for volunteering. It includes excellent medical and accident coverage as well as “loss of deposits” cover which covers fees paid to GVN, airlines etc. If you would like to learn more just follow this link: http://www.globalvolunteernetwork.org/insurance/

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You do. You will need to obtain a tourist visa, which can be extended once you are in Vietnam if your placement is longer than three months. Visas can be obtained prior to arrival from a travel agency or Vietnamese Embassy, or at the airport on arrival to Vietnam. Your visa needs to specify the exact dates that you will be in Vietnam, so you will need to bear this in mind when applying.

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This varies depending on how many volunteers we have at the time. You may be placed with other volunteers but you also may be placed by yourself at a particular placement. If this is a concern for you, please contact your volunteer coordinator and they can advise you further.

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Vietnam is a relatively safe country to live in, however, as with all travel, you need to take precautions such as carrying cash in a money belt and being aware of your possessions and surroundings at all times (be extra vigilant at night time). You will need to be extra careful when travelling in urban areas, such as Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

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Our partner may be able to arrange this for you if you are interested.

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Yes. Volunteers are able to arrange their own sight seeing during their time off in the weekends. Our partner organization and your volunteer coordinator will be able to give some ideas on sights to see and places to visit.

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You will need to budget for around US$30 a week to pay for snacks, entertainment, and for some extra bottled water. If needed, you may also need to pay for your tourist visa to be extended to cover your entire volunteering time. Any weekend travel excursions are also at your own cost.

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Yes, you need to speak English. You must be a confident English speaker because most of the work involves teaching this language. You will be taken through some brief Vietnamese language training during your orientation since it would be courteous to learn some Vietnamese phrases. If you want to learn more Vietnamese during your training our partner may be able to arrange this for you.

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We advise that you consult your doctor about this, as soon as possible before you leave, as some injections need to be done with a certain amount of time prior to leaving home. The more common ones are Diphtheria and Tetanus, Hepatitis A and B and Typhoid.

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Volunteers need to be at least 18 years of age. Volunteers under 18 must travel with a guardian or parent, and are placed on a case by case basis, in consultation with our partner organization.

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Orientation is usually held the day after arrival. Volunteers are given time to relax after arrival, but it is important the orientation takes place soon after arrival so that the volunteer feels at ease in Vietnam.

Orientation is conducted by the regional coordinator.

The orientation process covers:

• Cultural differences between Eastern and Western countries
• Short language lesson, covering basic words and phrases
• Daily work schedule given out and explained
• Short city tour to one or more attractions
• Tour of food stops, pharmacies, cafes, other facilities near the program

This is also a great opportunity to ask your regional coordinator any questions you have about your placement, what you will be doing, where you are staying or the local area.

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Vegetarian food is available in the placements. There are also vegetarian restaurants available in the city. You can speak with your volunteer coordinator more about this for further details.

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In general, the program is not affected by school holidays and the classes at the orphanage run throughout the year. There is one exception to this; the Tet holiday, or the Lunar New Year.

In 2013 this holiday is between the 1st February - 15th February. This will affect placements around that time, particularly short term placements. Longer placements are still available and volunteers will get a chance to participate in the festivities. Due to Christmas and New Year festivities, the orientation for January 2013 may begind a few days later than the 1st.

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Each GVN program has different criteria depending on our partner's requirements. Every application is reviewed to ensure that the minimum requirements (as set out on the program page) are met. Next we look to see what skills or experience you have that relate specifically to the program. We are also interested in any previous volunteer experience you may have (either local or international), travel experience, and your particular interest in the program.

After reviewing your application, should we require any further information from you, we will email you to request this.

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There may be a few possible placements where you can bring your children and this will be looked at on a case by case basis.

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Accommodation varies depending on the placement you are allocated to - hotels, guesthouses, home stays, etc. Information about your accommodation will be provided when you confirm your placement with us and your allocation is made by our partner organization.

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The Vietnam program has two volunteer intakes per month, on the 1st and the 15th. Volunteers fly into either Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City and should arrive the day before their start date, so they are ready to take part in a training program on these dates.

Accommodation can be arranged for you if you arrive earlier than the day before orientation begins. You will need to cover the cost of any expenses for time you stay in Vietnam outside of training and volunteer time.

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Our partner organization will work with you to determine the best placement location for you based on your preference, skills, interests and local need. If you have a preference of location or project where you want to work, you can let us know in advance and we will do our best to accommodate your choices.

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Our programs in Vietnam are located in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Sapa.

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In the Children's Program, volunteers will help with the day-to-day care of children living in homes in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh. This includes teaching English, bathing, feeding, dressing, playing with and general interaction. There is also the opportunity in this program for volunteers to run extra-curricular activities where appropriate.

Volunteers in the Teaching Program will be teaching English to students and teachers at various levels. We also have placements at vocational colleges, where volunteers with specific skill sets can teach local disadvantaged Vietnamese people.

A number of our programs work with disabled children and people, so our programs are always in need of those with skills in occupational therapy, physiotherapy and nursing - although these are not requirements.

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You will be met at either Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City airport (location dependent) and taken to your accommodation. The partner organization will give you advice should you need to catch local transport or walk to your placement daily.

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You will be expected to work five days per week in most placements. The hours will vary from placement to placement, with a typical day being approximately six hours of work.

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With its beautiful natural setting, rich culture, and tragic recent history, Vietnam is a fascinating destination. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are the two largest cities in Vietnam - both are rich and diverse locations, in terms of culture, people, landscape and food. For more information, we suggest that you purchase the Lonely Planet's guide to Vietnam.

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Hanoi and Sapa, in Northern Vietnam, have warm to hot summers and very mild winters. The best time to visit Hanoi and Sapa is March - May and September - November.

Ho Chi Minh City is within Vietnam's tropical zone, so has wet and dry seasons. The best time to visit Ho Chi Minh City is November to February.

Please note: it can get very hot in Vietnam during May, June and July (up to 40 degrees).

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Your program package is payable to Global Volunteer Network 10 weeks prior to the 1st of the month you wish to volunteer.  Please note, your placement is not confirmed (ie secured) until payment for your program package has been received.  Please note that all charges incurred by the payment of the program package are at the volunteer’s expense, e.g. if a bank transfer incurs a bank fee at the point of origin, that is at the expense of the volunteer. Seventy percent (70%) of the program fee is refundable until two calendar months before the 1st of the month you are due to begin your program. For example a volunteer with 15 July 2012 as their start date would need to submit their refund request form by the last day of April 2012 to be eligible for a refund. Refer to GVN's legal terms of service for full details.

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Light, cotton clothing that covers most of the body is not only more acceptable in Vietnamese culture but also helps to protect against sun and being bitten by mosquitoes. Volunteers can wear old clothing while working as it's likely that clothing will get quite dirty. Women should not wear short shorts or tops which leave the shoulders uncovered when teaching; 3/4 trousers and skirts below the knee are acceptable.

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No, you can volunteer through the Global Volunteer Network from any where in the world.

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It is NOT recommended to mail supplies to Vietnam as it can take 6 weeks for packages and letters to arrive. Often packages are opened upon arrival and can be taxed based on their contents. If you want to send something, we try to coordinate having an incoming volunteer bring the items. Mailing items OUT of Vietnam is rather easy.

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Yes, all volunteers in this program will be required to provide a police clearance document. This is because volunteers will be working closely with children and other vulnerable individuals. To obtain a police clearance you will need to contact your local police station to find out what their procedure is. Normally, you will be asked to complete an application form authorizing the check to be done, pay a fee and a few weeks later the check will arrive in the mail. A copy of your police clearance will need to be sent to GVN before your placement begins and you will need to take the original with you when you volunteer.

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GVN's partner in Vietnam works with local orphanages, centres and schools in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh and Sapa to provide both national and international volunteers to support vulnerable Vietnamese people. It is a social enterprise, and any profits generated are reinvested into the organization to grow and develop its network across Vietnam.

The partner organization and its volunteers share the realization that hard work and enthusiasm will help achieve whatever is put before them. This program requires the support of other volunteers, donors and sponsors to realize its dreams, but together with a shared vision, high values and ethics, they look forward to any challenge that lies ahead.

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