Published on May 11, 2011 – Updated on March 06, 2018
VIA
The International Volunteering in Administration offers the possibility of working abroad, in the service of the French State with embassies, French alliances, research institutes, economic missions or in the services of cooperation and cultural action… It there is no VIA on French territory.
What is VIA?
International Volunteering in Administration can depend on several ministries. The most requested is that of Foreign and European Affairs (about a thousand volunteers each year) but the Ministry of the Economy, that of Industry and that of Employment follow closely with nearly 200 volunteers per year.
The missions last from 6 months to 2 years, and are not renewable.
Unlike other civic service missions, the VIA entitles you to compensation more important, between 1200 € and 2800 € per month.
What are the conditions for performing a VIA?
To perform a VIA, you must:
- be between 18 and 28 years old;
- be a national of a country in the European Economic Area;
- be a student or looking for a job.
To note : in principle, the VIA do not require a minimum level of studybut in practice, the vast majority of international volunteers hold a baccalaureate level diploma.
How to integrate a VIA?
To take part in an International Volunteering in Administration mission, it is not advisable to contact an employer directly. He is best to respond to ads broadcast on:
- the CIVI website;
- the Ubifrance site, platform for economic missions. International Volunteering in Business (VIE) can also be a good opportunity to start a career. VIE missions represent 80% of International Volunteering (20% for VIA). Most of the time, VIE assignments are offered by large Cac 40 companies;
- the Pôle emploi and Service Civique sites also publish some VIA offers
To note : some Grandes Ecoles specializing in international studies, such as Sciences Po, offer offers on their specific website.
You can also try to send an unsolicited application to the following address: dgtpe-via@dgtpe.fr