Allowances and reimbursements

Remote volunteers are eligible for a modest allowance to cover the anticipated costs associated with remote volunteering or the remote phase of their hybrid assignment. Payments are made monthly.

The remote volunteer allowance is based on estimated weekly expenses, such as internet, technology equipment, international phone calls and online conferencing facilities.

• The full-time monthly allowance is AUD$131
• The part-time monthly allowance is AUD$79

In addition to the remote volunteer allowance, remote volunteers will also be reimbursed for:

• Australian Federal Police checks
• International police checks

Remote volunteers can also access a language allowance of up to AUD$400. This can be used to cover costs associated with language classes, translation, or interpretation services. This is paid as a reimbursement of costs, so keep all receipts!

For more details, refer to the Frequently Asked Questions.

If you are completing a hybrid volunteer assignment, both in-country allowance and remote allowances will be relevant to your assignment, and the allowance amount will be based on the phase of your assignment. For details on the allowances for the in-country phase, refer to allowances and reimbursements for in-country assignments, as well as the allowance section of the Australian Volunteers Guidebook.

Please note that volunteering may have financial implications depending on your personal situation, such as impacting some Australian Government support payments (Centrelink payments).
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has released a Fact Sheet to provide advice on how payments you receive as a volunteer are treated for taxation purposes.
We cannot provide financial advice and encourage you to seek independent professional financial advice regarding your personal circumstances and potential financial impacts of volunteering.