Take a break during your studies, do a gap year!
Travelling on your own can be frightening at first sight, but this experience often proves to be the most unforgettable and educational type of mobility. Unlike exchange students or traineeship, free-movers have to plan their trip on their own and will not be asssisted by the university, so they have to build their project from scratch.
Of course, various options exist to suit both the most reluctant and the most independent students.
If you want to take part in a mobility programme in Germany, you can find all the information you need from these two organisations:
- The Franco-German Youth Office (FGYO)
- The French-German civic funds
If you want to get involved in serving the general interest, civic service is for you.
- International Civic Service : Open to young people aged 16 to 25 (and up to 30 for disabled people). Civic service offers a monthly allowance of €580 (no diploma required) to work in 9 areas: solidarity, environment, sport, culture, education, health, emergency interventions, memory and citizenship, humanitarian aid.
- International Internship in a company (VIE) : It enables you to carry out a paid volunteering mission in a French company abroad.
- International Internship in an administration (VIA) : This is a paid civic service carried out for French government departments abroad (consulates, embassies, etc.).
Enjoy an international experience by taking part in a volunteer mission:
- European Solidarity Corps : a European Union initiative to encourage young people to get involved in voluntary work.
- International Volunteer service (SVI) : non-profit association of volunteers
- Chantiers de jeunes
- International Solidarity Volunteering – VSI
- And many more.. for more information, visit the France Volontaires website and on the Ready To Move platform.
Be careful !
This type of mission is generally unpaid, and volunteers very often have to cover expenses (membership, travel, etc.).
The best way to find a job abroad is to go and look for it yourself. However, you must be aware of the legal legislation and whether you have the right to work in the country.
If you are a European national and wish to work in Europe, this is generally not a problem. However, if you want to go outside of Europe, you will need to apply for a visa. In many countries, it is forbidden to work on a tourist visa. Think, for example, of Working Holiday Visa, that gives you the right to work in some countries.
For help finding a job abroad or summer work, follow the advice available on the Ready to Move platform and plan your trip using the Ready To Go webpage !