FWJ volunteer service normally lasts for 12 consecutive months. Volunteers must commit to at least 6 months. The period of service can in principle be extended to encompass up to 18 months in total.

FWJ volunteer service is mainly aimed at school leavers with an interest in taking a degree or starting research-related vocational training. There are no age limits.

12 month volunteer service agreements include 30 holiday days. Holiday entitlements are adjusted proportionately for longer or shorter service periods.

You will receive 450 euros per month in total – an allowance of 400 euros and 50 euros to cover travel expenses. If you are already over 25 years old when your FWJ begins, the total amount will be 520 euros.

As the FWJ counts as employment subject to social insurance contributions, you will be a member of the statutory pension, accident, health, long-term care and unemployment insurance schemes during your volunteer service. All contributions (both the employer and the employee share) will be paid by the university.

You will be compulsorily insured as an individual member of the statutory health insurance scheme for the duration of your volunteer service. The University of Oldenburg will make your insurance contributions to your health insurance provider. If you have been insured as a family member, this insurance will be suspended for the duration of your volunteer service and can be reinstated afterwards if you qualify for it while e.g. participating in vocational training, attending a school, or embarking on a degree programme. If you have private health insurance, you will need to clarify whether and to what degree it can be suspended during your FWJ with your provider.

The legal entitlement to child benefit (subject to the usual age limit!) continues to exist during volunteer service. Entitlements to half-orphan allowance or orphan allowance are also unaffected.

The university is unfortunately unable to provide accommodation for volunteers. Studentenwerk Oldenburg accommodation can be used only by students registered at the university. However, we will be happy to advise you on searching for suitable accommodation.

You can, in principle, apply for and receive housing benefit (Wohngeld) during volunteer service. Whether you qualify will depend on multiple factors that include the level of rent and the income (or family income) considered by the means test. You should clarify your eligibility for housing benefit in good time with the relevant body. Further information is available here.

When you start your FWJ, you will receive a volunteer service ID card that will enable you to access various discounts. Further information is available here (in German). 

During your year of service, you will also be able to take advantage of cheaper public transport. The TIM ticket, for example, is currently available for 30 euros per month in the region around Oldenburg.

No, volunteers do not receive any extra payments during their service.

Volunteers can take on a second job, but only after applying for and receiving authorisation to do so. This process is handled by Division 1: Personnel & Organisation. The scope of secondary employment may not exceed 8 hours per week and the total daily time spent on FWJ service and other employment may not exceed 10 hours.

All FWJ volunteers are familiarised with their task area during an induction period. The length of this period can vary by field.

Yes, you will have a supervisor in your area of work who you can contact with any questions about day-to-day work processes. You will also be able to seek advice from the FWJ Coordination Office on any questions you have about volunteer service.

The weekly working time will be 39.8 hours. How these weekly working hours are distributed over individual days depends on the specific working group. Part-time volunteer service with no less than 20 hours per week is possible by arrangement under certain circumstances.

Depending on your area of work, you may have to work some weekends. You will normally be compensated for weekend work with days off in the following week.

Volunteers must complete at least 25 training days during a twelve-month FWJ. Some of these take place over several consecutive days and involve overnight stays outside Oldenburg. The number of required training days will be adjusted proportionately if your volunteer service agreement is for a longer or shorter period. Training dates will be announced in good time and no holidays may be granted at these times.

Topics can include, for instance:

• Good research practice
• Research work (reading and understanding texts, finding information, writing texts, presenting content)
• Ethical issues in research
• Research communication
• Academic and career guidance
• Time management and self-organization
• Excursions to other research institutions
• etc.

Yes, every semester in which you are not enrolled at a German university counts as a waiting period for a degree programme. This means that your Voluntary Scientific Year of Federal Volunteer Service also counts.

Universities can recognise FWJ service as a pre-study internship. Whether and to what extent recognition is possible depends on the specific requirements of the individual degree programmes and must be clarified with the relevant institutions. It is clear, however, that work on clinical projects cannot be recognised as a nursing internship.

If you have already started your FWJ and are then awarded a place on a degree programme or a traineeship, you can choose to terminate your FWJ service prematurely. But the statutory notice periods must be observed.

At the end of your FWJ service, you will receive a reference containing a qualitative appraisal of your work. You can also receive a certificate confirming the times of your FWJ service as needed for bureaucratic or related purposes at any time.