About Service

What are the top qualities required to be a great Volunteer?

Required above all is a dedication to being a Peace Corps Volunteer—a commitment that is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week throughout your service. Other qualities that will serve you well include:

Curiosity and humility are important throughout pre-service training and service, as you become acquainted with your new home, new people, new workplace, and new ways of doing things. While your skills and experience will be important assets, your ability to stay open and curious will prove more effective than relying on what you already know.
Flexibility is a key strength that goes along with a curious and humble attitude. For example, if your meetings tend to start late or people don’t show up, or if students are absent or have a hard time paying attention in class, there are often good reasons for it. Learning and respecting the cultural difference around punctuality and understanding the reasons behind classroom behavior or absences can go a long way towards gaining trust in the community and helping your projects succeed.
A collaborative attitude is essential to ensure that the benefits of your efforts continue once your service concludes. As a Volunteer, you will work hand in hand with the community on projects, combining your skills and experience with the ideas, skills, and resources of your host community.

Learn more about what it takes to be a Volunteer, including the 10 Core Expectations for Volunteers.

How do I know I’m effective, and how are Volunteers held accountable?

Throughout your service, you will submit regular updates on primary and secondary projects in a database that will help both Peace Corps in-country staff and you monitor and evaluate your efforts. Keep in mind that you may not observe indicators of an impact until months or even a year into your service.

Volunteers who violate Peace Corps policies or demonstrate unsatisfactory conduct/performance will be held accountable through disciplinary action. Depending on the nature of the offense, these actions may be a verbal warning, dismissal from a Volunteer-run committee, loss of annual leave, or administrative separation from the Peace Corps.

What kind of training will I receive during service?

Before you move to your permanent site as a Peace Corps Volunteer, you’ll receive technical training to equip you with skills and knowledge to successfully support your assigned project. Your pre-service training will also include preventive health care, safety, risk mitigation strategies, and communicating in the local language.

Three to six months after being sworn into service, you will attend a multi-day in-service training to strengthen working relationships and develop technical skills. You will also attend mid-service training, which provides additional development opportunities for language learning, community engagement strategies, and skills to support their primary project work.

Training during service includes guided and independent learning, as well as facilitated group-based in-service trainings (ISTs). Number of trainings may vary based on country of service.

What is housing like?

The Peace Corps requires you to live in approved housing that meets our safety criteria. Types of housing will vary by country. In most countries, you are required to live with a host family for a number of months before living independently. In certain countries, you will live with host families for the duration of your service. To learn more about typical housing and requirements for specific countries, find the country where you would like to serve and then navigate to its Living Conditions page. Alternatively, contact a recruiter for more information.

Am I required to live with a host family while completing Peace Corps service?

Peace Corps Trainees spend three months training in-country before being sworn-in as Volunteers, during which time the majority will live with host families. These families are central to helping Volunteers integrate, learn the language, adapt to local norms, and feel supported. After swearing-in, Volunteers move to their communities of service where housing requirements vary by program. Some require host family stays of three to six months, others for the duration of service. Housing may include a room in a family home, a dwelling on a family compound, or in some cases, a private apartment. In communities with limited options near the partnering organization, living on the property of a host family or even in a room attached to their house, may be the only option.

All housing is inspected and prepared in advance to ensure it meets Peace Corps standards.

What is a Peace Corps counterpart?

All Volunteers are matched with a local professional counterpart at their assigned partner organization. Their role is to be a professional work partner for you, but they often become a close friend, too. Learn more about the deep connections Volunteers make with their counterparts. Volunteers can expect to have a local supervisor, and in some cases, your counterpart may also be your supervisor. The supervisor could be a school principal, a lead clinician or a manager of an NGO, for example. Your supervisor can also help you to make professional connections in the community.

Who will supervise my work as a Peace Corps Volunteer?

Each Volunteer is assigned a Peace Corps supervisor—an in-country staff member who will provide technical guidance, share best practices, and review your work reports. These staff members, often program managers, will occasionally visit your site to see how you are doing and connect with counterparts. Their approach is intentionally hands-off, encouraging you to use your training, judgment, and local support network to solve problems and navigate daily challenges as independently as possible. They are, however, always a phone call away when you truly need guidance.

All Volunteers are also matched with a local professional counterpart at their assigned partner organization. Their role is to be a professional work partner for you, and in some cases, your counterpart may also be your local supervisor. The supervisor could be a school principal, a lead clinician or a manager of an NGO, for example. Your supervisor can also help you to make professional connections in the community.

Will I be the only Peace Corps Volunteer in my community?

Depending on your site placement, you may be the only Peace Corps Volunteer in your community, which will help foster integration and language learning. In some situations, you may have at least one other Volunteer living in the same community, but that other Volunteer will not share the same job sector. Typically, there are opportunities to see nearby Volunteers on occasional weekends, holidays, and for training sessions and collaborative projects. For more information, visit the Living Conditions section of the countries where you wish to serve, or contact a recruiter for more information.

May my minor children accompany me during my Peace Corps service?

No one (including a pet!) is permitted to accompany a Peace Corps Volunteer during their service. If you have dependent children, you must ensure that adequate arrangements have been made for their care and support during your Peace Corps service. You will be asked to submit a signed and notarized letter confirming who will care for them during your service.

If you want to serve as a couple in the Peace Corps, please read our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About the Peace Corps for couples.

What happens if my program/country is cancelled mid-service?

Most Volunteers successfully complete service without experiencing an evacuation, but in some instances, Peace Corps may need to withdraw Volunteers from the country due to unforeseen circumstances. Check out our Evacuation FAQs for more information about what happens if you are evacuated from service.

Can I bring a pet with me? Or can I have a pet as a Volunteer?

You may not bring a pet with you to service and should find appropriate care for it while you are away. Once Volunteers are placed in their permanent host communities, they sometimes adopt pets. However, in some countries or areas, community members may consider animals a source of labor or food and may not be familiar with the concept of pet ownership. You should consult local Peace Corps staff to find out more about local norms before adopting a pet.

Will I work with other Peace Corps Volunteers in my country of service?

In nearly all cases, Peace Corps assigns only one Volunteer to a community where that Volunteer’s primary collaborators will be the community members. However, depending on your proximity to the next nearest Volunteer, you may have opportunities to work together on any number of initiatives.

Volunteers will also have opportunities to learn from, and collaborate with, other Volunteers via mobile platforms (e.g., text group chats) and in-service workshops. These may include members of their own cohort, or more experienced Volunteers across various job sectors.

Can I continue to practice my religion in the Peace Corps?

Yes, you may continue to practice your religion or spiritual beliefs. Some Volunteers choose to practice in the privacy of their home, while others choose to share the faith they subscribe to with their host family and/or community members. However, it is against Peace Corps policy to engage in proselytizing activities.

Tracy W. found that sharing her Buddhist faith with her Senegalese host family and students was a source of many rich conversations and even a powerful way to connect. Megan, as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), attended only one LDS service during her time in Zambia but continued to pray every night and considered her service to be a meaningful expression of her faith.

Some Volunteers may experience questions about their faith, or lack of faith, as challenging. In response they may opt to keep their atheism or choice of faith private, or they may choose to engage. Whatever your choice, many Volunteers also find that participating in religious services or celebrations, with or without their host family, can be an important way to learn about local life and make connections with community members.

Does Peace Corps engage in saviorism or neo-colonialism?

While there is a place for humanitarian aid agencies and their important work, the Peace Corps is not considered humanitarian aid.

In contrast, the Peace Corps is invited into countries to work alongside community members to achieve the community’s stated goals. With cultural humility, Peace Corps Volunteers live within the communities where they have been invited to serve. They learn to speak the local language and work directly alongside individuals and groups to support projects that meet the development goals of the community. The Peace Corps approaches development as a process of partnering with communities; strengthening individual and collective capacity; and using available resources, knowledge, and skills to achieve locally defined goals.

For more about the Peace Corps’ approach to community-led development read about Peace Corps’ Participatory Analysis for Community Action.

Can my family and friends visit me during service?

Peace Corps Volunteers are permitted (encouraged!) to have guests visit them during service. However, there are country-specific limitations regarding the timing and duration of welcoming visitors. Guests are expected to procure their own lodging and are not permitted to stay with Volunteers living with host families.

What are Peace Corps' policies around travel in service?

Volunteers accrue two vacation days per month of overseas service (48 days over the course of a 2-year tour) plus any local holidays. Many use this time to travel to nearby countries.

Because Volunteer safety and security is the Peace Corps' top priority, Volunteers must notify Peace Corps staff when they spend the night outside of their approved site, and travel outside of the host country must be approved in advance. Volunteers are not permitted to take annual leave during pre-service training or in their first and last three months at their permanent sites. Some countries and even some regions of the host country may be off-limits to Peace Corps Volunteer travel for safety and security reasons.

What kind of language training will I receive?

Proficiency in the local language(s) is critical to successfully implement activities in your assigned project, develop effective and appropriate intercultural relationships with community members, and mitigate risks to your personal safety and security.

A significant portion of your pre-service training will be dedicated to language learning, with a mix of classroom, field-based learning, and self-directed language learning.

During pre-service training, you will participate in language instruction in small groups several days a week and complete regular assignments using the local language with a host family or community members. You will also learn strategies for ongoing language learning to continue your language learning journey throughout service.

You must meet a minimum language proficiency benchmark for oral communication in order to swear-in as a Volunteer.

How much time will I have for my hobbies while completing Peace Corps service?

Being open to learning new things, whether crafting a traditional bag or preparing new foods in your community abroad, is an important part of integration. While community integration is a priority, Volunteers may also devote time to their own interests and hobbies. Many Volunteers find they are able to pursue personal passions, such as music or fitness, during service and can use these activities to connect with their communities. Other pursuits, such as reading or journaling, can play an important role in self care during service.

What if a family emergency occurs while I am serving? Will I be able to travel home?

If a serious illness or death occurs in your immediate family, the Peace Corps allows a two-week leave period and pays for your travel home. Immediate family is defined as spouse, parent, sibling, child, or grandchild. With your country director's approval, you may take leave and travel at your own expense for emergencies affecting extended family. Read more about staying in touch with friends and family.

I have dietary restrictions and/or food allergies. Will this affect my Peace Corps service?

In many of the countries where you might serve, maintaining a specific diet could be challenging. These challenges may come from cultural norms or limited diversity in foods available. A food allergy may impact your medical clearance for some countries. Visit the Living Conditions section under each country to learn about the typical food and diet of the region where you want to serve. You can also read this blog about being a vegetarian/vegan in the Peace Corps or contact a recruiter to learn more.

What is the Peace Corps policy on tattoos/piercings?

Tattoos and facial piercings in most Peace Corps host countries are uncommon or regarded negatively in professional settings, so be prepared to cover tattoos whenever possible and remove piercings. To maintain a positive, culturally appropriate professional standing within a host community or workplace, Volunteers may need to adjust their style of dress, hair style, facial hair, make-up, piercings, etc., to demonstrate respect for local culture and customs. As Volunteers integrate and mutual trust is established over time, there may opportunities to adjust personal appearance and dress outside of more rigid local standards. Peace Corps staff will provide information and guidance regarding appearance and other local norms during pre-service training.

What kind of technical training will I receive?

Technical training builds on skills you have and emphasizes how to adapt and transfer those skills to host country partners and community members.

Training and learning opportunities are designed for you to develop the technical competencies required of your assigned project to implement project activities; monitor, learn, adapt, and report progress; and to engage in mutual learning and collaborate respectfully with others.

Can I engage in academic research activities while serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer?

No. Conducting your own academic research could potentially compromise your host community’s understanding of the role of the Peace Corps Volunteer and the Peace Corps mission. However, some Volunteers do participate in community-led research efforts that are integral to their Peace Corps projects. If your time in the Peace Corps inspires you to pursue research after service, you can potentially find financial support for educational opportunities through the Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program.

Do I get time off for vacation during service?

Volunteers accrue two vacation days per month of overseas service plus any local holidays.

What if someone asks about the political situation in the U.S.?

As part of pre-service training for service, Volunteers will receive guidance about maintaining political nonpartisanship during service. Volunteers are expected to maintain the same professional and ethical expectations of employees working with the agency and avoid politically charged conversations while in the course of their service.

How can I contact current or recently returned Volunteers to ask them about their experiences?

You can check out Volunteer profiles or find Volunteer stories on our blog. To learn more about Volunteer experiences, connect with a recruiter. Almost all recruiters are Returned Volunteers and can talk with you about their personal experiences, put you in touch with a Returned Volunteer in your area, and/or connect you with a local Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) group. You can also find an RPCV affiliate group through the National Peace Corps Association.

Can I extend my Volunteer service? Will I work on a different project or continue what I'm doing?

Yes, you may request an extension. If approved, you may be asked to extend your current project or act as a Peace Corps Volunteer leader for an incoming cohort, depending on the country and its programmatic needs. Following extension, your service award* accrual will increase from $400/month to $500/month (pre-tax) in your 25th month of service.

*readjustment allowance

What is a Peace Corps Volunteer leader?

A Volunteer from an earlier cohort may extend their service to act as a Volunteer leader. One of their primary tasks will be to support and advise newer Volunteers. Volunteer leaders may also visit Volunteers at site to see how their assignments are going.

What kind of health and wellness training will I receive?

During pre-service training, Peace Corps medical officers prepare you to demonstrate responsibility for your personal health and wellness in service. The training focuses on preventive strategies, medical guidelines, and policies for reporting and response when urgent health needs present. Health topics covered include:

Routine health problems
Behavioral health and well-being
Gastrointestinal illness
Mosquito-borne illness
Sexual health
Nutrition
Alcohol and substance abuse

How do Volunteers vote during service?

Volunteers are responsible for registering to vote and obtaining their absentee ballot. The Peace Corps staff is committed to supporting Trainees and Volunteers who wish to vote. See Voting Assistance for further information.

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