Volunteering in Amsterdam as an International: Where to Start

This guide is for internationals living in Amsterdam who want to give some of their time to the city and are not sure where to begin. By the end you will know how the Volunteer Centre Amsterdam works, how to get personal advice in English or Dutch, and how to narrow down a role that fits your skills and your week.

• What the Volunteer Centre Amsterdam does
• Searching the online vacancy bank
• Booking a volunteer hour with an adviser
• Meeting other volunteers and internationals
• Allowances, benefits and when things go wrong
• FAQ

What the Volunteer Centre Amsterdam does

The Volunteer Centre Amsterdam (VCA) describes itself as the centre of expertise for voluntary work in the city. It does two jobs. For residents, it runs an online job bank and offers personal advice so you can find a role. For organisations, it helps them recruit, guide and keep volunteers. That second side matters to you too, because it is why so many local groups post their roles there in the first place. VCA says it makes over 7,000 matches a year.

The English homepage is a good starting point if your Dutch is still basic. The fuller section for volunteers sits on the Dutch “Voor vrijwilligers” page, which covers the rules and extra support in more detail. A browser translation tool handles it well enough, and reading a little Dutch is no bad thing if you are planning to stay.

A word on families: the VCA pages are written for adult residents and say nothing about minimum ages or roles for children. If you would like to volunteer alongside a teenager, ask the organisation behind a particular vacancy, or raise it with a VCA adviser, rather than assuming either way.

Searching the online vacancy bank

VCA’s online vacancy bank offers what it calls “1001 fun and meaningful volunteer jobs”, and you can filter by your wishes, talents and schedule. On the Dutch site, the button to look for is “Zoek vrijwilligerswerk”.

Before you start scrolling, take the short test VCA has built for people thinking about volunteering. It takes about a minute and tells you what type of volunteer you are and which kind of work suits you. It sounds light, but it gives you search terms that beat typing “anything” into a filter.

A few questions are worth answering for yourself before you click “respond” on anything. How many hours can you give each week, and are they fixed or flexible? Do you want to use your professional skills, or do something completely different from your day job? Would you rather work with people, behind the scenes, or outdoors? And are you happy working in Dutch, or do you need an English-speaking team for now? The stories on the VCA site show the range. One retired violinist and IT professional became a museum host. A 25-year-old learned to act, listen and be patient at an arts project in a neighbourhood that “really needed something”.

If your calendar is tight, keep an eye on the seasonal pages. VCA runs a holiday volunteering section for the darker months, aimed at people who can give one morning, one afternoon or a single day.

Booking a volunteer hour with an adviser

The online bank is fine if you already know what you want. If you don’t, book a volunteer hour (“spreekuur”). This is personal advice tailored to you, held at one of VCA’s 17 locations around the city or by phone. On the Dutch site the option is labelled “Praat met een bemiddelaar”, which means talk to a matchmaker. You schedule the appointment through the site.

For a newcomer this is often the better route. An adviser can tell you which organisations are used to working with people who are still learning Dutch, which roles need a longer commitment, and which ones you can try without much paperwork. Bring a rough idea of your availability, the languages you speak and anything you would rather avoid. The VCA site does not list opening times for the individual locations, so check the booking page for the current slots.

Meeting other volunteers and internationals

Plenty of internationals volunteer partly to meet people outside work and the expat bubble. VCA hosts events that help with this. The English homepage currently lists an introductory event for people who want to strengthen diversity as volunteers, on Monday 30 November at Mooie Boules in Centrum/Oost, with a free lunch and the line “Everyone is welcome”. The page does not give a start time, so check the event listing before you go.

You may also hear about a VCA café or meet-up aimed at internationals. Neither of the official pages used for this guide describes one, so I can’t give you a venue, day or time. The VCA site and its news section will have the current details, and an adviser at a volunteer hour can tell you whether a session suits you.

Two dates are worth knowing. VCA marks 7 December as National Volunteer Day, when it highlights people who do good in the city. And if you arrived with a refugee background, VCA has a dedicated page on volunteering for status holders (“statushouders”), aimed at people who want to practise their Dutch or build a CV.

Allowances, benefits and when things go wrong

Volunteering in the Netherlands is unpaid, but there are rules about what you can receive. The VCA volunteers page links to information on the volunteer allowance (“vrijwilligersvergoeding”) and expense reimbursement (“onkostenvergoeding”), including the maximum you are allowed to receive. The figures change, so read them on that page rather than relying on what a friend was told last year.

If you receive a benefit (“uitkering”), check before you start. VCA has a page explaining the rules and whether you need permission. This applies to more internationals than you might think, for example between jobs.

Now and then a volunteer and an organisation reach a point where neither side can sort out a problem. VCA has confidential contact persons (“vertrouwenscontactpersonen”) for exactly that. It helps to know they exist before you need them.

The page also has information for referrers, covering people with a distance to the labour market, psychosocial problems or limited Dutch. If a job coach or social worker is helping you, point them there.

FAQ

Do I need to speak Dutch to volunteer through VCA?

Not to get started. VCA has an English homepage, and you can get advice by phone or at one of its 17 locations. Whether a particular role needs Dutch depends on the organisation, so ask an adviser or check the vacancy itself.

How do I find a role if I have no idea what I want?

Take VCA’s one-minute test to see what type of volunteer you are, then book a volunteer hour for personal advice. After that, browsing the vacancy bank’s 1001 options is much easier.

Can my children volunteer with me?

The VCA pages don’t set age limits or describe family roles. Ask the organisation behind a vacancy directly, or raise it at your volunteer hour.

Will volunteering affect my benefit?

It might. VCA’s volunteers page explains the rules on volunteering while receiving a benefit, including whether you need permission. Read it before you agree to a role.

Official sources: vca.nu · vca.nu

Last checked: 11 November 2026 against the pages linked above. Prices, opening hours and programmes change; the venue’s own site always has the current details.