Free (or Cheap) Volunteer Work in Norway
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Grassroots Volunteering in Norway
The organisations listed below have either got in touch with us to add their details to this or another of our websites, or we otherwise have reason to believe they are actively looking for international volunteers and charge reasonable or no fees to join in, live and work with them:
Atlantis Youth Exchange
www.atlantis.no
Atlantis organises cultural exchange programs in Norway for young foreigners who would like to work as working guests in agriculture or tourism. Typical jobs on the working guest programme include fruit picking, milking cows, housekeeping and waiting tables. When considered as volunteering the Working Guest programme is a cheap way to live in Norway but at 35 hours per week these are essentially full time roles.
Atlantis also offer agricultural traineeships for university level agricultural/horticultural students and au pair jobs. All programmes are based on the idea of working for free accommodation, board and pocket money and must be applied for through partner organisations in your home country.
Where: Various locations.
Accommodation & Costs: Fees vary per programme. For example, eight weeks for UK applicants applying via Twin to the Working Guest programme would cost £750 but includes food, accommodation and around £110 pocket money per week.
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Volunteering in Fjord, Norway
www.volunteeringnorway.no
Both individuals and small groups are invited to stay in Flørli, a roadless hamlet on the shores of the Lysefjord, for a short stint of work that can include maintenance of school buildings, helping in a hostel or the school-pub. In return volunteers, who should be over 20 years of age, are welcome to food and accommodation.
Where: Flørli.
Accommodation & Costs: Volunteers have to pay their travel expenses to Flørli. Accommodation is provided.
Hostel Work Exchanges
Many hostels use help exchange networks (see below) to find volunteer staff but the following either advertise on their websites or are particularly noted for taking on volunteers:
Hostelling International, Norway
www.volunteering.no
The gist of this six to 12 week programme is volunteers enhance the hostel vibes to connect guests with each other by helping with the social interaction in the hostels in which they are staying. Volunteers must be at least 20 years of age.
Where: Seven hostels in the south western part of Norway take part in this programme but all volunteers begin and end with Bergen Hostel Montana.
Accommodation & Costs: You will be volunteering with a hostel network. Of course there’s accommodation. Volunteers cook provided food in the common kitchen and are also reimbursed for any reasonable expenses incurred when performing activities or tasks as part of the programme.
Other Opportunities to Volunteer in Norway
The puppy socialising opportunity we previously mentioned here seems no longer to be available but we felt we needed something comparable to replace it with. Going straight from hardcore husky canoodling to nothing seemed a bit harsh so we prescribe some reindeer methodone to help manage the come down via Skakkerud Rein, who take into its care any reindeer that need help. Julia Elizabeth (see Volunteer Experiences below) volunteered with them in 2020 and though there’s no mention of volunteering on their website, this Workaway listing clearly belongs to them. And – great news – husky highs can be had too.
Help Exchange Networks in Norway
Workaway – https://www.workaway.info/hostlist-NO.html
More Volunteering in Norway Resources
Find a Job in Oslo – An Easy Expat page with a few useful suggestions for volunteering in the city.
Other Ways to Travel or Stay for Free in Norway
Stay free in return for caring for local residents’ homes or pets. Join Trusted Housesitters to live rent free as a house sitter.
Volunteer Experiences*
– Frankie Thompson reports on working with dogs in Norway’s north.
Working with Reindeer in Finnmark, Norway – Life in the Arctic has been a source of curiosity as long as Julia Elizabeth can remember, an itch she scratched when she was tasked with feeding and walking reindeer in northern Norway.
* not all these volunteer experiences are with grassroots NGOs or low cost organisations
Image copyright Volunteering in Fjord, Norway
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