11 Remarkable Volunteer Programs in Spain For Every Cause

What if you could travel the world and leave your impact by helping to make it a better place? Well luckily for you, volunteer programs in Spain allow you to do just that! Spain isn’t a country where every town and city is the same, and extraordinary volunteer opportunities in Spain exist all over the country. Spain is also an incredibly English-friendly country, making it perfect for foreign students and young professionals to come volunteer, even if they don’t have strong Spanish skills.

With so many cool places to explore, you’re bound to find life-changing volunteer programs in Spain.

Volunteer opportunities in Spain aren’t limited to just a few causes. There are hundreds of different causes you can volunteer for and Spain has many of those opportunities. While one volunteer program may have you teaching English, another may have you working to help local populations, saving the whales, and so much more! Spain is the country guaranteed to have any and every opportunity you could dream of.

Can I volunteer in Spain for free?

No program abroad is 100 percent free. It doesn’t matter whether you’re studying, interning, or volunteering abroad — there will be some costs associated with the program. Most costs are going to cover your housing and in some cases will also include cultural events or even language classes.

Some programs and types of adventures abroad cost more than others. However, there are plenty of volunteer programs in Spain that are friendly on the pocketbook; a few even offer free housing in exchange for work! No matter what field you’re looking to volunteer in, there are plenty of affordable volunteer opportunities in Spain for you.

11 impactful volunteer programs in Spain

1. Spain - Eco-friendly Hospitality Internship in Barcelona — 10

Hostels are most known for being the (usually) cheap accommodations young people stay at as they backpack their ways across Europe. But did you also know they have great volunteer opportunities?

GoEco places you in the heart of Barcelona, where you’ll volunteer in Spain at a youth hostel. You’ll be expected to serve at the bar, help with breakfast, and assist guests around the hostel. The best part about volunteering at a hostel is that you get free accommodations and breakfast!

Where: Barcelona
When: Year-round
Focus: Business, culture, tourism
Read GoEco reviews

2. Volunteer in After School Support in Spain with IVHQ — 9

When you decided to volunteer in Spain, you want to go with an organization with a proven track record. No organization has more of a proven track record than IVHQ. Since 2007, IVHQ has placed 100,000 people in volunteer opportunities around the world, including 18,000 annually.

Not only is IVHQ highly qualified, it's also highly affordable, with costs as low as just 10 USD per day. With over 50 destinations worldwide and many fields, there's an endless number of volunteer opportunities in Spain to choose from.

Where: Madrid
When: Year-round
Focus: Various causes
Read IVHQ reviews

3. Volunteer Abroad in Spain with Volunteering Solutions — 9

Volunteering Solutions aims to provide quality and affordable opportunities for anyone looking to volunteer in Spain. Through flexible programs, Volunteering Solutions doesn’t just meet their goal, they exceed it.

Programs can be as short as two weeks or as long as six months, and can happen in 20 different countries throughout Asia, Africa, Europe, and Central America. Volunteering Solutions has placements in a variety of causes as well, including orphanages, healthcare, teaching English, street children, and many more.

If you’re looking for a meaningful international experience with plenty of flexibility, volunteer work in Spain through Volunteering Solutions is the program for you.

Where: Valencia
When: Year-round
Focus: Various causes
Read Volunteering Solutions reviews

4. Global Internship & Volunteer Programs with Connect-123 — 9.75

When you’re spending money on a program abroad, you want one that will fit your goals. You don’t want to be placed in any volunteer opportunity that doesn’t fulfill your wanderlust. Connect-123 works with you to find a volunteer opportunity that is tailor-made to you.

Programs exist in Buenos Aires, Cape Town, Shanghai, Dublin, Sydney, and Barcelona. Connect-123 doesn’t just set you up with volunteer work in Spain — they also situate you with central housing, transportation, cultural events, and so much more. Programs match your schedule and last anywhere from one to six months.

Where: Barcelona
When: Year-round
Focus: Various causes
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5. ELI Abroad - Experiences to Change Your Life — 10

Experiences to change your life — that’s what Eli Abroad claims to offer, and there’s no doubt that’s exactly the type of experience they provide. Eli Abroad doesn’t place thousands of people abroad each year. Instead, this program decides to focus on a few hundred in order to spend time with each person and find the perfect placement.

The staff is made up of travel-savvy experts who know all about how travel can change your life. This low-cost and custom program is the type of experience guaranteed to change your life.

Where: Valencia
When: Year-round
Focus: Various causes
Read ELI Abroad reviews

6. Spain & Morocco Semester — 8.5

Most volunteer programs in Spain will take you to just one city, but Carpe Diem Education gap year literally takes you all over the world! You’ll start off in southern Spain and work your way to Morocco by trekking through the Camino de Santiago.

Along the way, you’ll stay in several homestays and remote villages to allow you to experience the local culture in full. The entire program is more than just volunteering abroad; it’s also an adventure, reflection retreat, and so much more!

Where: Cadiz, Granada
When: Fall, Spring
Focus: Anthropology, building & construction projects, conflict resolution, education, environment, human rights, social work, wildlife, women
Read Carpe Diem Education reviews

7. Europe Tour with Gapforce — 9.29

Europe is a continent full of art, history, and wonder. Even in a lifetime, it’s nearly impossible to experience everything Europe has to offer; however, one program does their best to show students as much as possible.

Gapforce gives you the chance to travel comfortably and safely between multiple European cities. Open in the summer, this program takes like-minded travelers on a fully-escorted 4-week adventure around Europe. In just a month, you’ll experience over 11 cities and have enough memories to last a lifetime.

Where: Barcelona
When: Summer
Focus: Culture
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8. Volunteer World: Best Volunteer Abroad Programs Worldwide — 8.89

Volunteer World is here to make your volunteer work in Spain the dream you’ve always wanted. This program is flexible and can be tailored to any field or destination you could hope. Using their own search engine, you can plug in your desired date, field, and destination to be matched with the perfect program for you.

Volunteer World takes the guesswork out of picking a program and ensures you’ll have the life-changing experience abroad you’ve been looking for.

Where: Barcelona, Denia, Malaga, Valencia
When: Year-round
Focus: Various causes
Read Volunteer World reviews

9. Live with a Host Family While Teaching in Spain with CIEE — 9.64

Living in student housing or a hostel can’t compare to the experience you get when living with a local family. CIEE allows you to live with a host family in one of the smaller towns in the Castilla y León area of Spain. During this three or six-month program, you’ll be teaching English in local schools.

An added bonus of CIEE is the 24/7 support from their Spanish staff along with a fairly low price. CIEE is looking for any English speaker with a sense of adventure and a desire to cross borders. Since you’re already researching programs on GoAbroad.com, we know you’ve got the desire needed for this program!

Where: Toledo
When: Year-round
Focus: Education, teaching
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10. Gap Year Volunteer and Experiential Learning with Euroace — 9

It’s often too easy for world travelers to stay stuck inside the tourist’s bubble. We head to foreign countries and only do the primary tourist experiences because we don’t know much better or what to go out and see.

Eurocare helps break you out of that safe space and immerse yourself in the local culture. While you volunteer with local communities in Spain, you can be part of Euroace’s immersion program. The immersion program includes Spanish language class and cultural actives.

Where: Valencia
When: Year-round
Focus: Various causes
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11. Walk And Talk In Spain — 9.71

GeoVisions Foundation’s Walk and Talk in Spain program will have you doing two things — babysitting for a local family while also teaching the kids conversational English. You’ll spend 20 hours a week with the children and can use the rest of your time to travel.

This volunteer program in Spain does come with a cost, but also offers a stipend to help alleviate some of the cost of living. Find flexibility and a little bit of cash in your pocket by volunteering in Spain with GeoVisions Foundation.

Where: Madrid
When: Year-round
Focus: English teaching
Read GeoVisions reviews

Volunteer in Spain and make a difference!

Volunteering in Spain will change your life and the lives of so many others.

Trust us when we say traveling abroad is more fulfilling that you could ever imagine. Traveling to faraway places and experiencing a different culture is an enlightening experience that not only allows you to learn about the world but also yourself. The only way to make traveling abroad more fulfilling is to spend your time volunteering with a cause you’re passionate about.

Travel to Spain to not only discover the world, but to help make it a little bit better. With so many affordable programs available, there’s nothing holding you back from volunteering in Spain. The only thing left to do is pick your program and pack your bag!