Gap year : Gap year abroad

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1. Why take a gap year?
2. Gap year abroad
3. Gap year in the UK
4. Plan your gap year
5. Travel advice
6. Costs and fundraising

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A gap year abroad can range from volunteering in a developing country or travelling around the world, to an internship or paid work, or a period of study. Some gap year organisations offer packages to combine gaining valuable experience and skills through working or volunteering with fun or travel.

Where to go

• If you are an EU national, you will be able to travel to and work in other EU countries without a visa or work permit.
• Anywork Anywhere  has a chart showing countries worldwide which have working holiday agreements or temporary work visas available to people aged between 18 and 30. 
• Match the destination to your goals. Do you want to be challanged, experience a totally different culture, make a difference in a developing country or visit specific sights?
• Consider countries where you can use or develop your language skills.

Visit country profiles to find out about working and studying in over 50 countries across the world.

When to go

You will need to take into account:

• seasonal work opportunities, e.g. ski instructing or agricultural work - see Season Workers  for more information;
• seasonal variations in climate in the countries of interest;
• festivals and religious observances, as these can affect the availability of accommodation and services.

Working abroad

Paid work

According to the Council for Industry and Higher Education (CIHE), there is a growing need for graduates to demonstrate competencies which equip them to work in a global environment, such as working in different countries, in multicultural teams and using language skills. Identify vacancies abroad at the Jobs Abroad Bulletin , Go Abroad  and Anywork Anywhere . The ‘Work Abroad’ section on GapYear.com  is also useful.

Working and travelling

You may wish to work your way around the world or work to finance a period of travel. Working in a country can give you a deeper insight into the culture than just travelling through. Many organisations such as Gapwork  and BUNAC  sell starter packages to settle you into new country. This can include organising a bank account, medical insurance and accommodation on arrival, and helping you to find a job when you arrive.

Internships

Although internships do not usually pay a salary beyond immediate expenses, they provide more specialised training and experience than general voluntary work. Check Intern Abroad , Global Vision International (GVI) , Europlacement  and StandOut  for ideas.

See types of work abroad for further information.

Volunteering abroad

There are opportunities for voluntary work across a range of career areas. Projects Abroad  is a good starting point for ideas.

Should I use a gap year provider?

• Gap year companies can provide expertise in organising quality experiences that may be difficult or time-consuming to arrange on your own, including checking out safety issues, applying for visas, providing support with culture shock and settling in, and offering 24-hour emergency backup during a project.
• Check what you get for your money and compare between companies. For example, insurance, flights and medical expenses are not usually included.
• Talk to companies and seek feedback from people who have used them to assess the company’s suitability and reliability.
• Research the ethical stance of organisations that interest you. For example, how beneficial is the project to the local area? Where does your money go to? See Ethical Volunteering  for advice.

Lists of gap year providers can be found on Gapadvice  and GapYear.com  and some organisations are listed in gap year opportunities.

See volunteering for further information.

Travelling

Issues to consider include:

• Alone or in a group? - GapYear.com  acts as a social networking site, with message boards on which you can find a travel mate or share gap year ideas. For a small fee you can find suitable travel companions from Companions 2 Travel . Travelling Alone  offers advice for lone travellers.
• Accommodation - use the Gap-year.com  guide to hostels in different countries, Hostelbookers  or hostelz.com  to find suitable budget accommodation.
• Booking tickets - discounted student travel tickets, including round-the-world flight tickets, are available from a range of providers. For specialist student travel advice, visit STA Travel .

Studying abroad

This can vary from a year away to study before, during or after your degree, to a short-term summer programme. For general guidance, including information about sources of funding, go to Studying at an Overseas University  or UKCISA: UK Council for International Student Affairs .

For both undergraduate and postgraduate students, the Erasmus  exchange programme provides study opportunities in partnership with European universities as part of your degree or postgraduate study.

For further information, see guide to studying abroad.