El Salvador Program Fees and Information

Read how your fees are spent or compare our prices with other volunteer organizations.

View our prices in other volunteer locations's or combine your stay in El Salvador with stays in other locations as part of a combination stay.

What you receive

• Orientation upon arrival
• 24 hour support
• Accommodation
• Airport/ bus station pickup
• Regular follow-up meetings
• El Salvadorian cultural introduction
• El Salvadoran cooking classes
• Spanish language classes (see below)

Spanish Language Lessons

The program fee includes Spanish language lessons. The amount of language teaching depends on the length of the volunteers stay. A four week stay receives a 20 hour course held within a week period. An eight week stay receives 40 hours (2 weeks), and a 12 week stay receives 80 hours (4 weeks) of instruction.

If you would like extensive Spanish Language instruction additional classes can be taken for € 80 / $ USD 120 per week.

Apart from our fees, you must pay for:

• Your travel to El Salvador
• Vaccinations and Visas
• Travel and health insurance
• Food (about 4-6 dollars per day) and other personal expenses

Application Process

Our application process typically takes two or three weeks, but can be speeded up if there is a need for that. When we get the "Initial application" from you, we will send you and Application Form.

(1) Complete the Initial Application Form:
The first stage of the application process is to fill out the brief initial application form. Upon receiving this we will send you the full application form.

(2) Complete the Full Application Form:
Fill out the application form. After receiving this we will assess your suitability and place you on one of our programs.

(3) Placement info:
We will return detailed Placement Information and an Invoice. If you accept the placement you should pay the invoice and send us receipt of payment by email or fax.

(4) Program Fee:
The program fee needs to be paid to us at least 2 months before you are due to start your placement. However beware that we have a limited amount of placements, so placements will only be secured when we receive by email or fax a receipt of payment.

(5) Communication:
Once you have made your traveling arrangements you should mail your time of arrival and the means of transportation and we will confirm pickup.

Project Duration and Arrival Dates

For the majority of our El Salvador programs, you can join us for any amount of time from 4 weeks to 6 months. However, some projects have minimum time restrictions. We recommend a trip of 3-6 months since it offers the best value. Regardless of the length of your stay, you will have time to get to know a new culture, come to know its people, and form relationships that will outlast the duration of your stay.

Dates of arrival:
All teaching will start on the Monday after the introduction.

Dates for the Year 2008:
Sat 17 May, Sat 31 May, Sat 14 June, Sat 28 June, Sat 12 July, Sat 26 July, Sat 09 August, Sat 23 August, Sat 06 September, Sat 20 September, Sat 04 October, Sat 18 October, Sat 01 November, Sat 15 November, Sat 29 November, Sat 13 December, Sat 27 December

Dates for the Year 2009:
Sat 10 January, Sat 24 January, Sat 07 February, Sat 21 February, Sat 07 March, Sat 21 March, Sat 04 April, Sat 18 April, Sat 02 May, Sat 16 May, Sat 30 May, Sat 13 June, Sat 27 June, Sat 11 July, Sat 25 July, Sat 08 August, Sat 22 August, Sat 05 September, Sat 19 September, Sat 03 October, Sat 17 October, Sat 31 October, Sat 14 November, Sat 28 November, Sat 12 December, Sat 26 December

Getting Here

Air
El Salvador's only international airport is the Comalapa airport located around 30km outside of El Salvador. Upon your arrival you will be met at the airport by one of our representatives.

Bus
If you coming overland from Guatemala, Honduras or Nicaragua, there are a large range of possible bus routes into the country. You can choose from large and comfortable buses to small and cheaper buses. Please confirm when and where you will be arriving and you will be met at the relevant bus station by one of our representatives.

Reception

All volunteers will typically arrive in El Salvador by road or air. We will meet you at Comalapa airport in San Salvador or at a pre-arranged bus station and introduce you to San Salvador and/Santa Tecla culture and the Spanish language. Our Salvadoran representatives will then help prepare you for your placement.

Food

Our Travel to Teach volunteers pay for their own food and are responsible for their meals. Sometimes when we teach in schools, we are invited to share the school lunch with our fellow teachers.

Salvadoran cuisine varies depending on the region you are visiting. Meals on the coast will have a greater variety of seafood while meals in the further inland feature more tradional Central American foods such as Pupusas, an El Salvadoran speciality of stuffed tortilla which are found everywhere and are filled with cheese, beans and sauces. Other typical foods include chilate, nuegados, yuca plant, atole de elote, tamales and shuco.

Volunteer Work

Apart from teaching English our volunteers can teach computers and during September and December work as part of turtle conservation programs. Whilst teaching English or computers in local schools there is also the opportunity to assist teaching sports, music, art, maths, or help out running workshops. More information on our El Salvador volunteer programs.

Living

Our volunteers home stay with El Salvadoran families. You can expect a clean and friendly familly environment where volunteers will have there own room and share facilities such as the bathroom, fridge and kitchen. All of our volunteer homes are located in pleasant areas, although you will be living in a typical El Salvadoran family home so its important not too expect too many luxuries.

Vaccinations

Hepatitis A: Recommended for all travelers.
Typhoid: For travelers who may eat or drink outside major restaurants & hotels.
Yellow fever: Recommended for all areas in the north and its mountains.
Hepatitis B: For travelers who may have intimate contact with local residents, especially if visiting for more than 6 months.
Rabies: For travelers who may have direct contact with animals and may not have access to medical care.
Routine immunizations: All travelers should be up-to-date on tetanus-diphtheria, measles-mumps-rubella, polio, and varicella immunizations.

Insurance

Volunteers should purchase health and travel insurance independently. You need health insurance that will cover medical treatment and repatriation in case of accident or illness.

Visas

Citizens of the US, Canada, Australia and most European and American countries can get a 90 day visa on arrival at Comalapa airport, which can then be extended for a further 90 days. Citizens of some of the above countries will also need to purchase a tourist card USD $10. Please check with your countries El Salvadoran embassy before arriving in El Salvador. List of El Salvadoran Embassies

Certification

You will get a Travel to Teach certificate stating the time and place you have been teaching.