
FAQ
GENERAL QUESTIONS
WHAT ARE THE MAIN REQUIREMENTS TO APPLY TO BIRTHRIGHT ARMENIA?
HOW SOON BEFORE MY PARTICIPATION SHOULD I APPLY?
I DON’T MEET THE AGE CRITERIA, IS THERE ANY CHANCE I CAN VOLUNTEER IN THE PROGRAM?
IF I DO NOT NEED A VISA, HOW LONG CAN I STAY IN ARMENIA?
CAN I BE A VOLUNTEER WITH ANOTHER ORGANIZATION AND THEN EXTEND MY STAY TO CONTINUE VOLUNTEERING WITH BIRTHRIGHT ARMENIA?
DO I NEED A UNIVERSITY DIPLOMA TO VOLUNTEER?
I DON’T SPEAK ARMENIAN. CAN I APPLY?
HOW ARE VOLUNTEERS CHOSEN?
WHAT ARE THE COSTS OF PARTICIPATION?
WHEN CAN I VOLUNTEER? ARE THERE FIXED DATES OF VOLUNTEERING?
WHAT IS THE AVERAGE STAY OF VOLUNTEERS?
WHAT IS THE MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM DURATION OF VOLUNTEERING, ANY EXCEPTIONS?
WHAT DOES A TYPICAL VOLUNTEER WEEK LOOK LIKE?
WHAT IS BIRTHRIGHT LITE? HOW WOULD I QUALIFY AS A BIRTHRIGHT LITE PARTICIPANT?
CAN I EXTEND MY VOLUNTEERING AFTER MY ARRIVAL?
DO I NEED A VISA? IF BORN IN ARMENIA, ARE THERE OTHER CONSIDERATIONS?
WHAT ARE SOME BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES VOLUNTEERS EXPERIENCE? WHAT DO VOLUNTEERS STRUGGLE WITH THE MOST?
ARE THE STAFF AVAILABLE FOR FULL TIME SUPPORT?
CAN I SPEAK TO SOMEONE FROM MY COUNTRY WHO HAS PREVIOUSLY VOLUNTEERED WITH BR?
WHERE CAN I SEE VIDEOS ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE? DO YOU HAVE OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS?
WILL SOMEBODY PICK ME UP AT THE AIRPORT?
DO YOU ORGANIZE CULTURAL EVENTS FOR THE VOLUNTEERS?
ARE VOLUNTEERS PAID A STIPEND TO COVER BASIC EXPENSES?
DO I GET VACATION, CAN I LEAVE THE COUNTRY, DURING MY TIME OF VOLUNTEERING?
CAN REFERENCE LETTERS BE OBTAINED TO CERTIFY OUR VOLUNTEER WORK?
DO YOU OFFER OPTIONS OTHER THAN VOLUNTEERING?
WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO TRANSFER MONEY TO ARMENIA?
Host Family
IS IT MANDATORY TO STAY WITH A HOST FAMILY? CAN I LIVE ELSEWHERE?
WHY LIVE WITH A HOST FAMILY?
DO MOST VOLUNTEERS STAY WITH HOMESTAYS?
CAN I LIVE WITH A HOST FAMILY FOR ONLY PART OF MY TIME IN ARMENIA?
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST ME TO STAY WITH A HOST FAMILY?
BESIDES THE BASIC EXPENSES, ARE THERE ADDITIONAL OR OPTIONAL COSTS TO BE PAID?
IS IT SAFE TO STAY WITH A HOST FAMILY? HOW ARE FAMILIES CHOSEN?
WHERE WILL MY HOUSE BE LOCATED? CAN I CHOOSE A HOUSE OR A LOCATION?
I HAVE DIETARY RESTRICTIONS OR ALLERGIES. CAN I STAY WITH A HOST FAMILY?
IS THERE ONE VOLUNTEER PER HOMESTAY?
I DON’T SPEAK ANY ARMENIAN, CAN I STILL DO A HOMESTAY?
CAN I BE PLACED IN A FAMILY THAT SPEAKS MY NATIVE LANGUAGE?
WILL THERE BE INTERNET/WIFI AT MY HOUSE?
WILL I RECEIVE A KEY TO MY HOST FAMILY HOUSE/APARTMENT?
CAN I STAY OUT OF MY HOMESTAY FOR THE NIGHT?
IS THERE A CURFEW TIME?
CAN WE CONNECT WITH HOST FAMILIES PRIOR TO ARRIVAL ?
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE GIFTS I CAN BRING TO MY FAMILY?
IS MY HOST FAMILY NEW TO THE PROGRAM?
CAN I STAY WITH A HOST FAMILY IN A VILLAGE FOR A FEW DAYS?
Internships and Volunteering
WHAT TYPE OF INTERNSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE FOR ME IN ARMENIA?
WHEN IS THE JOB PLACEMENT PROCESS DONE?
HOW DOES BIRTHRIGHT ARMENIA CHOOSE MY INTERNSHIP ORGANIZATION?
IF I ALREADY KNOW OF AN ORGANIZATION WHERE I WOULD LIKE TO VOLUNTEER, CAN I BE PLACED THERE?
WILL I GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS MY INTERESTS WITH STAFF PRIOR TO ARRIVAL IN ARMENIA?
CAN I HAVE MORE THAN JUST ONE JOB PLACEMENT?
HOW LONG DO I VOLUNTEER FOR? WHAT IF I WANT TO BE ELIGIBLE UNDER THE BIRTHRIGHT ARMENIA TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT POLICY?
DO I NEED TO SPEAK ARMENIAN FOR CERTAIN INTERNSHIPS?
CAN PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS VOLUNTEER IN OTHER CITIES THAN YEREVAN?
IS IT POSSIBLE TO GET A JOB AS WELL DURING VOLUNTEERING?
WHAT ARE THE COMMON WORKPLACE CHALLENGES?
IF I WANT TO STAY AND WORK IN ARMENIA AFTER FINISHING VOLUNTEERING, DOES BIRTHRIGHT ARMENIA HELP WITH FINDING WORK?
ARE JOB SWITCHES POSSIBLE DURING THE STAY?
Excursions
WHAT IS A TYPICAL BIRTHRIGHT ARMENIA EXCURSION LIKE?
IS PARTICIPATION MANDATORY?
ARE THERE FEES FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE EXCURSION?
CAN I BRING A GUEST WITH ME ON AN EXCURSION?
Language Classes
ARE THE LANGUAGE CLASSES MANDATORY?
DO I NEED TO KNOW ARMENIAN?
HOW MANY HOURS OF CLASSES WILL I BE TAKING PER WEEK?
ARE THE LANGUAGE CLASSES FOR FREE?
WHERE ARE THE CLASSES HELD?
ARE THERE LANGUAGE CLASSES OUTSIDE OF YEREVAN?
ARE THERE CLASSES WHERE THEY CONCENTRATE ON READING AND WRITING?
IS THERE A BOOK THAT I NEED?
HOW BIG ARE THE CLASSES?
IS THERE AN INTENSIVE LANGUAGE TRAINING I CAN TAKE PRIOR TO BEGINNING MY INTERNSHIP?
Networking
WHAT ARE FORUMS AND HAVAKS LIKE?
IS THE ATTENDANCE TO THESE MANDATORY?
ARE THERE OTHER PEOPLE IN THE PROGRAM AND WILL I INTERACT WITH THEM? WHERE ARE THEY FROM?
Travel reimbursement
WHAT REQUIREMENTS DO I NEED TO MEET TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR A TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT?
WHAT IF I AM ALREADY IN ARMENIA WHEN I AM ACCEPTED AS A PARTICIPANT?
WHAT COSTS ARE COVERED IN A TRAVEL TICKET?
WHAT SHOULD I DO BEFORE PURCHASING A TRAVEL TICKET?
WHEN DO I GET REIMBURSED?
ARE BR LITE PARTICIPANTS ELIGIBLE FOR TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT?
IF I EXTENDED MY STAY IN ARMENIA, ARE TICKET CHANGE COSTS COVERED?
WHERE CAN I FIND ALL TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT RELATED INFORMATION?
BESIDES THE TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT IS THERE ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL AID PROVIDED?