Please budget separately for the following expenses:

• First and last night in San José: Accommodation in a hostel before and after your project stay.

• Airport transfers: Transportation between the international airport and your San José accommodation. Airport shuttles cost approximately $35 each way. We are happy to help arrange this for you upon request during the sign-up process.

• Public transportation to the project site: Bus travel between San José and the project location costs approximately $20 each way.

• Flights: International and domestic airfare.

• Travel insurance: Comprehensive travel insurance for the duration of your stay.

• Visa expenses: Any applicable visa or entry-related costs.

• Additional food and snacks: Any food, beverages, or snacks beyond the three daily meals provided.

• Extra-curricular activities: Optional excursions, tours, and recreational activities outside your volunteer project.

At Green Life Volunteers, we believe in transparency about how your volunteer fees are used. Our goal is to keep our programs affordable while ensuring that our host families, local projects, and dedicated staff receive the support they need.

Your first week’s payment includes a one-time processing and organizational fee, which covers the administrative work and coordination involved in arranging your placement. From the second week onward, you pay the applicable weekly project fee, which primarily covers your accommodation, meals, and the daily operating costs of your project.

Your volunteer fee is distributed across three main areas:

1. Accommodation, Meals & Local Coordination

The largest portion of your fee goes directly towards your accommodation and meals, supporting your host family or project accommodation provider. It also helps cover the local coordination and operational costs associated with your placement.

2. Direct Support for Your Volunteer Project

A portion of your payment goes directly towards supporting the project you will be working with. This contribution helps cover daily running costs and supports the continuation of important local initiatives and community programs.

3. Green Life Volunteers – Organization & Support

A portion of your first week’s organizational fee supports the operation of Green Life Volunteers and the services we provide to make your volunteer experience as smooth, safe, and enjoyable as possible.

We take care of the arrangements behind the scenes so that you can arrive in Costa Rica knowing that everything is organized and ready for you.

Our services include:

• Personal assistance throughout your application and placement process.

• Communication with your project and accommodation providers.

• Organizing and confirming your volunteer placement.

• Providing detailed arrival information and travel instructions.

• Arranging airport transfers and your first nights in a hostel in San José, upon request.

• In-country coordination and assistance throughout your stay.

• A 24/7 emergency contact hotline should you need assistance during your volunteer experience.

Our mission is simple: We want you to focus on making a difference, experiencing Costa Rica, and enjoying your volunteer journey. We’ll take care of the arrangements and support you along the way!

Your first week’s fee includes a one-time organizational and processing fee that covers the work involved in arranging and coordinating your volunteer experience in Costa Rica.

This includes preparing your placement, communicating with your host project, organizing accommodation, providing travel guidance, and ensuring everything is in place before your arrival.

The first week’s fee also covers your accommodation and meals, as well as a contribution towards the project’s operating costs, where applicable.

From your second week onward, the fee is lower because the one-time organizational fee is no longer charged. Additional weekly fees primarily cover your accommodation, meals, and any applicable project expenses.

This way, the longer you volunteer, the more affordable your experience becomes!

 Green Life Volunteers’ primary goal is to keep volunteers safe and allow volunteers to have a great working abroad experience in Costa Rica. In order to ensure the best possible experience for our volunteers and those they may come in contact with, we expect all participants to follow and obey our universal volunteer policies.

With paying our fees you automatically agree to our terms and conditions. You will need to read the Terms and Conditions and Code of Conduct before beginning your volunteer placement. We will ask you to sign the volunteer contract upon arrival in country, or you can sign it before your arrival in country and scan the last page and email it to us.

You will also find more info on our cancellation and refund policies in our Terms and Conditions document.

Click here to view FULL DETAILS of the Internship

Booking Procedures

Once we receive your completed online application form, a recent photograph, and your deposit payment (amount for the first week of your volunteer project), we will combine this information to produce an internal Volunteer Profile and a Project Confirmation Document. 

We will then send your Volunteer Profile to our local partner organization, so that they can confirm your accommodation and project placement. It may take up to 14 days for us to finalize and complete your booking.
Once we have finalized the booking of your Program we will send you a Completion of Reservation email.

Steps of the Booking Process:

1. Application Form: Fill out our online application form and email us your photograph. We will review the documents and we will be in touch with you after a few days! We will at the same time inquire about your placement and request for you to be placed at your desired project.
2. Payment
: One we have received confirmation from the project that you can volunteer, we ask you to make a payment. The payment you will have to make before your arrival in Costa Rica is a deposit payment (the first week of a volunteer project).  You can pay the whole amount of your project in full before arrival in Costa Rica, or choose to pay the weekly fee to the local coordinator after arrival. 

Please note that the prices quoted on the Website are subject to change and it is the responsibility of the Volunteer to be aware of these changes; however, the fees charged will be in accordance with fees quoted on the Website at the time we send you a confirmation that the reservation deposit was received.
3. Project Confirmation Document: 
This is the definitive document for your Program which we will send to you after we received your payment. The Confirmation of Placement document will include information about your project, arrival and welcome info, and the “next steps” for you to prepare for your stay in Costa Rica.
You should only purchase your flights and book your travel arrangements after you have received your final document – the Confirmation of Placement. 
If you make travel arrangements before you receive your Confirmation of Placement document, which you may have to change, we will not be held responsible.
4. Invoice
: You will receive an invoice which will outline the payment received for the reservation deposit, and the deadline for when the remainder of the payment of the Program Fee should be made, and also the methods in which we accept payment. You must pay the remainder of your Program Fee as detailed in the invoice 60 days before your Program Arrival Date. If we do not receive your full Program Fee on its due date we will immediately move to cancel your Program. There will be no refund of your Reservation Deposit if we cancel your Program because you did not pay the full fee on time