About Applying

All Impact Gap Year programs accept participants who are at least 18 years of age as of travel.

All participants must be in good physical and mental health to take part in our programs. Applicants must:

• Be at least 18 years old during travel. 
• Have a fluent understanding of English.
• Have a clean background check if working with minors. 

Participants can be of any nationality or origin; however, we recommend that you review the visa requirements of your preferred program before applying.

Impact Gap Year works with all participants to secure the appropriate visa(s) during your program, however, it is your responsibility to ensure that you have the relevant documentation for entry if necessary. Once we receive your application, we will work together to send you the correct documentation for your travel visas. 

We strongly advise all Impact Gap Year participants to be in good mental and physical health before beginning any of our programs. We may need a clearance from your doctor to be able to participate. Please contact us if you have any specific needs or concerns.

You can apply to any of our programs by clicking “Apply Now” and then selecting your preferred program, or by visiting the specific program and clicking on “Apply Now”. Dates have been set for each of our programs, and students can apply at any time before the application deadline by paying the deposit. The program’s whole payment must be submitted no later than 30 days before the program start date. We recommend applicants apply as soon as possible to guarantee a position with sufficient time to pay the total program fee.

All applications are accepted as long as you meet our eligibility requirements. 

All participants are required to speak and comprehend English in order to communicate effectively with program leaders and one another. We encourage participants to learn the local language to better integrate into the community. 

For Spanish-speaking countries, speaking Spanish is encouraged but not a requirement.

Our programs are offered in three, six, and eight-month increments, allowing you to participate in multiple programs per year, depending on their start and end dates. If you’d like to combine programs, please contact us and we will assist you.

We accept participants from all countries as long as they can secure the necessary visas from each country indicated in their program.

Changing programs shall be considered on a case to case basis. Please note that programs can fill up quickly so schedules should be followed as much as possible. If you’ve been given the go signal to change programs and have paid the deposit, your deposit can be applied to a different program as long as you request the change no later than 60 days after paying the deposit. 

Some projects may require you to not use your phone or any device during the course of your stay. This is to ensure that you will be fully immersed with your volunteering experience or expedition. We understand that you may need to contact your family or friends while away, and we have set some guidelines with that. 

Please note however, that a laptop is required for all internship and summer course programs. You will be using your laptop as you attend your classes and internship program. 

Generally, the device policy will depend on the program you are enrolled in.

No problem, this is normal. And don’t worry, we got you! A lot of times, students will have no idea how gap year works or they are stuck between choosing two or three programs. In this case, feel free to call us or send us a message and one of our team members will help you decide the best program fit for you. 

To start your application, you need to complete our online application and submit a non-refundable application fee of $200. 

Each program page has its own “Apply Now” button that will lead to the application page. After we receive your application, we will contact you for a short informal interview. The advisor and the participant may talk about their motivations to travel, their level of comfortability, etc. 

After which, you need to submit the $200 deposit through our payment processor. The deposit will secure you a spot on the program you have chosen. If we don’t receive the deposit, the spot will not be reserved for you. You can pay your deposit through our payment processor, Stripe. You can find the “Pay” button on the website’s footer or the team will send you a payment link. 

Once we receive your application and deposit, our team will send you an email to complete your application. This will include the step by step guide, checklist, requirements, and other relevant information for your travel.

This is one of the reasons why we encourage everyone to send their applications and deposit early on. Slots fill up quickly, and if your chosen program does not have availability anymore, it could lead to some disappointment. 

Our team will work with you to gather more information about your preferences and will do our best to find a suitable alternative to the project.

Once you receive confirmation that your application has been accepted, our team will get in touch with you to go through the checklist, requirements, documents and other pertinent information you should be aware of for your travel. They will send you their contact details which you can always use whenever you have questions. Please note, though, that anyone from the Impact Gap Year team is here to answer any questions. 

All throughout your pre-departure until the end of your program, our team will be available to assist and answer any questions you may have.