What is an FSJ or a BFD

BFD (Federal Voluntary Service)

The Federal Voluntary Service (BFD) is similar in structure and content to the Voluntary Social Year (FSJ). Key differences include a shorter probation period (see "Probation Period") and mandatory participation in a seminar on political education.

Unlike the FSJ, the BFD is also open to individuals over the age of 27.

Bonus Payment

According to the law, volunteers cannot receive financial bonuses for overtime, weekend, or public holiday shifts.

Breaks

If you’re under 18, your breaks are regulated by the Youth Employment Protection Act:

• 30 minutes if you work 4.5 to 6 hours
• 60 minutes if you work more than 6 hours

If you’re over 18, your breaks follow the Working Hours Act:

• 30 minutes for 6–9 hours of work
• 45 minutes for more than 9 hours

You must not work longer than 6 hours without a break. Special arrangements may apply based on your placement’s internal agreements.

Certificates

You will receive a provisional certificate confirming your participation and expected duration of service at the start of your voluntary service. This certificate can be used for official purposes.

After completing your voluntary service (minimum 6 months), you will automatically receive a final certificate in accordance with labor law, documenting the actual duration of your service. Keep the original for your records and use copies for applications.

For proof of your monthly allowance and benefits in kind, you will receive regular payslips. At the beginning and end of your service, you’ll also receive documentation for your social insurance registration and deregistration.

Please keep these documents safe—you may need them even after your service ends.

Certificate of Service

FSJ: After completing at least six months of voluntary service, you can request a qualified certificate. Please note:

• You only receive a certificate if you ask for one. Contact your placement and educational advisor about four weeks before the end of your service.

BFD: After your BFD ends, you must receive a qualified certificate from us.

• Only certificates issued by the DRK Regional Association are legally valid. Certificates written directly by the placement are not.
• You will receive your certificate only after your service ends. If you need an interim certificate, ask your placement in advance.

Child Benefit

Under German tax law, voluntary service is equivalent to school or vocational training. This means you are generally entitled to child benefit. You’ll receive a certificate for this purpose with your contract.

Citizen's Allowance

To find out if you are entitled to Bürgergeld (citizen’s allowance), contact your local Jobcenter. According to the new Bürgergeld Law (effective July 1, 2023), the following applies:

• Volunteers under the age of 26 have a monthly exemption of €520.
• Volunteers aged 26 and over have a monthly exemption of €250.

Commuting Costs

Travel costs for commuting to your placement are not reimbursed in FSJ and BFD. However, you may be eligible for discounted public transport tickets through local transport providers. Check if the Deutschland-Ticket is the cheapest option for you.

Conflicts

If there are any issues or uncertainties at your placement, we’re here to help. Contact your educational advisor (Bildungsreferent*in) early on if you have questions about your schedule, sick leave, responsibilities, or working with colleagues.

Contract / Agreement

The agreement is your official service contract between you, your placement, and the DRK. It outlines the rights and duties of everyone involved in your voluntary service. One copy is for you, one stays with your placement, and one is returned to the DRK once everyone has signed.

Data Protection and Confidentiality

Your personal data will only be collected, processed, and used by the DRK to the extent necessary for organizing, implementing, and completing your voluntary service.

You may not share any data such as names or photos provided during your voluntary service or during seminars with third parties. This also applies to information about others in your placement and to internal matters. Violations of data protection and confidentiality can lead to legal consequences, including dismissal.

Information on data protection for digital seminars and in-person participation can be found on our website.

Duration of Service

officially recognized as voluntary service after a minimum of six months (see Certificate). You can extend your service up to a total of 18 months.

To apply for an extension, you need an official form, which you can get from your educational advisor (Bildungsreferent*in). Your placement must agree in writing.

For each additional month, you will be granted one additional mandatory seminar day and two more vacation days. Please contact your educational advisor (Bildungsreferent*in) regarding scheduling the extra seminar days.

Educational Support

Educational support during your voluntary service is legally defined (see JFDG and BFDG). It consists of:

• Practical supervision at the placement
• Seminar days accompanying your practical work
• Support from your educational advisor (Bildungsreferent*in)

If you have any questions or issues during your voluntary service, your educational advisor is always there to help.

Emergency Medical Services

If you're volunteering in emergency medical services, you must first complete a course to become a certified paramedic (Rettungssanitäter*in). This course does not count toward your official service time.

Working hours in emergency services differ: because of so-called "standby times" (waiting periods between missions), the weekly hours can be up to 44.

Seminar weeks count as regular workweeks—no overtime or undertime will be recorded for those days.

Extention

See Duration of Service

Federal Employment Agency

As a volunteer, you are not required to register as a job seeker under § 38 (1) SGB III before your service ends. However, to avoid interruptions in unemployment benefit payments (ALG I), you must register as a job seeker three months before the end of your service—unless you immediately start a new job, apprenticeship, or studies.

You will receive a certificate of employment (Arbeitsbescheinigung) from the employment agency. Please send the completed form to your educational advisor (Bildungsreferent*in).

Flexible Seminar Days (Flexitage)

You can choose your flexible seminar days (Flexitage) individually from a wide range of topics to match your personal interests. You select these days during or after your first block seminar via our online tool freiwillig24.de.

Freiwillig24.de

Freiwillig24.de is an online tool where you can:

• Upload missing documents
• Choose your flexible seminar days

You’ll receive your login credentials via email at the appropriate time through the freiwillig24 website.

We use the email address you provided us for registration. If you forget your password, you can reset it directly on the website.

Organisatorisches

The German Red Cross (DRK) is a leading organization in the field of social welfare. The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement consist of 192 national societies (as of 2020). Our principles are: Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality, Independence, Voluntary Service, Unity, and Universality. More about the German Red Cross can be found here.

The German Red Cross State Association of Rhineland-Palatinate (DRK LV Rheinland-Pfalz e.V.) is a recognized organization for the implementation of voluntary services. The DRK is responsible for hiring, terminations, placement, personnel management, remuneration, certificates, and the practice-oriented seminar work.

Mailing Address:

DRK-LV RLP e.V. Freiwilligendienste Mitternachtsgasse 4, 55116 Mainz

Email: freiwilligendienste@lv-rlp.drk.de Hotline: 06131-28281380

An overview of the staff of the Voluntary Services with contact information can be found under Team. If you are unable to reach your responsible educational advisor, feel free to contact our hotline.

Half-Orphan/Full Orphan Pension

During your voluntary service, as a dependent of an insured person, you are entitled to half-orphan/full orphan pension. This entitlement exists until you reach the age of 26 at the latest. This provision ensures financial support for dependents in case of the insured person's death during the voluntary service period.

Happiness

Your voluntary service is a learning and orientation year, guided by learning goals. Our happiness concept provides you with helpful impulses for your personal development. So, happiness will repeatedly cross your path during your voluntary service. For example, in the happiness group, which serves as a forum for exchanging experiences in your placement and also delves into various aspects of happiness.

Illness (Seminar)

Notify your responsible education coordinator by phone before the start of the seminar (at the latest on the first day of the seminar before it begins) if you are ill. On seminar days, a certificate of incapacity for work is required from the first day of illness. We expect you to send the sick notice to the DRK-Landesverband without being asked to do so; otherwise, a warning will be issued. Those who are sick only from Monday to Wednesday during week-long seminars must participate in the seminar on Thursday and Friday.

Illness (Service at the Placement Site)

In case of illness, notify your deployment site immediately (at the latest before the start of your shift) by phone to inform them about the expected duration of your illness. It's not necessary to disclose the reason for your illness. Make sure to discuss the procedure in case of illness in advance with your EST (Einsatzstelle).

If you are sick for more than three calendar days (not working days!), a medical certificate confirming the incapacity to work and its expected duration is required.

There are two cases here:

• If you receive three copies (one for you as the insured person, one for the employer, and one for the health insurance): The AUB (certificate of incapacity for work) must be presented immediately to the DRK-Landesverband RLP (original for the employer) and at your deployment site (copy for the employer).
• If you only receive a single copy for yourself as the insured person, please contact your responsible education coordinator.

In the case of prolonged illness, the DRK LV RLP will continue to pay your benefits for up to six weeks. After that, you will receive sick pay from your health insurance. It is important here that you also send the AUBs to your health insurance, unless they are transmitted electronically.

Please be sure to notify the DRK as soon as it is clear when you will likely be able to work again.

Initial Examination

You will receive information about the pre-employment examination and any necessary vaccinations from your placement site. Before starting practical work at the placement site, you may need to undergo a pre-employment examination, such as the initial medical examination for individuals under 18 years of age according to §§ 32 and 42 of the Youth Employment Protection Act. The costs are covered either by your health insurance or your placement site. Please discuss cost coverage with your placement site before incurring any expenses.

In addition, vaccinations may be required according to the Biological Agents Ordinance. Your placement site will inform you about the health prevention measures necessary in your area of assignment.

Insurances

During your voluntary service, you are covered by social insurance, which includes the following types of insurance:

• Health Insurance:
  • During the voluntary service, all volunteers must be covered by statutory health insurance. This means that those who were previously privately (family) insured must join a statutory health insurance fund for the duration of the voluntary service. You should discuss with your health insurance company whether you can return to your previous insurance conditions after your service.

• Accident Insurance:

  • Volunteers are generally covered by accident insurance. This applies to both working hours at the placement site and during seminar times. Commutes are also covered, provided the direct route to or from the placement site or seminar is taken.

• Pension Insurance

• Long-Term Care Insurance

• Unemployment Insurance

These insurances provide a comprehensive safety net during your time as a volunteer, covering a range of circumstances from health issues to accidents that may occur during work or while traveling to and from your placement site or seminars.

Pedagogical Guidance

The educational support in your voluntary service is legally regulated (see JFDG and BFDG). It is subdivided into:

• Practical guidance by the placement site
• Practice-related seminar work
• Support by the organization

If you have questions or issues during your voluntary service, you can always contact your responsible educational advisor.

Probationary Period

In the FSJ (Voluntary Social Year), the first twelve weeks of the deployment are considered a probationary period, while in the BFD (Federal Voluntary Service), the first six weeks are. In rare cases, there are different arrangements. Please check your agreement to see if this applies to you. See Termination.

Qualified Testimonial

After completing the voluntary service (at least six months), you are entitled to a qualified testimonial. Please note:

• A testimonial will be issued only upon your active request. For this, please contact your placement site and educational consultant in advance (approximately 4 weeks before the end of service).
• Only testimonials from DRK-LV are formally valid. Testimonials directly issued by a placement site do not have formal validity.
• The finished testimonial will be provided to you only after the end of the voluntary service. If you need an interim testimonial in advance, you must request it from the placement site.

Rest Times

You are entitled to an eleven-hour rest period between the end of work and the beginning of the next workday. Special regulations apply to minors (see the Youth Labor Protection Act). In hospitals and/or facilities for the treatment, care, and support of individuals, the eleven-hour rest period may be shortened by one hour, provided that any reduction is compensated within a month by extending another rest period to at least 12 hours.

Secondary Employment

A secondary occupation must always be approved in advance and is possible on a limited basis, provided that the maximum weekly working hours are observed. The form 'Application for Permission to Engage in a Secondary Occupation' must be requested from your responsible education coordinator and signed by you, your placement, and the DRK 

Here are some guidelines on when a secondary occupation is permissible:

• Your application for a secondary occupation must be approved before you start the secondary job. If your secondary occupation already exists before the start of your voluntary service, it still needs to be approved by us before your voluntary service begins.
• You must be at least 18 years old.
• You must observe a rest period of at least 11 hours.
• You must not exceed a regular weekly working time of 48 hours. Naturally, this includes the working hours of your voluntary service plus any working hours from the secondary occupation.
• Your voluntary service is always considered your primary occupation.

Seminars

During the Youth Voluntary Service, 25 days of education take place. In BFD 27plus, 12 seminar days are mandatory within one year. The education days can be held in a digital format or in-person. They are structured into the following components during your voluntary service:

1. Welcome day
2. Block seminars
3. Flex days

Special conditions apply for BFD 27plus. A key focus of the educational seminars is the reflection on experiences and insights gained from daily work in the placement sites (practice reflection). You actively contribute to shaping the content of the seminar work. Attendance at seminars is mandatory.

Social Security

see Insurances.

Supplementary Identity Card (Ergänzungsausweis)

Do you have a supplementary identity card? Please contact your responsible educational advisor for assistance.

Surcharge

Due to the legally regulated benefits for volunteers, overtime, weekend, and holiday services cannot be compensated with financial bonuses.

Termination

The voluntary service ends after the expiration of the contract period, without the need for a specific termination.

During the probationary period, the deployment site, the DRK state association and you can withdraw from the agreement without giving reasons (see ➔ probationary period).

After the probationary period, the voluntary service can be terminated with a notice period of four weeks to the 14th or the end of a calendar month. The notice period of four weeks to the end or middle of the month must be strictly observed. Please use the form 'Application for Termination'. You can get this from your responsible education coordinator.

Please send us the termination signed by your deployment site and yourself (for minors, by your parents) by post.

Transportation Costs (Commute)

During the FSJ and BFD, no travel expenses for commuting to the deployment site will be reimbursed. It is possible to obtain discounted public transportation tickets from regional transport associations. Check if the 49-ticket is possibly the most cost-effective option for you.

Transportation Costs (Seminar)

Travel expenses for public transportation, train (2nd class, excluding ICE, IC, and EC), or by car will be reimbursed if the completed application with the tickets or, for car drivers (€0.20/km), with a printout of the route (e.g., Google Maps), is sent to the respective educational supervisor. The most economical connection should be chosen. The applications must be submitted no later than three weeks after the educational days (seminar, flex day, preparation meeting).

You will receive the application form during the educational days or by email.

University Application

When allocating a study placement through the Foundation for University Admissions, individuals who are completing a voluntary service must not be disadvantaged (§ 18 State Treaty). This means that those who have applied for and secured a study placement during their voluntary service are guaranteed to retain it in the following year.

Your voluntary service can have a positive impact on your applications. Please note the regulations of the relevant universities and colleges and inquire specifically with them.

Vacation

You are entitled to vacation. This amounts to 26 working days for all volunteers (both adults and minors) in a 12-month voluntary service. Vacation must be coordinated in advance with the responsible person at your placement. Note the separate regulation during closure periods in facilities, especially in daycare centers and schools. No vacation may be taken during seminars!

Volunteer ID

At the beginning of your voluntary service, you will receive a voluntary service identification card. It is comparable to a student ID and allows for various discounts, although without legal entitlement. The specific regulations can be obtained on-site.

An overview of the different offers can be found here: https://fuer-freiwillige.de/.

Warning

It is possible to receive a warning in voluntary service due to misconduct at the placement or during educational days. If the misconduct persists, it may lead to termination.

Working hours

The working hours are determined by the labor conditions of the deployment site and are considered full-time in youth volunteer services. You can inquire about the exact weekly working hours at your deployment site.

The duty schedules are created by the responsible staff in the deployment sites. Sites with shift work may involve early, late, and weekend shifts, or other schedule models. Minus and overtime hours should be avoided or promptly compensated. Unintentional minus hours cannot be attributed to volunteers. See Youth Employment Protection Act (Jugendarbeitsschutzgesetz).

Youth Labor Protection Act (JArbSchG)

The Youth Employment Protection Act (Jugendarbeitsschutzgesetz - JArbSchG) applies to individuals under 18 years of age. It primarily outlines regulations regarding working hours, leisure time, weekend shifts, and break times, as determined by the placement. It's advisable to discuss these regulations with your supervisor if you are under 18 years old. Feel free to reach out to your educational consultant if you have any questions. Here's a summary of the key rules.

Youth Voluntary Service

If you are between the ages of 16 and 26, you can participate in a Youth Voluntary Service. This typically involves full-time practical work at a placement site, supplemented by educational days provided by us. If you complete a one-year service, you will participate in 25 educational days. During your service, you will be supported and guided by an education coordinator from the DRK (German Red Cross) and a supervisor at your placement site.

A Youth Voluntary Service can take the form of either a FSJ (Freiwilliges Soziales Jahr) or BFD (Bundesfreiwilligendienst), which usually depends on the specific placement site.