Paris 2024 Olympic Games looking for 45,000 volunteers. Online application open until May 3

Being a volunteer for Paris 2024 is an unpaid job. However, Paris 2024 will cover the costs of local public transport to get to the venue and catering on the days you are volunteering. (Photo via Twitter/OlympicsParis)

Nearly 15,000 athletes will be participating in the Paris 2024 Games to be held across 40 venues in Paris, Ille-de-France, Marseille, Lyon, Nice, Nantes, Saint-Etienne, Bordeaux, Châteauroux, and even Tahiti. The city is inviting applications from adults (should be at least 18 years old on January 1, 2024) to meet the requirement of 45,000 volunteers before, during and after the Games.

Volunteers will not get paid during their stint at the Games nor will accommodation be provided by the Games Committee. As a non-European Union (EU) national, you will require a short-term visa to enter France as a volunteer. Visas are not required to submit the application.

An event organized outside Stade France in June 2022. (Photo via Twitter/OlympicsParis)

Eligibility:

· Be at least 18 years old on January 1, 2024.

· Speak French and/or English

· Be available for at least 10 days between the opening of the Athletes’ Village (July 12, 2024) and two days after the closing of the Paralympic Games (September 10, 2024)

· People with physical challenges can also apply.

Where to apply: www.paris2024.org/en/volunteers/

Application submission:

Application submission is open now on www.paris2024.org. Applying takes between 30 and 45 minutes: you'll have to fill out a form with details of your profile, availability and motivation.

May 3, 2023, is the last day to submit applications. Notification to each applicant of whether or not they will be assigned to a volunteering position will occur in autumn (September to December 2023). A few candidates might be asked for more details and interviews.

In the application form, each applicant will be able to indicate whether they wish to apply for the Paris 2024 volunteer programme, the City of Paris volunteer programme, or both. Based on the information they provide and the requirements of the two volunteer programmes, applicants may be offered a role by either Paris 2024 or the City of Paris.

Short-term visa for France: All selected volunteers from non-EU regions will require a short-term visa to enter France. This type of visa is generally issued for tourism, business trips, or family visits as well as to those entering France to take part in short training programmes, internships, conferences and corporate meetings, or to engage in remunerated activities (whatever the form) not exceeding 90 days.

Any visa applicant aged 12 or older must submit his/her visa application in person. All visas issued by France are biometric visas. The biometric data includes: a photo (scanned or taken during the biometric appointment), and ten fingerprints. If you hold a biometric Schengen visa issued in the past 59 months, your previous biometric data can be re-used.

FAQs for Paris 2024 Games volunteering:

Any particular skills required?

All you need is good interpersonal skills and be proficient in French or English to be able to perform most duties. However, certain duties do require volunteers to have additional skills or qualifications, such as understanding the rules of a particular sport, speaking a language other than French or English, having a medical background or holding a driver’s licence.

You will be able to indicate in your application whether you possess any of the skills or qualifications identified by Paris 2024.

Will the transportation cost be covered?

Volunteers will be able to take local public transport free of charge to get to and from the place of volunteering on days when they are helping out or completing training. However, volunteers will have to make their own arrangements when travelling beyond the local public transport network.

Will there be payment for volunteering?

Being a volunteer for Paris 2024 is an unpaid job. However, Paris 2024 will cover the costs of the volunteer’s use of the local public transport system and catering. In addition, volunteers will be provided with a uniform.

Food arrangement: Depending on the venue, volunteers will be offered either a meal or a food voucher for each shift they work. Paris 2024 will offer a variety of food options to suit all tastes and requirements.

Accommodation: Accommodation expenses will not be covered by Paris 2024. Volunteers will have to make their own stay arrangements. Paris 2024 will try to assign the volunteers to venues based on the address of their home/accommodation mentioned in the application.

Attend competitions: Helping out behind the scenes and being a spectator at the Games are two very different experiences. To attend competitions, volunteers will have to buy a ticket.

Training & duration: In preparation for the Paris 2024 Games, volunteers will follow a training course from the second quarter of 2024. The first training sessions will be accessible online (on mobile, tablet or computer). As the Games approach, volunteers will continue training at the venues.

The total duration of the preparation for the mission will be on average one to two days.

Timeframe for volunteer duties: Most volunteers will be helping out immediately before, during and after the Olympic and Paralympic Games –between July 12, 2024 (the day the Athletes’ Village opens) and September 10, 2024 (two days after the closing ceremony of the Paralympic Games).

· Volunteers will not be called up for more days than they indicate, but in theory they could be required at any moment during the Olympic and/ or Paralympic Games, depending on the event they apply for.

· Prior to the main Games period, Paris 2024 will also need volunteers to perform duties such as assisting with Games preparation events (between August 2023 and April 2024) and Games preparation operations (by distributing accreditations and uniforms to organisation members from May 2024).

· Volunteers will be asked to specify in their application their available dates to help out before the Games and during the Olympic and/or Paralympic period.

· Volunteers may be asked to help out with the Olympic Games and/or the Paralympic Games for anywhere between 10 days and three months.

· Volunteers must also have enough time to attend training to familiarise with their duties and working environment before getting started. Training will last one to two days on average and include some remote sessions.

Job assignments:

· Greeting visitors from all over the world at railway stations and airports, as well as the various venues (competition venues, training venues, Olympic
and Paralympic Village, Main press centre, etc.)

· Guiding and directing people inside the venues, example, showing ticket-holders to their seats.

· Answering questions or directing people to the appropriate person/venue.

· Sharing details of sporting and cultural events and the various key moments of the Games, etc.

· Transporting Games participants between venues in cars or minibuses.

· Assisting medical staff for volunteers with a medical qualification.