The Paris Olympics For Free: Volunteers Needed, French Not Necessary

Free entry to the games, free transportation, sometimes free meals and other perks: If you have no other plans for the summer of 2024, here’s your chance to go to France and become one of the 45,000 volunteers invited to host the Paris Olympic Games.

The search is open to people from around the world, ages 18 and older, who speak English or French and want to work behind the scenes during the Olympics or Paralympics.

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Although most of the volunteers are needed in Paris, there are some 5,000 openings for other Games venues in Bordeaux, Nantes, Marseille, Nice, Saint-Etienne, Lyon, Lille and Châteauroux.

The applications are open and here is the portal to get you on board.

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Inside experience

Being a volunteer for the Paris 2024 Games is the opportunity of a lifetime, according to the organizers.

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Volunteers are the first people that athletes and spectators meet when they arrive at the Games “so you’ll become the face of France’s hospitality and values. and experience from the inside the first Summer Games organized in the country in a century.”

The Volunteers program includes a wide range of duties. “All of them are essential to the smooth running of the Games: For sure, there has to be one that suits you,” the invitation to apply promises.

The job lasts for a minimum of 10 days and, because it’s volunteer, is unpaid, does not include accommodation and is open to citizens from around the world.

“Our volunteers will be at the heart of the greatest sporting event on the planet and directly contributing to its success,” Tony Estanguet, president of the Paris 2024 organizing committee, explained. “The positive energy transmitted by volunteers is unique and they will be the face of the Games.”

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Volunteers’ responsibilities

As explained by the organizing committee, the volunteers will “experience the unique atmosphere of the Games,” privileged to have an inside view of one of the planet’s great spectacles. But it’s not guaranteed that the privilege will include a free pass to the sporting events. “If you have your heart set on attending competitions, your best bet is to buy a ticket and enjoy all the action from the stands,” the organizers suggest.

“There’s a range of ‘missions’ within the volunteer program,” reports Euronews, “from welcoming people at airports and stations to providing info at venues, and even collecting tennis balls.”

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The official list of jobs includes:

• Welcoming people from around the world, from the train stations and airports to the various venues (for example, competition, training, Athletes’ Village and media center); 
• Providing guidance and support at the heart of the venues (helping spectators to the stands); 
• Providing information in the event of difficulties or directing people to the right contacts; 
• Providing information on various programs such as sports and cultural information and key moments from the Games;
• Transporting the Games stakeholders among the venues in nine-seat minibuses or cars; 
• Assisting the medical staff (volunteers with a medical degree). 

Conditions to become a volunteer

If your application is accepted, you will need to organize your own travel and accommodation.

Some non-European Union citizens will need the correct visa to stay in France. Depending of the country, some can enter on a tourist visa because the work is unpaid and the stay relatively short (minimum 10 days).

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People from countries that benefit from the 90-day rule — permitted to visit for up to 90 days — won’t need special visas to perform their Olympic duty.

Volunteers will be needed from the opening of the Athletes’ Village until two days after the closing of the Paralympic Games on September 10.

People with disabilities are particularly sought after and the informal goal is to have at leats 3,000 disabled volunteers as part of the team.

The French language is not mandatory. Either English or French are acceptable — but fluency in both is a plus.

Candidates interested in human relations, timetables or who have a strong sense of hospitality are considered better suited for the job as are those with a passion for sports.

On top of the sheer gratification of helping out, the organizers emphasize that it can be a great training and experience for the rest of your career.

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Applications are open now until May 3, 2023. Applying takes between 30 and 45 minutes and notifications to each applicant of whether or not they will be assigned to a volunteering position will be sent between September and December 2023.