Frequently Asked Questions

Please click on a question to view the answer -

When you register as a host or helper you automatically become a Free member (hosts need to be approved first). Free helper members who provide a self-description as part of their profile can be contacted by Premier hosts but cannot contact hosts directly. If a helper upgrades from Free to Premier membership they will be able to view all provided host details and reviews worldwide. If a host upgrades to Premier membership, they will be able to contact all helpers. It costs 20 euros to upgrade to be a premier helper, which lasts for 2 years worldwide for both single and twin memberships.

HelpX does not supply any kind of insurance itself but does highly recommend that helpers have some kind of suitable insurance before staying with a host. See helper registration rules. Also, hosts may wish to enquire with their property insurance company to see what their policy covers, should a person invited to their home steal or cause malicious damage. If they don't provide cover for this kind of event you may wish to make enquiries.

You need to be a least 18 to be a helper. Under 18's are allowed if accompanied by a parent, provided this has been agreed with the host. There is no upper age limit so long as you are fit and healthy enough to participate. Note that each host operates differently and may have their own preferred age range for helpers.

Helpers are only searchable by hosts, if they have included an about self-description which has been submitted or updated within the last 3 months.

If you have forgotten your password you can go to https://helpx.net/forgot-password. On this Forgotten Password screen, please add in the email address you provided when you registered with Helpx, then click the "Reset Password" button - the website will email you a link to click to enable you to reset your password.

IMPORTANT: If you do not receive a reset email, it is possible you are trying to use an email address not currently registered with HelpX. Perhaps you used a different one? This is more likely the case if you have not logged in for along time and have forgotten which email address you last used.

Many countries require a work visa in order to be a volunteer helper abroad. Several countries, including Australia, New Zealand, UK, Ireland and Canada have Working Holiday Schemes for young people from certain countries, which you may wish to investigate further.
Help Exchange cannot assist with visa applications or travel expenses, nor can any of our hosts, so please do not ask. Hosts maybe able to arrange pick ups from local bus or train stations.

The new HelpX site was developed for modern browsers meeting all the latest security protocols. If you receive this error you might be using an outdated browser and will need to update your browser to the latest version. Please click here for our recommended browsers.

All new hosts need to be approved by a HelpX administrator - we aim to approve new hosts within 3 days of you registering.  If your application still hasn't been approved, then please check our checklist page to see if your application is held up for one of the reasons on the list