All boys and girls aged between 18 and 28 Years old (up to the day before the 29th birthday) in possession of Italian citizenship can participate. In addition to those who have previously carried out the Civil Service as a substitute of compulsory military service can also participate.
The followings will not obstruct your application for UCS:
• Having interrupted the national or universal civil service at the end of a sanctioning procedure against the entity;
• Having already carried out civil services under the European “Garanzia Giovani” program.

However, the applications that will be rejected immediately are those who:
• Are currently serving in the military and police forces;
• Have already performed or are performing national or universal civil service, or have interrupted the service before the scheduled deadline;
• Have in progress with the body that carries out the project or with bodies connected to it and financed by it, working associations of paid collaboration for any reason, or have had such relationships lasting more than three months in the 12 months preceding the date publishing the announcement; paid internships are also included in these cases.

It is possible to carry out the UCS in one of the following sectors:
• Support/Assistance
• Civil protection
• Environmental protection and urban regeneration
• Historical, artistic and cultural heritage
• Education and cultural, landscape, environmental, sport, sustainable and social tourism promotion
• Agriculture in mountain areas, social agriculture and biodiversity
• Nonviolence and unarmed defense; promotion and protection of human rights; development cooperation; promotion and support of both Italian culture and communities abroad elevating peace among populations.

In addition to Italy, the Civil Service can also be carried out abroad at the offices located in the countries of the bodies registered in the Roll.

Volunteers are entitled to an amount of 14.65 € net per day, for a total of 439.50€ net per month. Payment is made on a flat-rate basis for a total of thirty days per month for the expected duration of the project, starting from the start date.

For volunteers involved in the implementation of civil service projects abroad, in addition to the monthly allowance of 439.50 euros due to volunteers in civil service in Italy, there is a daily allowance, which will be paid for the period of actual service abroad, differentiated on the basis of the “country cost” criterion in which the volunteers are engaged.

The following additional indemnity is not paid:
• During periods of service (including those dedicated to training activities) in which the volunteers are in the national territory and during break periods while serving abroad;
• To young people residing in the country where the project is being carried out;

In the case of illness abroad, the indemnity is paid for the first 15 days for projects lasting for 12 months; as for projects with additional measures of shorter duration, the days are calculated proportionally.

The amount of the daily foreign allowance payable to volunteers is:
• 15.00 euros for projects to be carried out in Europe (Euro area and Western European countries) North American countries (dollar area) and Japan (Yen area);
• 14.00 euros for projects to be carried out in the Russian Federation, Eastern European countries, Asia (including the Middle East, India, China and excluding Southeast Asia), Oceania;
• 13.00 euros for projects to be carried out in Africa, Southeast Asia; Countries of Central and South America.

The remuneration is paid by the Youth Policies Department and the Universal Civil Services, by a direct crediting of the sums due, to a current account or deposit, bank or postal account, in the name or joint name of the volunteer. The use of prepaid cards with an IBAN code is allowed. The crediting of the sums usually takes place within the month following the reference month.

If the voluntary operator resides in a municipality other than the one where the project is carried out, he is entitled to reimbursement of the costs of the initial trip only to reach the project site (plane, train, bus, ferry, provided it is the cheapest means) upon presentation of the relative travel document to the person in charge of the same office. Likewise, he has the right to reimbursement of the expenses for reaching the place of residence at the end of the service, which will take place in the same way. There is therefore no reimbursement of expenses incurred daily to reach the place of employment.

For volunteers engaged in civil service projects abroad, the reimbursement of the costs of the only round trip and a single return (return trip), scheduled with the institution, during the period of the civil service is foreseen, from Italy to the foreign country of implementation of the project, carried out by plane (economy class), by train (second class) or with scheduled vehicles and are anticipated by the body that carries out the project and reimbursed by the Department.

Volunteers employed in SCU projects can carry out, by law, subordinate or self-employed work if compatible with the correct performance of the service. They cannot, however, carry out any work activities at the body that owns the SCU project until the expiry of the project itself.

The full address of the service office(s) is necessarily indicated in each project. Each volunteer, according to the required provisions, is assigned to one and only one location in which he will remain for the entire duration of the project. Only in case of special needs related to carrying out the activities envisioned by the project; it will be possible to carry out the service in other offices or other sites outside the main one, but always for a maximum of 30 days within 12 months. Such certain changes must certainly be anticipated, described in detail and justified within the project. More than one volunteer can be present/volunteering in the same place of implementation of the service, given that the total number of volunteers assigned to each site is always indicated in the project. Completing the application, the volunteer can choose a certain place of enactment of the service as long as it is one of the offices assigned. Around the deadline of the volunteers may cancel their participation in the service sending a written cancelation to the foundation they were supposed to implement their project within, in order to keep the right of applying to the UCS in the future.

The law approves that young people who have carried out universal civil service activities can be recognized as training credits to be spent during their studies as well as in the field of professional training. The Department for Youth Policies and the Universal Civil Service has promoted the condition of specific agreements at universities and accredited entities.

For further information that may be of interest to you, you can consult the website www.scelgoilserviziocivile.gov.it, or contact the department of Youth Policies and the Universal Civil Service at the following addresses:

• Public relations office (Monday to Friday from 9.00 to 12.30; and Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 14.30 to 16.30)

•telephone: 06.67792600

• e-mail: urp@serviziocivile.it

• e-mail: onlineapplication@serviziocivile.it*

• For more information on the Civil Service in AVIS you can contact us on 02.70006795 – 02.70006786 internal 4, or via email serviziocivile@avis.it

When the calls are published periodically in the Official Gazette of the Italian Republic and on the website home page of  Youth Policies Department and Universal Civil Service, it becomes possible to submit an application online through the DOL platform (Domanda On Line) directly from https://domandaonline.serviziocivile.it, otherwise through the institutional sites of Youth Policies Department and the UCS, including www.scelgoilserviziocivile.gov.it that is specifically dedicated to calls for volunteers. The link is also available on the sites of the regions and autonomous provinces and on those of the civil service entities that have projects in the reference call.

If you are an Italian citizen residing in Italy or abroad, you can access the DOL platform with your SPID, (the Public Digital Identity System). If you are not an Italian citizen you will have to ask the Department for identifications to access the DOL platform, following the registration procedure illustrated in the DOL manual.

What is SPID and how to get it? SPID is short for (Sistema Pubblico di Identità Digitale) the Public Digital Identity System, which allows you to access all the online services of the Public Administration with a single Digital Identity (username and password) that can be used through computers, tablets and smartphones.

If you do not know what SPID is, what services does it offers and how to request it, check the agency for Digital Italy website: www.agid.gov.it/it/piatplatforme/spid. You may choose one of the Identity Providers and register. The registration procedure consists of 3 steps.

With your SPID you will be able to enter the DOL platform through the “Login with SPID” button. You will be directed to the Department’s SPID portal, where you will have to choose the Identity Provider with which you obtained SPID and log in by entering your User and Password or simply by framing the QR Code with your smartphone. Once recognized, you will be automatically directed to the DOL platform home page then you can start filling out your application.

If you do not know what SPID is, what services it offers and how to request it, visit the website of the Agency for “Digital Italy” www.agid.gov.it/it/piatPlatforme/spid. You can choose one of the Identity Providers and register. The registration procedure consists of 3 steps

The application you will have to fill in is made up of three sections:

• PROJECT – Choose your project

• DATA AND DECLARATIONS – Insert the data and provide the declarations

• TITLES AND EXPERIENCES – Insert the data and / or attach the curriculum.

You can start from whichever one you prefer and complete the compilation at different times.

During the compilation of the second and third sections you can not only modify but also save and check the data. In fact, the system, through the “Save” button, stores the data already entered and proposes them to you at the next access, while with the “Check” button the system checks if you have forgotten to fill in any mandatory fields or there is any inconsistency between certain data.

The “1-Project” section allows you to choose the project you wish to participate in and the location where you would like to carry it out. In this section, you will find a list of all the projects in the Call, including the one that suits you best. By setting some search filters (eg: region, sector, organization name) you will be able to find the project that suits you best easily. The system turns out the list of projects that have satisfied your search, indicating the main data of the project and the number of applications submitted updated by that time. If you already know which project suits you best, you can directly enter its identification code or name in the relevant fields.

If all sections have the green V icon, you can apply to participate in the Universal Civil Service.

You can submit the application even if section 3- Qualifications and experiences shows the orange Δ icon because, as mentioned, there are no mandatory fields to fill in within that section.

By clicking on the “Continue to complete” button, the DOL System carries out some checks to verify that all the information requested is present and that there are no inconsistencies. If it detects errors it reports them to you, giving you the possibility to modify or integrate.

If coherent, you will be shown a draft summary of the Application for participation with all the information inserted.

Yes, by clicking on the “Print” button. The one shown is only a preview of the application, characterized by the wording “DRAFT” and means that your application has not yet been sent.

If you are ready to complete the procedure, click on “Submit application” to send the application form.

From this moment on you will no longer be able to make changes, cancel the application or submit another one. Using the “Print Application” button, the DOL System generates a pdf document of the application itself which reports an identification number formed automatically and the date and time of submission of the application. You will be able to view, save and print the application submitted. You will as well be able to view the application submitted at any time by accessing the DOL platform even in the days following the deadline of the call.

The day following the submission of the application, the Department’s protocol system sends, to the e-mail address you have indicated, the receipt confirming the presentation with the protocol number and the date and time of submission of the application itself.

For each SCU call, only one application can be submitted, and therefore only one project can be chosen from among those published, under drawback of exclusion from participation in all projects. However, there are no limitations relating to the geographical area of residence: you can choose the project from all those in the call, to be carried out both in Italy and abroad. Since it is not possible to submit multiple selection applications, the importance of carefully evaluating the contents of the chosen project and reading the text in its entirety appears even clearer.

All candidates who have correctly submitted the application within the deadlines set by the announcement are subsequently summoned directly by the body that owns the project to undergo a selection interview. The selection interviews focus above all on the motivation that prompted the candidate to choose the project and on his availability. At the end of the selections, adding the score relating to the qualifications held by the candidates with that relating to the motivational interviews, the entity responsible for the project draws up and publishes the ranking with the scores attributed to the candidates, and assigns them to their corresponding offices for the execution of their project. In general, the institution takes a few weeks to complete all the bureaucratic procedures related to the start of the service for the young person selected. Therefore, after submitting the application form, a maximum of 1 or 2 months pass before the volunteers can actually start their service in the foundation.

The volunteer carrying out the civil service is required to adopt a behavior based on a sense of responsibility, tolerance and balance and to participate with commitment in the activities aimed at carrying out the project. In particular, the volunteer has the duty to:

• Present themselves at the project implementation site on the day indicated in the service start-up statement sent by the Youth Policies Department and the Universal Civil Service;

• Notify the Entity of any abandonment on the civil service project;

• Promptly notify the foundation, in case of illness or of absence from the service, by submitting a medical certificate;

• Follow the instructions and directives, necessary for the implementation of the service project in which the volunteer is inserted, given by the local operator of the project (OLP);

• Participate in general training as well as specific training linked to the specific activities envisioned by the project;

• Carefully respect the timetable for carrying out activities concerning the civil service in accordance with the indications contained in the project;

• Not to skip the hours of carrying out the activities at the place of assignment without the authorization of the PLO;

• Respect the places and people with whom he/she comes into contact during the service by maintaining, though interpersonal relationships, a conduct standardized to fairness and collaboration, ceasing from behavior that is harmful to the dignity of the person and incompatible with the role played as well as with the nature and functionality of the service;

• Refrain from disclosing confidential data or information that came to their knowledge during the service, in compliance with current legislation and any specific provisions of the institutions;

• Not to exceed the days of leave and sick leave allowed during the period of service;

The volunteer cannot carry out subordinate or autonomous work activities, if incompatible with the correct completion of their civil service project.

The details of the requirements, from the presentation in service of the young person selected to the end of the service itself, is contained in the Provisions concerning the discipline of relations between voluntary organizations and operators of 14 January 2019, a document available on the Department’s website.

Volunteers are entitled to a monthly reimbursement of expenses currently quantified in € 439.50 net.

During the period of service, the voluntary operator benefits from the number of ordinary paid leave days indicated in the signed contract, which varies according to the duration of the project. The permit allows the voluntary worker to be absent from the service for personal needs (for example, family needs, marriage); it is counted in days and cannot be divided into hourly permits.

There is no minimum period of service to be able to use permits, nor a number of days of permits that can be used per month.

Any unused days of leave cannot be remunerated.

For the volunteer worker involved in civil service projects in Italy, there are no additional days of leave for travel. However, for a volunteer following a civil service program abroad, in addition to the days of leave provided in the contract, another two or four days of travel permit are granted, depending on whether they are within European or non-European countries.

Extraordinary permits are foreseen, to be considered as days of service rendered and therefore paid, which should not be taken from the days of leave due during the months of service. In particular, the voluntary operator is recognized:

• 1 day for blood donation, with a frequency of not less than three months for boys and six months for girls;

• A number of days equal to those indicated by the health facility in the case of bone marrow or organ donation;

• 1 day in the event of a summons to appear before the judicial authority;

• A maximum of 3 days for each mourning event related to the death of the spouse and / or relatives within the second degree and of relatives within the first degree;

• Up to 3 days a month, according to Article 33, paragraph 6, of Law 104/92, in case of a disabled person;

• A number of days for the carrying out of emergency operations for civil protection and / or training and educational activities for civil protection volunteers, belonging to the organized civil protection volunteering referred to in Chapter V – section II – of Legislative Decree 2 January 2018, n. 1 “Civil Protection Code”, and in any case up to a maximum of 30 days, even if not continuous;

• 20 days in case of a recall of voluntary fire brigade workers;

• A number of days corresponding to the duration of the training courses for volunteer firefighters;

• 1 day for each university exam taken upon presentation of documentation issued by the university certifying the definite completion of the test;

• A number of days corresponding to the duration of the electoral operations in the event of appointment as seat president, secretary, teller or list representative;

A number of days to complete the right to vote equal to:

• 1 day in the event in case the place of residence is 50 to 500 km from the place where the civil service is carried out; or 2 days in case the residence site is more than 500 km from of that where the service id held; 

• 2 days in case he/she is engaged in carrying out projects in European countries;

• 3 days if he/she is involved in carrying out projects in non-European countries;

The volunteer; during the period of civil service; can take advantage of a number of sick days, indicated in the contract which varies according to the duration of the project.

The planned sick days are paid for the full amount.

However, the volunteer operator can take advantage of an additional 15 days of illness, which are unpaid, for which the compensation due to the volunteer is reduced in proportion to the number of days of absence.

In case of exceeding 15 days of unpaid sickness, the foundation can exclude the volunteer from the service, who can submit a new application for the civil service for one of the subsequent selection calls, provided that he/she has served for a period not exceeding six months and is qualified for admission to the civil service projects provided by the calls.

In case of illness of the volunteer, the institution calculates the sick days without interruption. If public holidays or rest days fall on during the period of illness, they fall into the calculation of the absence days; as well as those that fall between two periods of absence for the same illness; given without interruption, as indicated through a health certificate.

Public holidays and rest days, initial and final of a period of absence due to illness, if they are not included in the certificate issued by a doctor, they are not counted in the calculation of the total number of sick days to the volunteer.