Since 1948 Servas members have been contributing to peace and intercultural understanding through personal contact of Servas travelers and hosts all over the world.
If you want to become a Servas member and currently live in Germany, you may apply at Servas Germany. The application process is explained on this page. (If you don’t live in Germany, you may apply at Servas International.)
Servas is different…
To become a Servas member, a personal interview with an experienced Servas member (interviewer) is required. Thereby, Servas ensures security for its members and data protection.
As a Servas member, you can travel as a Servas traveler, for which you need a stamped Letter of Introduction (LoI), and/or host Servas travelers as a Servas (night or day) host.
As a Servas traveler, you usually visit Servas hosts for two days and nights and immerse yourself in their everyday lives and culture during this time. To travel with Servas, you do not have to be a host. But of course Servas would not work without the approximately 15,000 hosts worldwide!
As a Servas host, you grant a Servas traveler insight into your home and everyday life during their (usually) two night stay. Nobody expects a luxurious accommodation – an air mattress in the living room does the job. If you do not have the possibility to host someone in your home, you can also be in contact with Servas travelers as a day host (same membership application process).
Servas hosts tell their guests about their country, but Servas traveller are also mini ambassadors of their country and bring their culture to the hosts’ home. This can lead to an interesting exchange of ideas, which will have a lasting effect on you and will create a memory for life!
How to become a Servas member?
Fees and end of membership
All Servas employees work on a voluntary basis. Nevertheless, expenses are incurred, e.g., financing of the Servas.org database, its further development and maintenance, fees for Servas International, server fees, office materials, telephone and internet.
To be a Servas member, you have to pay the membership fee (15 € per adult) per calender year. New members do not have to pay a fee in the year of admission. The membership fee is due on January 1st. one year due.
Every Servas traveler and host is a member of Servas Germany until they officially terminate their membership. A termination of the membership must be communicated to the treasurer and coordinator until the 30th of November of the previous year, so that it becomes effective on the 1st of January of the following year.
After your trip
We highly appreciate your feedback to keep traveling with Servas enriching and safe. With your feedback, we can address the countries concerned, if problems or misunderstandings arise. Additionally, if you send us a travel report (to office@servas.de), you can inspire other Servas members to travel to your destination country and let them know your experiences. Please send your travel report within 4 weeks of the end of your trip.
An evaluation of feedback/travel reports can be found here.
Additional information
- Every adult needs a separate online profile in Servas.org. Children (< 18 years) that are travelling with their parents with Servas do not need a Letter of Introduction (LoI) and do not have to pay fees.
- No Servas host is obliged to accommodate Servas travelers at any time. As a rule, the length of the traveler’s stay should be two nights, unless the host offers more on his own initiative.
- The traveler leaves the house with the host – exceptions may be offered only by the host.
- Travelers without an online profil on Servas.org and electronic Letter of Introduction (LoI) or with expired LoI should not be hosted.
- In case of serious misconduct of Servas travelers or hosts, which fortunately is very rare, please report the incident to the board of Servas Germany and appropriate measures will be taken.