General Terms and Conditions (hereinafter "GTC") of Sobbatical Impact Travel e.U. (hereinafter "Sobbatical"), owner: Axel Menzel, Märzstraße 88/16, 1150 Vienna, Austria.
These GTC apply to the use of the website and all related services provided by Sobbatical. By using the website and services, you agree to these GTC. If you do not agree to these GTC, you are not authorised to use the website or the services of Sobbatical.
The terms used are not gender-specific.
Last updated: 8 July 2026.
These GTC apply to the use of the digital platform Sobbatical Impact Hub (hereinafter "Platform"), operated by Sobbatical. Sobbatical offers a digital marketplace for the placement of volunteer work across borders. The users of the Platform are volunteers (hereinafter "Customers") and non-profit organisations (hereinafter "Partner Organisations").
These GTC and the rights and obligations contained herein become part of the contract between the respective Customer or Partner Organisation and Sobbatical upon their acceptance of these GTC and are thus legally binding. If you do not agree to these GTC, you are not authorised to use the Platform or the services of Sobbatical.
Sobbatical places great importance on protecting the personal data of its users. All collected data is processed in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other applicable data protection laws. The details regarding the collection, processing, and use of personal data are described in Sobbatical's Privacy Policy. The Privacy Policy is an integral part of these GTC.
Customers must be at least 18 years old at the time of application. Further requirements are defined by the Partner Organisation and can be viewed in the assignment listing.
The application process is conducted through the Sobbatical Platform. Customers must create a user account and provide the required information.
The information provided must be truthful and complete. Changes to personal data must be updated on the Platform without delay.
Sobbatical provides Customers with suggestions for non-profit assignment opportunities via the Platform, after Customers have consented to the processing and sharing of their data, acknowledged the right of withdrawal, and agreed to these GTC and the Volunteering Charter.
The suggestions are based on the personal information provided by the Customers, such as age, language skills, professional experience, or abilities and competencies.
Customers are required to provide the requested data with the utmost care and to update any changed data on the Platform promptly and independently.
Sobbatical optionally supports Customers in preparing for their volunteer assignment. The scope of these preparatory services can be restricted or expanded by Sobbatical at any time and includes, among others:
Immigration check: Sobbatical provides Customers with general, non-binding information on the entry, residence and visa requirements of the host country. This information is based on official sources (e.g. authorities, embassies) and constitutes a non-binding recommendation that does not replace legal or official advice. Obtaining the required documents is the sole responsibility of the Customers. Sobbatical assumes no liability for the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of this information.
Insurance: For advice on international health/travel insurance, Sobbatical refers Customers to the independent insurance broker grenzenlos sicher. To take out a policy, Sobbatical refers to Genki (Genki UG), which acts as an intermediary; the risk carriers are — depending on the product — the insurers behind it (e.g. Squarelife or Allianz Partners; administration by DR-WALTER GmbH). Sobbatical is neither an insurer nor an insurance intermediary and assumes no liability for the advice, intermediation, conclusion or benefits of these providers.
Accommodation: Sobbatical displays accommodation offers from the Uniplaces platform (Uniplaces, Lisbon, Portugal) and links to it; booking takes place exclusively on the Uniplaces platform, not with Sobbatical. In addition, accommodation offers provided by Partner Organisations are displayed; the respective Partner Organisations are solely responsible for these offers. Sobbatical assumes no liability for the availability, accuracy, conclusion or defects of accommodation.
Travel: For travel planning, Sobbatical embeds a widget from the provider Omio (Berlin, Germany). Search and booking processes are handled via Omio; a transport contract is concluded exclusively between the Customer and Omio or the respective carrier. Sobbatical assumes no liability for the booking, price, availability or performance of the journey.
Sobbatical assumes no liability for the use of services provided by Partner Organisations or third-party providers such as insurers, accommodation or travel providers.
Participation in the arranged volunteer assignments is at the Customers' own risk.
Sobbatical is not liable for any damages, injuries, accidents, or losses that occur during a volunteer assignment.
Sobbatical acts solely as an intermediary for Customers and is therefore not liable for any claims that Customers may have against Partner Organisations or other third parties. Any agreements or contracts made with Partner Organisations or third-party providers are solely the responsibility of the Customers and the respective contracting party.
Sobbatical provides the Platform as a pure intermediation marketplace "as is" and without warranty of uninterrupted availability, freedom from errors or the successful conclusion of a placement. To the extent legally permissible, Sobbatical is not liable for slight negligence, nor for indirect damages, consequential damages, loss of profit or loss of data. Liability for intent, gross negligence and personal injury remains unaffected.
Use of the Platform is free of charge for Customers and Partner Organisations. No placement or service fees apply. Costs for optional third-party services (e.g. insurance, accommodation, travel) are governed solely by the terms of the respective providers.
Customers may withdraw from an application or agreement at any time, free of charge and without providing reasons, via the Platform and the user account accessible therein.
As the use of the Platform is free of charge, no service-fee refunds arise.
Ethical Standards: Partner Organisations must adhere to ethical standards that ensure all volunteers are treated fairly and respectfully. Discrimination based on gender, origin, religion, sexual orientation, political opinion, or disability is not permitted.
Volunteering Charter: Partner Organisations agree to comply with the Volunteering Charter in its current version, as provided by Sobbatical, and confirm it as part of each placement (upon acceptance of a volunteer).
No Substitution of Paid Jobs: The activities performed by volunteers must not replace paid jobs but should complement the work of permanent staff.
Social Benefit: The activities and mission of the Partner Organisation must contribute to social welfare and have a non-profit character.
Partner Organisations provide Sobbatical with non-profit assignment opportunities and enter the required information fully and accurately via the Platform. This includes details on task areas, requirements, duration, and scope of the assignment.
The selection of volunteers is carried out by the Partner Organisations based on the applicant profiles suggested by Sobbatical. Partner Organisations may contact applicants to verify their suitability. The nature and extent of the contact and assessment must be coordinated with Sobbatical.
Approval of a request to undertake a volunteer assignment must be given within 21 days from the date of the request. If no decision is made within this period, the request will be automatically rejected. In cases of multiple automatic rejections, Sobbatical reserves the right to terminate the partnership.
Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination: Partner Organisations select volunteers fairly, transparently, and objectively, regardless of gender, origin, religion, sexual orientation, political opinion, or disability.
Avoidance of Job Substitution: Volunteer activities must not replace paid jobs but should complement the work of permanent staff.
Avoidance of Harmful Activities: The safety and protection of volunteers, the Partner Organisation, and the target groups must be ensured. Activities that endanger health or safety must be avoided.
Insurance and Health Protection: Partner Organisations must ensure that all volunteers are adequately insured during their assignments, including liability and accident insurance where required by local regulations. The health protection of volunteers at the assignment location must be guaranteed.
Respect for Ethical Principles: Partner Organisations must ensure that volunteers do not engage in discriminatory, illegal, or harmful actions during their volunteer assignments.
Withdrawal from an already agreed volunteer assignment is possible at any time for important reasons. These reasons must be communicated to Sobbatical immediately. In such cases, Sobbatical will, together with the Partner Organisation, attempt to find an amicable solution in the best interests of all parties involved.
The cancellation of a volunteer assignment must be reported to Sobbatical immediately. Sobbatical will inform the volunteer about the cancellation and will seek an alternative assignment opportunity.
Use of the Platform is free of charge for Partner Organisations; accordingly, no fee refunds arise. Costs for optional third-party services are governed solely by the terms of the respective providers.
Sobbatical acts solely as an intermediary towards Partner Organisations as well. The selection of volunteers and the conduct, supervision and safeguarding of the assignment are carried out at the Partner Organisation's own risk. Sobbatical is not liable for the suitability, conduct or non-appearance of volunteers, for damages caused by volunteers, or for any claims the Partner Organisation may have against volunteers or third parties. The general limitation of liability in Section 4.2.4 applies accordingly.
Platform-Internal Communication: The primary communication between Sobbatical, Customers, and Partner Organisations takes place via the Platform. All relevant information, notifications, and messages are exchanged through the Platform's internal messaging system.
Email Communication: As an alternative to platform-internal communication, Customers and Partner Organisations can contact Sobbatical via email. The official email address for customer support is [email protected]. Emails are typically answered within 48 hours.
FAQ Section: Sobbatical provides a comprehensive FAQ section on the Platform, covering topics such as registration, the application process, withdrawals, and more. Customers and Partner Organisations are encouraged to consult the FAQ section before contacting support.
Notifications: Sobbatical sends important notifications regarding changes to the GTC, privacy policy, or other essential information both via the Platform and by email to the registered email addresses of Customers and Partner Organisations.
All content and materials made available on the Platform, including but not limited to texts, graphics, logos, images, audio and video files, software, and designs, are the intellectual property of Sobbatical or its licensors and are protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.
Customers and Partner Organisations are granted a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable right to use the Platform and its content under the conditions set out in these GTC, for personal, non-commercial purposes or for the purposes specified in the agreements with Sobbatical.
Without the express written consent of Sobbatical, Customers and Partner Organisations are prohibited from reproducing, distributing, publishing, licensing, modifying, transferring, or otherwise using the content and materials of the Platform, or using the Platform for commercial purposes beyond the purposes specified in the agreements with Sobbatical. All trademarks, service marks, logos, and trade names used on the Platform are the property of Sobbatical or its licensors.
Customers and Partner Organisations retain all rights to the content they publish or upload on the Platform (e.g. comments, posts, photos). Sobbatical does not claim ownership of such content. By publishing or uploading content, they grant Sobbatical a non-exclusive, royalty-free, transferable, sublicensable, worldwide licence to use, distribute, modify, reproduce, publicly perform, and display the content in connection with the provision and promotion of the Platform and Sobbatical’s services. This licence ends when the content is removed or the user account is deleted, except to the extent necessary for backups, archived content, or prior use.
If Customers or Partner Organisations believe that their intellectual property rights are being infringed by content on the Platform, they can report this to Sobbatical, which will review such reports in accordance with applicable laws and take appropriate action, including removing or disabling access to the infringing content. Sobbatical reserves the right to remove content or disable access to content that, at its sole discretion, violates these GTC or applicable laws, without prior notice.
Customers and Partner Organisations are solely responsible for the content they publish or upload and warrant that they possess the necessary rights and licences. They indemnify Sobbatical from all third-party claims arising from the use or publication of content that infringes upon third-party rights.
Volunteering Charter: The Volunteering Charter is available on the Platform and is actively confirmed by Customers and Partner Organisations as part of every placement — upon application and upon acceptance, respectively.
Acceptable Use Policy: Sobbatical has implemented an Acceptable Use Policy, accessible on the Platform, which defines acceptable behaviours and uses of the Platform. Customers and Partner Organisations must agree to and comply with this policy.
These GTC and all legal relationships between Sobbatical and Customers as well as Partner Organisations are governed by the substantive law of the Republic of Austria, excluding its conflict-of-law rules and the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG).
For all disputes arising from or in connection with these GTC or the services provided by Sobbatical, the courts in Vienna, Austria, shall have exclusive jurisdiction. However, Sobbatical reserves the right to assert claims before the courts of the general jurisdiction of the Customers or Partner Organisations.
Sobbatical reserves the right to amend these GTC at any time. Changes will be published on the Platform and take effect upon publication. Customers and Partner Organisations will be informed of significant changes via email. Continued use of the Platform after the changes come into effect constitutes acceptance of the amended GTC.
Should any provision of these GTC be or become invalid or unenforceable, the validity of the remaining provisions shall not be affected. The invalid or unenforceable provision shall be replaced by a provision that most closely reflects its economic purpose.
All communications related to these GTC must be made in writing and addressed to the addresses specified in these GTC. Electronic communications via email fulfil the requirement of written form.
The contract language is German. If these GTC are translated into other languages, the German version shall prevail.
Sobbatical Impact Travel e.U. · Märzstraße 88/16 · 1150 Vienna · Austria