With the Volunteer Card, the City of Wuppertal and the State of North Rhine-Westphalia aim to express their recognition and appreciation for the many dedicated individuals in Wuppertal who volunteer to an above-average extent.
The card is applied for locally but is valid throughout North Rhine-Westphalia. Cardholders have access to more than 5,300 discounts at public, nonprofit, and private institutions. The card can be used, for example, at participating museums, banks and savings banks, retail stores, restaurants, theaters, the zoo, and swimming pools. Holders of the Volunteer Card have access to discounted admission prices, as well as discounts and exclusive offers.
The current list of all benefits is available on the website of the State Chancellery of North Rhine-Westphalia .
More information on the benefits available in Wuppertal can be found further down on this page.
Anyone who meets the following criteria may apply for the Volunteer Card:
- volunteer for at least four hours per week or 200 hours per year and
- has been volunteering for at least one year and
- live in Wuppertaland/or
performs volunteer work in Wuppertal.
Notes
- Volunteers may receive an expense allowance, provided it does not exceed the tax-exempt limit for the volunteer allowance (currently €960) or the instructor allowance (currently €3,300 per year).
- Volunteer cards issued in Wuppertal are valid for two years.
- Applying for and receiving the card is free of charge.
- There is no minimum age requirement for applying for the Volunteer Card.
- Participation in training sessions and supervision counts toward the time spent volunteering.
- Social events where the focus is on socializing are not considered volunteer work for the common good.
- On-call time does not count toward the total time contributed.
Note: Incoming applications are collected and processed approximately once a month.
Application Process
There are three ways to apply for the Volunteer Card:
- Apply via the app (recommended)
- Apply using the application form
- Apply using a paper application
Renewal Application
These three methods are also available for applying to renew the Volunteer Card.
Applying via the app (recommended)
An app is available for a seamless application process. A signature is no longer required. There is also no need to print out and submit the application. Everything from submitting the application to using the card can be done within the app.
You can also easily renew your Volunteer Card directly in the app.
Application via Application Form (does involve switching between platforms)
You can submit your application to receive or renew the Volunteer Card using the online form linked below.
If you volunteer for an average of at least four hours per week with more than one sponsoring organization, please fill out a separate application form for each organization and submit all forms together.
Alternatively, you can use the seamless application process via the app (recommended, see above) or the printable version of the application form listed below.
Send the fully completed and signed application by email to ehrenamtskarte@stadt.wuppertal.de.
Alternatively, you can also submit the documents by mail:
City of Wuppertal
Talbeteiligung Office – Engagement, Dialogue, Participation
Johannes-Rau-Platz 1
42275 Wuppertal
Fill out the application form completely and sign it. Afterward, a second person from the organization where you volunteer must confirm the information and sign it as well!
Please submit your renewal application no earlier than two months before your current Volunteer Card expires.
Submitting a Paper Application
- Printable version of the Volunteer Card application
- Printable version of the Volunteer Card renewal application
- Von der Heydt Museum: Admission €12, reduced price with volunteer card €10
- Museum of Industrial Culture Wuppertal: Admission €4, reduced admission with a volunteer card €2
- The Green Zoo Wuppertal: Admission €18.50, reduced admission with a volunteer card €16.50
- City Library: Annual membership €24, reduced price with Volunteer Card €12
- Sports and Swimming Department (Swimming Pools): Admission to indoor pools €4.50, reduced €2; admission to Mählersbeck €2, reduced €1.70
- Visiodrom (in the Gaskessel): Admission €14, reduced rate with Volunteer Card: €10
- Vohwinkel Outdoor Pool, Inc.: Admission €5, reduced rate with Volunteer Card: €2.50
- Castle Events at Lüntenbeck Castle (Organizer: Thörmann Messen)
- “Stilblüte” Spring Festival from May 8–10, 2026
- "Lebenslust" Fall Festival from October 9–11, 2026
- Admission: €8, reduced rate with volunteer card: €6
- Tutoring and Educational Institute Wuppertal e.V.: €10 monthly discount on all base prices in the “Private Lessons” category (discount applies once per customer and ends upon termination of the contract)
Annette Kerber-Assigno
Community Engagement Team
annette.kerber-assigno@stadt.wuppertal.de
Phone: 0202 563 6063