Regardless of what visa you’re under in Berlin – tourist or residency – you’re welcome to offer your time free of charge. The usual suspects of hospitals, shelters and nursing homes would be glad to have your help, as would any number of German environmental groups. Doing volunteer work won’t have any effect on your residency status and will not allow you to gain a residency or work permit if you don’t already have one.

If you’ve got the time, check in with the Caritas Association for the Archbishop of Berlin (www.dicvberlin.caritas.de), the Salvation Army (www.heilsarmee-ost.de), environmental group Bund (www.bund-berlin.de) or even volunteer recruiting agency Freiwilligen Agentur (www.die-freiwilligenagentur.de).