Few excavation permits are issued to non-nationals and these are usually reserved for qualified members of existing fieldwork teams. Where university departments of archaeology are involved, the project team may consist entirely of staff and students from that department and additional staff or volunteers are not needed. In other areas local labour is used for all non-specialist tasks.
Language can also be a barrier.
The majority of excavations take place in the summer or early autumn. An increasing number of projects run training courses or field schools as part of their excavation activities. The fees charged may be substantial but cover the cost of tuition, lectures, study tours, food, accommodation etc. Volunteers should take out their own personal insurance against illness and injury. Anti-tetanus vaccination is strongly advised and is obligatory on many sites.