A traineeship at the European Commission is much more than just a professional experience. Each batch of trainees organises a huge range of non-formal learning, social activities, from football to wine-tasting and much in between – in true bureaucratic fashion, each with its own organising committee. There are usually 40-50 of such activities to choose from.
Eligibility Criteria
Subject to eligibility criteria, the traineeship is open to all EU citizens, regardless of age. A limited number of places are also allocated to non-EU nationals.
The traineeship programme is open to university graduates who:
- have completed a standard 3-year higher education degree (minimum EQF 6 level), corresponding to a complete Bachelor’s cycle, or equivalent. Only if you have a certificate or official confirmation from your university that you have such a degree will you be eligible to apply. You will have to provide the following documents:
- diplomas or certificates with final grades clearly indicated
- and proof of minimum EQF 6 level. Find out more about EQF levels
- have no prior work experience of any kind, in excess of 6 weeks in any EU institution, body or agency, delegation, with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), or Advocates General at the Court of Justice of the European Union (EUCJ)
- have a very good knowledge of languages:
- For the administrative traineeship – you must have a very good knowledge of two EU official languages, one of which must be a working language: English, French or German at C1 or C2 level as per the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and a second one at B2 level at least as per the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. For non-EU nationals, only one procedural language is required at C1 or C2 level.
- For the translation traineeship in the Directorate-General for Translation (DGT) – you must be able to translate into your main/target language (normally your mother tongue), from two other official EU languages (‘source languages’*).:
- your main/target language must be one of the official EU languages
- your first source language for translation must be a working language of the EU: English, French or German
- your second source language can be any of the official EU languages with at least B2-level proficiency
Application Process
Go to European Commission on traineeships.ec.europa.eu to apply
The application procedure consists of three steps:
- Create a EU Login account or login with an existing one
- Complete and submit the application form along with your supporting documents
- If successful, you will be invited to check the openings published on VBB portal and apply for a chosen traineeship post.
Up to three relevant work experiences can be mentioned in the application. Only work experience that is related to the profile that is selected and lasted, uninterruptedly, more than 6 weeks should be declared. Traineeships made during university courses are already assessed as part of the education and shall not be mentioned as work experiences.
Required Documents:
For the level of education, candidates can send:
- The certificate/s with the final grade/s clearly mentioned;
- The Europass Diploma Supplement, if available;
- University transcripts.
