Internships
Internships at UNHCR are offered throughout the year, depending on the availability of meaningful assignments and the needs and capacity of units/offices to receive and supervise Interns.
Please note that there is no expectation of employment at the end of the internship. Interns are not eligible to apply for staff positions within UNHCR during the period of internship and for the six months immediately following the internship expiration date. However, no break after the internship is required should an Intern be willing to apply for an assignment on an affiliated workforce contract (UNHCR Individual Consultant/Contractor, UNOPS Individual Contractor Agreement).
Are you eligible to apply?
In order to be considered eligible for an internship, you should:
- Be a recent graduate or current student in a graduate/undergraduate school programme from a university or higher education facility accredited by UNESCO. Recent graduates are to be considered those persons who completed their studies within one year of applying for an internship with UNHCR.
- Have completed at least two years of undergraduate studies in a field relevant or of interest to the work of the Organization.
Please note that an individual whose father, mother, son, daughter, brother or sister is a staff member of UNHCR, including a Temporary Appointment holder or a member of the Affiliate workforce, is not eligible for an internship.
What will you learn?
Thanks to the internship programme you will gain practical work experience related to your academic interests, while at the same time providing UNHCR offices with assistance in their daily work. Depending on your qualifications and interests, you may decide to apply for an internship in one of the following sections:
- Admin/Finance
- HR
- Legal/Protection
- PI/Communication
- Private Sector Partnerships (PSP)
- Programme
What is the duration of the internship?
An internship can begin at any time during the year. Internships will initially be granted for a minimum period of two months, up to a maximum of six months. Upon the agreement of the intern and the supervisor, an internship may be extended up to a maximum total cumulative internship duration of eight months, provided that the eligibility criteria continue to be met. An intern may undertake multiple internship assignments as long as the total cumulative internship duration is not exceeded.
Internships may be either on a full-time or a part-time basis.
Is the internship paid?
Starting from 01 June 2018, interns in UNHCR, who do not receive a financial support from an outside party, are entitled to Food and Local Transportation Allowance (FLTA). The allowance will be the equivalent of 10% of the Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) of the duty station and be based on 30 calendar days. It must not exceed the equivalent of USD 1000 per month, and it will be paid in local currency. When the agreed internship is not full-time, the Allowance will be prorated accordingly.
How can you apply?
Spontaneous applications are not processed. Interns should apply to specific Internship vacancy notices as periodically advertised in the Current Vacancies section of this website. Please note that:
- Incomplete applications will not be taken into consideration;
- Personal History Forms must be signed by the candidates;
- Candidates must have a valid work permit at the time of the application.