Internships

UNHCR’s Internship Programme offers eligible students and recent graduates the opportunity to gain experience in the humanitarian sector in line with their academic programme and future career aspirations.

Please note that UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, travelling, processing or training). Learn more about how to avoid scams and fraudulent job offers.

To be considered for an internship, candidates must:

• be a recent graduate* or current student in a graduate/undergraduate school programme from a university or higher education facility accredited by UNESCO
• have completed at least two years of undergraduate studies in a field relevant to, or of interest to, the work of the organization
• not have immediate relatives (father, mother, brother, or sister) working for UNHCR as a staff member on any contract type or as an affiliate at the time of application
• not have exhausted the maximum cumulative internship period with UNHCR, including any prior internships (8 months for full-time and 12 months for part-time)
• be proficient in English at minimum B2 level.

*Recent graduates are considered to be candidates who completed their studies within two years of applying for an internship with UNHCR.

Internships are offered at various locations, including UNHCR headquarters in Geneva, the Global Service Centres in Amman, Budapest and Copenhagen, or in field country offices. Subject to approval of their managers, interns may telework within or outside of the country of duty station.

Internships are made available based on the needs of offices and their capacity to receive and supervise interns and provide them with meaningful assignments.

Internships can begin at any time during the year and normally last between two to six months with the possibility of extension:

• up to eight months for full-time; or
• up to 12 months for part-time internships.

Above maximum periods apply cumulatively, including any prior internships at UNHCR.

Interns who do not receive financial support from an outside party will receive an allowance to partially help support costs related to food, local transportation and living expenses.

The allowance for full-time internships corresponds to:

• 50% of the monthly net salary of the General Service (GS) level 3 step 1 in “H” duty stations*
• 70% of the monthly net salary of the GS level 3 step 1 in all other duty stations

The allowance for part-time internships is calculated at 50% of the applicable rate of the full-time allowance at the respective duty station. Remote internships are also compensated.

Unless provided or paid by their sponsoring entities, UNHCR will also reimburse interns engaged from a location outside the country of the duty station for return travel costs to/from the duty station by the most economical route available irrespective of the duration of the journey. It is the intern’s responsibility to arrange for a visa and to cover related visa costs. UNHCR can provide support with the required documents.

*Read more about salary scales and UN duty station categories.

Before the start of an internship with UNHCR, candidates are responsible for arranging medical insurance and for providing proof to UNHCR of valid medical insurance covering the period of the contract. UNHCR accepts no responsibility for any costs connected to medical insurance of interns, nor does the organization cover the costs for medical evacuation of interns. Interns working in locations where medical facilities are inadequate are advised to ensure that their medical insurance covers emergency medical evacuation.

Furthermore, the health insurance selected by interns should provide the necessary geographical coverage for both accident and illness.

Diversity and inclusion

Internships are open to all nationalities. The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity. We welcome applications from candidates with a refugee or stateless background.

Internships are advertised on the main UNHCR recruitment platform and new opportunities are regularly added.

See Current UNHCR Vacancies

Some regional and country offices also post internship opportunities on their dedicated websites. We encourage interested applicants to frequently visit these sites to search for available opportunities. Browse country websites.

Interested candidates should apply via the main UNHCR recruitment platform.

Our Application and selection page explains how create an account in the recruitment platform and apply for roles. We also encourage you to read our internship FAQs before you submit an application.