European Commission Paid Traineeship 2018 for Graduates Worldwide


A paid traineeship of 5 months with the European Commission (or some executive bodies and agencies of the European Institutions like, for instance, the European External Action Service or Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation), starting on either 1st March or 1st October.  

  • You will receive a monthly grant of 1,176.83 euros as of 1st March 2018 and reimbursement of travel expenses. Accident and health insurance can also be provided.
  • Every year, there are about 1,300 places available.
  • If you are one of the selected candidates you get hands-on experience in an international and multicultural environment. This can be an important enrichment for your further career
  Requirements: The traineeship programme is open to university graduates, from all over the world who have a:
  • Degree of at least 3 years of study (minimum a Bachelor);
  • Very good knowledge of English or French or German (C1/C2 level in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages);
  • Very good knowledge of a second EU official language (required for nationals of EU countries).
You must have completed at least 3-years of study with a degree to apply for a Blue Book traineeship. Only if you have a certificate or an official confirmation from your university that you have at least a 3-year degree will you be eligible to apply. You can apply once per session but as many times as you want until you are finally selected. If you do not pass the pre-selection, or you are in the Blue Book but not selected for a traineeship, you will have to submit again your application. It will undergo again the pre-selection with no guarantee that you will successfully pass it and be in the Blue Book again. Application Procedure:
Please do not wait for the very last day/s of an application period to apply! Any request for support (including technical support) might need up to three working days to be treated, so if you contact us the last three days we cannot guarantee that the needed support can be given to you.
  • Log in and complete each section of the application form following the instructions provided on-screen.
  • You do not have to fill in the entire form in a single session. You can save your entries and log in later to make changes to them, if necessary, and/or complete/finalise the form. You can also preview your application form in printer-friendly PDF version at any time during the application period.
  • Before submitting your application form, the system will show you its overview, as well as the sections that should be filled in. Once your form is correctly filled in, containing information in each relevant section, a “Submit application” button will be enabled. Once you have pushed this button, no further modifications can be introduced. Your application is now registered in the system.
  • A receipt confirmation will appear on your screen, along with your candidate number. Your application is correctly submitted only if you have received such number. In case of queries or technical problems, please contact the Traineeships Office through the “Contact” section.
The European Commission does not require you to submit any documents with your application form. Afterwards, when the assessment phase of the pre-selection is finalised, only pre-identified candidates for the Virtual Blue Book will be invited to provide supporting documents in electronic version, such as:
  • Copy of a valid ID card/passport;
  • Copy of university qualifications declared as completed;
  • Proof of ongoing studies, university exchange programme abroad, participation in EU/international programmes, seminars/workshops, if applicable;
  • Proof of all declared language skills other than the mother tongue/s;
  • Proof of all declared work experiences, if applicable;
  • Proof of all declared IT skills and publications, if applicable.
Timeline: October 2018-February 2019 Traineeship
  • Applications: January 4th 2018 (12:00 noon, Brussels time) to January 31st 2018 (12:00 noon, Brussels time)
  • Evaluation: March 2018
  • Pre-identification: April
  • Eligibility Check: April – May
  • Pre-Selection: May-June 2018
  • Sending of offers: end of June
  For More Information: Visit the Official Webpage of the European Commission Paid Traineeship 2018