The FAO Internship Programme is run by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations for university students and recent graduates in fields related to FAO’s work. Interns add practical experience to their studies while supporting FAO’s programmes.
Assignments last 3 to 11 months, preferably at an FAO office or project in the intern’s own country or country of residence. Places are filled through Calls for Expression of Interest on FAO’s career portal.
Benefits & funding
- Monthly stipend in local currency, capped at US$700; sponsored interns are paid by their sponsoring institution instead.
- Medical coverage for service-incurred illness or injury, with FAO paying the full premium.
- Interns arrange and pay for their own accommodation and for insurance covering non-service-incurred illness.
Eligibility
- Nationals of an FAO Member: the 193 Member Nations (as of 4 February 2026) on FAO’s membership list.
- Enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree at a bona fide institution when applying, or a recent graduate.
- Aged 21–30 at the start of the internship, which must begin before your 31st birthday.
- Working knowledge of at least one FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian or Spanish); a second is an asset.
- Appropriate residence or immigration status in the country of assignment before the internship starts.
- Not eligible if a parent or sibling works for FAO under any type of contract.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Eligible nationalities
Afghanistan · Albania · Algeria · Andorra · Angola · Antigua and Barbuda · Argentina · Armenia · Australia · Austria · Azerbaijan · Bahamas
+ 181 more
Bahrain · Bangladesh · Barbados · Belarus · Belgium · Belize · Benin · Bhutan · Bolivia · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Botswana · Brazil · Brunei · Bulgaria · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cabo Verde · Cambodia · Cameroon · Canada · Central African Republic · Chad · Chile · China · Colombia · Comoros · Republic of the Congo · Cook Islands · Costa Rica · Côte d'Ivoire · Croatia · Cuba · Cyprus · Czechia · North Korea · DR Congo · Denmark · Djibouti · Dominica · Dominican Republic · Ecuador · Egypt · El Salvador · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Estonia · Eswatini · Ethiopia · Fiji · Finland · France · Gabon · Gambia · Georgia · Germany · Ghana · Greece · Grenada · Guatemala · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Guyana · Haiti · Honduras · Hungary · Iceland · India · Indonesia · Iran · Iraq · Ireland · Israel · Italy · Jamaica · Japan · Jordan · Kazakhstan · Kenya · Kiribati · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Latvia · Lebanon · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Madagascar · Malawi · Malaysia · Maldives · Mali · Malta · Marshall Islands · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mexico · Micronesia · Monaco · Mongolia · Montenegro · Morocco · Mozambique · Myanmar · Namibia · Nauru · Nepal · Netherlands · New Zealand · Niger · Nigeria · Niue · North Macedonia · Norway · Oman · Pakistan · Palau · Panama · Papua New Guinea · Paraguay · Peru · Philippines · Poland · Portugal · Qatar · South Korea · Moldova · Romania · Russia · Rwanda · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Samoa · San Marino · São Tomé and Príncipe · Saudi Arabia · Senegal · Serbia · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Singapore · Slovakia · Slovenia · Solomon Islands · Somalia · South Africa · South Sudan · Spain · Sri Lanka · Sudan · Suriname · Sweden · Switzerland · Syria · Tajikistan · Thailand · Timor-Leste · Togo · Tonga · Trinidad and Tobago · Tunisia · Türkiye · Turkmenistan · Tuvalu · Uganda · Ukraine · UAE · UK · Tanzania · USA · Uruguay · Uzbekistan · Vanuatu · Venezuela · Vietnam · Yemen · Zambia · Zimbabwe
Education required
Bachelor Enrolled · Master Enrolled · Bachelor · Master
Age requirement
21–30 yrs
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Application process
- 1Apply online through FAO’s career portal to a Call for Expression of Interest, attaching a motivation letter and evidence of attendance at a recognised university.
- 2Calls close at 23:59 CET on their stated closing date.
- 3Only candidates selected for interview are contacted; FAO keeps no roster, so candidates not selected reapply to new calls.
Program timeline
deadline for the current Europe and Central Asia (REU) and headquarters (HQ) internship calls (FAO Liaison Office with the Russian Federation)
31 December 2026
Each call
closes 23:59 CET on its stated closing date
After closing
interviews with selected candidates only
Start
before your 31st birthday; assignment runs 3–11 months