The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) is the EU body that gathers evidence on fundamental rights and advises EU institutions and member states. Its traineeship programme brings recent graduates into the agency for one fixed 10-month cohort, based at FRA headquarters in Vienna, Austria. The 2026 call (reference FRA-TRAI-2026) was published on 2 April 2026 and closed on 4 May 2026 for a traineeship running 1 October 2026 to 31 July 2027.
Trainees work full time on FRA premises and are attached to one unit and one sector, across seven units covering the Director’s Office, communications, equality and inclusion, institutional cooperation and networks, justice, digital and migration research, administration, and data protection. One place in the 2026 cohort is based in Brussels, Belgium rather than Vienna. FRA states that no employment of any form follows the traineeship except through a recruitment procedure against a published vacancy notice.
Benefits & funding
- Monthly grant of €1,641.22 for the traineeship period; the Brussels place is adjusted by the salary coefficient applied to Belgium.
- A fixed full-time placement of 10 months, 1 October 2026 – 31 July 2027.
- Work inside an EU agency on fundamental-rights files, attached to one unit and sector in a multinational team.
- Full financial and administrative terms, including insurance and leave, are set out in the documents “Rules governing the Traineeship programme at FRA 2026” and the traineeship FAQ for 2026-2027, both published on the traineeship page.
Eligibility
- Nationals of the 27 EU member states, the three EEA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway), the EU candidate countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Ukraine) and the potential candidate Kosovo.
- A completed university degree, obtained at least one month before the start date and no more than three years before it. For the 2026 cohort this means a diploma dated between 30 September 2023 and 1 September 2026, which also covers people who recently finished a new degree after a career change.
- Very good knowledge of English at B2 level, FRA’s working language.
- Separate route for candidates of Roma background: post-secondary education attested by a diploma, or secondary education plus at least two years of relevant professional experience. This is the only route open to applicants without a higher-education diploma.
- No prior professional experience is required on the general route, and the call states no age limit.
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
Austria · Belgium · Bulgaria · Croatia · Cyprus · Czechia · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Germany · Greece
+ 28 more
Hungary · Ireland · Italy · Latvia · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Malta · Netherlands · Poland · Portugal · Romania · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · Iceland · Liechtenstein · Norway · Albania · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Georgia · Moldova · Montenegro · North Macedonia · Serbia · Türkiye · Ukraine · Kosovo
Education required
High School · Bachelor · Master
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Application process
- 1Track the FRA traineeship page and the agency’s vacancy list for the next call; the 2026 call was open from 2 April to 4 May 2026, 13.00 CET.
- 2Read the traineeship rules and the programme FAQ published on the traineeship page before drafting the application.
- 3Register on the FRA e-recruitment platform at fra.gestmax.eu and complete the application form in English.
- 4Select a single unit and a single sector on the form — this choice decides where the application is assessed.
- 5Submit through the platform before the deadline; applications sent by email are not accepted.
Program timeline
2 April 2026
2026 call published (reference FRA-TRAI-2026)
application deadline
4 May 2026, 13.00 CET
latest date by which the degree diploma must be held
1 September 2026
traineeship begins in Vienna
1 October 2026
traineeship ends
31 July 2027
Next call
not yet published; recent general calls opened on 2 April 2026, 15 May 2025 and 17 May 2024