The ILO Internship Programme places candidates with International Labour Organization departments and field offices for practical learning connected to the organization’s mandate. Assignments last three to six months and may begin on the 1st or 15th of a month.
The ILO normally opens its internship roster in April and October. After a window closes, eligible profiles are shared with departments and offices that select candidates for specific assignments.
Benefits & funding
- Interns receive three to six months of practical exposure to ILO work related to their field of study.
- When no university, government or other institution supports the intern, the ILO pays a stipend for basic subsistence; a recent field-office profile also states that the ILO makes up the difference when outside funding is partial.
- Interns or their sponsoring institutions remain responsible for travel, passport and visa costs, insurance, accommodation and living arrangements.
Eligibility
- The general programme route requires applicants to be in the final year of a Master’s or equivalent programme, enrolled in a higher degree relevant to ILO work, or to have completed such a programme in the year before applying.
- Individual profiles can set different academic routes: the latest observed Mexico profile accepted a relevant Bachelor’s degree and treated postgraduate study as an advantage, so applicants must follow each selected profile.
- Applicants need working knowledge of at least one ILO working language: English, French or Spanish, plus the ability to work in an international, multicultural and multilingual environment.
- Applications are welcomed worldwide, and the general programme has no age limit.
- Applicants cannot have a close relative serving at the ILO; candidates who have already worked for the ILO or completed an ILO internship are ineligible.
- A maximum of three applications is allowed in one recruitment-advertisement period.
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.
Education required
Bachelor · Master Enrolled · Master · PhD Enrolled · PhD
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Application process
- 1When the roster is open, review the profiles on the official internship opportunities page and select no more than three.
- 2Create an ILO Jobs account and complete the mandatory candidate profile.
- 3Apply to each selected profile online and attach a profile-specific cover letter before its stated deadline.
- 4If shortlisted, complete any written test or interview requested by the hiring office; no contact within six months means the profile was not selected for that roster period.
Program timeline
Latest observed roster-profile deadline, for the Mexico City profile; deadlines can differ by profile and time zone.
Aug 3, 2026
October 2026
The next roster window is expected in the programme’s normal October cycle, but the official site has not published an exact opening date.
1st or 15th of any month
Internships may start after a department selects a roster candidate.