United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Internship Program

Gain practical work experience as an intern with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.

UNHCR is looking for talented, motivated, and passionate individuals – like you – from around the world who bring knowledge, innovative thinking, and different ideas to enhance our capacity to support people forced to flee.

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.

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.

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.

Internship Duration

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

• up to eight months for full-time; or

• up to 12 months for part-time internships.

Internship Location

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.

• 1

  Interested candidates should apply via the main UNHCR recruitment platform.

• 2

  The UNHCR Application and Selection page explains how to create an account in the recruitment platform and apply for roles.