Pay attention to the manner in which you fill out the application form and to the supporting documents you upload; the documents must match your declarations on the application form.
If any of the criteria are not met based on the declarations in the eligibility sections of your application, it will be deemed ineligible.
You should provide the following documents, preceded by a table of contents showing the list of documents in the PDF, point by point, in the following order:
Personal data
1. Copy of a valid passport or identity card (or a valid residence card) proving the nationality indicated in the application form (please note we do not accept driving licenses).
Education
2. Copies of all university degrees/diplomas indicated in the application form and/or transcripts from the relevant university (i.e. list of subjects studied each year).
3. Copies of certifications/licenses obtained, as indicated in the application form, if applicable (eg. IT certifications, TOGAF, ITIL, Bar exams, CPA, CFA...).
In order to be taken into account, the certificate must clearly state that the holder has passed the exam.Simply attending the course does not suffice and participation certificates are not considered.
Please do not indicate seminars, training courses or language certificates (such as TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge certificates, etc. that can only be taken into account as evidence of your language knowledge – Languages section on the application form.).
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You can prove your educational background with one of the following documents:
- Final Diploma
- University Transcripts
- Europass Diploma Supplement
Date of completion: date on diploma or date of final year of cycle.
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If your certificate/diploma does not indicate the beginning or end date of the study, please indicate the first day of the first month for the beginning and the last day of the last month for the end. It must be clear that it is a semester of a full year.
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Do NOT indicate ongoing studies under this section. You can indicate ongoing studies under the International Experience section, provided that the experience lasted for more than 15 calendar days outside of the country of origin.
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Candidates with a degree from outside the EU without ECTS points awarded are eligible as long as they can prove that they completed a standard 3-year higher education degree, but should still fill in the ECTS section in the Application Form, indicating minimum 180 ECTS.
Professional experience
4. Copies of evidence of all declared work experience in the home country, as indicated in the application form, if applicable.
This may include:
- Letters of reference from an employer, which must be headed/duly signed, dated and clearly indicate the period of work
- Contracts that clearly state the period of work
- Pay slips which clearly state the period of work (please present first and last payslip)
- Tax declarations are accepted also for freelancers provided that they cover the period in question and the employer is clearly identified
- Invoices provided that they cover the period in question and the employer is clearly identified
- Self-employment with the appropriate proof/document
- Military service
- National social insurance to document professional experience.
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NOT accepted: any employment contracts with a political group at the European Parliament or with a MEP (Member of the European Parliament), unless you can unequivocally prove with a certificate (no plain paper), dated and signed by the MEP you worked for, that your workplace for the purposes of your traineeship/job was not based in the premises of the European Parliament in Brussels, Luxembourg or Strasbourg and that your tasks only included statutory activities of the political group.
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Council of Europe, European University Institute, European Space Agency (ESA), Europe Direct – Info point (desk), EPSO's EU Career Ambassadors, DG Education and Culture's Erasmus Ambassadors, EU Climate Ambassadors, Youth Ambassadors, Horizon Europe Young Observers or similar activities ARE accepted.
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Contracts signed with a Ministry or a Representation of your home country but for a placement outside your home country ARE NOT accepted. They should be indicated in the International Experience section.
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Count the exact number of calendar days between "from" and "to" field.
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If your work experience is on-going, use the end date of the application phase of the session you are applying for.
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The dates in the application form and the supporting documents must match (any mismatch, even small, will lead to exclusion).
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International work experience must be declared only under international experience.
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Every working experience should be declared separately even if it is at the same employer but not continuous. E.g.: you worked at the same employer for different time periods, which means that you have to declare these experiences separately because they cannot be counted as one experience even if it is the same employer.
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Remote work done internationally, but from your home country is considered as Professional Experience.
International experience
5. Copies of evidence of all international experience indicated in the application form, if applicable.
Work experience may include:
- Letters of reference from an employer, which must be headed or duly signed, dated and clearly indicate the period of work
- Contracts that clearly state the period of work
- Pay slips which clearly state the period of work (please present first and last payslip).
Experience of mobility abroad may include:
- Copies of diplomas obtained abroad
- Erasmus certificates (certificate/transcripts clearly mentioning the period of the exchange)
- Certificates from study exchange programmes
- Certificates of volunteer work
- Pay slips which clearly stating the period of work (please present first and last payslip).
Note: E-mails are not accepted as evidence unless they contain a valid digital signature.
The dates in the application form and the supporting documents must match (any discrepancy even small will lead to exclusion).
Please note we only accept experiences from the age of 16.
You may declare international studies (only full degrees) both in the education part and in the international experience part of the application form.
International work experience should be declared only under international experience.
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Accepted experience: exchange programs, university studies, professional experience, paid or unpaid internships, voluntary work, NGO, political parties.
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Count the exact number of calendar days between "from" and "to" field.
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You can declare ongoing studies outside your home country.
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Do not indicate periods of learning at primary or secondary school abroad.
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Work experience in an embassy of your national home country abroad is considered as International Experience.
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Remote work done internationally, but from your home country is not considered as International Experience.
Languages
6. ADMINISTRATIVE TRAINEESHIP: Evidence of language skills declared in the application form.
You can prove your proficiency in a language by one of the following means:
- Certificates of language courses clearly indicating the level of knowledge achieved issued by:
- Language centres such as Instituto Cervantes, Alliance française, Goethe Institut, etc.
- State-recognised language schools issuing certified attestations and that make a clear correspondence to CERF (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).
- TOEFL, IELTS, DELE, DELF/DALF, Duolingo English Test (DET), etc.
- International Legal English Certificate (ILEC).
- Certificate in teaching English to speakers of other languages (CELTA).
- Certificate of attendance of a superior level can count as proof of the immediately inferior level. Example: Certificate of attendance of a C1 level can be accepted as proof of a B2 level.
- University course: BA or MA taught wholly or partly in the language declared:
- A degree wholly taught in the declared language allows a declaration of a C2 level
- A degree partially taught in the declared language, i.e. corresponding to at least half of the credits needed to obtain the degree (this must be clear from the transcripts: the teaching must be given and the examinations taken and passed in the said language) allows a declaration of a C1 level.
- Certificates of bilingual education at secondary level issued by European Schools, international highschools, etc. allow a declaration of a C1 level.
- Secondary level of education entirely concluded in a certain language corresponds to a C2 level.
- Mother tongues are also considered a 'very good knowledge'. However, no points are awarded for mother tongues and you don't have to substantiate them either.
- Non-EU languages: no level required and no supporting documents required.
- Erasmus mobility is not proof for language knowledge.
7. TRANSLATION TRAINEESHIP: Evidence of language skills declared in the application form.
You can prove your proficiency in a language by one of the following means:
- Certificates of language courses clearly indicating the level of knowledge achieved issued by:
- language centres such as Instituto Cervantes, Alliance française, Goethe Institut, etc.
- state-recognised language schools issuing certified attestations and that make a clear correspondence to CERF (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).
- TOEFL, IELTS, DELE, DELF/DALF, Duolingo English Test (DET), etc.
- International Legal English Certificate (ILEC).
- Certificate in teaching English to speakers of other languages (CELTA).
- Certificate of attendance of a superior level can count as proof of the immediately inferior level. Example: Certificate of attendance of a C1 level can be accepted as proof of a B2 level.
- University course: BA or MA taught wholly or partly in the language declared:
- A degree wholly taught in the declared language allows a declaration of a C2 level
- A degree partially taught in the declared language, i.e. corresponding to at least half of the credits needed to obtain the degree (this must be clear from the transcripts: the teaching must be given and the examinations taken and passed in the said language) allows a declaration of a C1 level.
- University degrees/diplomas/transcripts in the field of linguistics/translation count as a proof at level C1 provided such documents state the specific language(s) studied.
- Certificates of bilingual education at secondary level issued by European Schools, international highschools, etc. allow a declaration of a C1 level.
- Secondary level of education entirely concluded in a certain language corresponds to a C2 level.
- Mother tongues are also considered a 'very good knowledge'. However, no points are awarded for mother tongues and you don't have to substantiate them either.
- Erasmus mobility is not proof for language knowledge.
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Language proofs must always have a clear correspondence to the Common European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFR).
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B or C level languages need a clear and appropriate supporting document.
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A-levels: No points are awarded & candidates don't have to substantiate them either.
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Mother tongues are considered a 'very good knowledge’. No points are awarded & candidates don't have to substantiate them either.
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Non-EU languages: no level required, and no supporting documents required.
You can prove your proficiency in a language by one of the following means:
- Certificates of language courses clearly indicating the level of knowledge achieved issued by:
- language centres such as Instituto Cervantes, Alliance française, Goethe Institut, etc.
- state-recognised language schools issuing certified certificates and that make a clear correspondence to CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).
- TOEFL, IELTS, DELE, DELF/DALF, Duolingo English Test (DET), etc.
- International Legal English Certificate (ILEC).
- Certificate in teaching English to speakers of other languages (CELTA).
- Certificate of attendance of a superior level can count as proof of the immediately inferior level. Example: Certificate of attendance of a C1 level can be accepted as proof of a B2 level.
- University course: BA or MA taught wholly or partly in the language declared:
- A degree wholly taught in the declared language allows a declaration of a C2 level
- A degree partially taught in the declared language, i.e. corresponding to at least half of the credits needed to obtain the degree (this must be clear from the transcripts: the classes and the examinations must be taken and passed in the declared language) allows a declaration of a C1 level.
- Certificates of bilingual education at secondary level issued by European Schools, international highschools, etc. allow a declaration of a C1 level.
- Secondary level of education entirely concluded in a certain language corresponds to a C2 level.
- Mother tongues are also considered a 'very good knowledge'. However, no points are awarded for mother tongues and you don't have to substantiate them either.
- Non-EU languages: no level required and no supporting documents required.
- Erasmus mobility is not proof for language knowledge.
You can prove your B level in a language by one of the following means:
- Language certificate indicating a B level, including certificates delivered by universities provided that they clearly indicate the level attained.
- Certificates of language courses clearly indicating the level of knowledge achieved issued by:
- language centres such as Instituto Cervantes, Alliance française, Goethe Institut, etc.
- state-recognised language schools issuing certified certificates and that make a clear correspondence to CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).
- TOEFL, IELTS, DELE, DELF/DALF, Duolingo English Test (DET), etc.
- International Legal English Certificate (ILEC).
- Certificate in teaching English to speakers of other languages (CELTA).
- University or secondary school transcripts proving that the language courses were taken and passed in the declared language level. The level of knowledge achieved needs to be clearly indicated.
- Certificate of attendance of a superior level can count as proof of the immediately inferior level. Example: Certificate of attendance of a C1 level can be accepted as proof of a B2 level.
A level does not need to be proved.
Erasmus mobility is not proof for language knowledge.
No. The OLS is not certified proof and is therefore not accepted as such. However, we accept online tests organised by official institutions when the identity of the candidate is clearly identified.
Yes, you can declare all your mother tongues in the application form without the need to provide supporting evidence.
Please note that you do not receive points for mother tongues at the assessment phase.
No, if your language certificate is expired this will not be accepted.
Please submit a new certificate or one without an expiry date.
First source language: English, French or German at C1/C2 level or mother tongue.
Second source language: at least B2 or mother tongue but depending on the specific needs of the language department in question, a higher level may be required.
A levels and mother tongues do not need to be substantiated.
No. Living abroad is not equal to being proficient in a given language.