Eligibility criteria - Translation traineeship

Applications that do not fulfil all mandatory criteria will be rejected during the eligibility verification stage. 📌 

1. Educational requirements

The candidate must have completed and obtained a full higher-education degree, corresponding to an EQF level 6 or higher, of at least 180 ECTS credits, or equivalent to at least a completed higher-education cycle. 

Important clarifications

• The degree must be fully completed and the diploma obtained at the time of application.
  Applicants who finish their studies after the deadline of application but before the start of the session, are not yet eligible.
• The university degree or equivalent qualification must cover a minimum period of three academic years. 
  Applicants must hold either a diploma or official academic transcripts confirming completion of the cycle. Applications submitted without such proof will be deemed ineligible.
• Degrees obtained outside the European Union are accepted if they correspond to a completed three-year higher-education cycle. 
  Applicants whose degree does not award ECTS credits are eligible only if they can demonstrate completion of a standard three-year higher-education programme; in such cases, a minimum of 180 ECTS must nevertheless be indicated in the application. 

• Self-declarations are not accepted, except for Italian candidates, since they are legally recognised for education in Italy. Any such document must be duly dated and signed and/or stamped by the University.

   

2. Language knowledge

For the translation traineeship in the Directorate-General for Translation (DGT), applicants must be able to translate into their main (target) language - normally their mother tongue - from two other (source) official EU languages.

The following requirements apply: 

• Main (target) language: 
  Usually your mother tongue, must be one of the official languages of the European Union.
• First source language: 
  Must be a working language of the European Union - English, French or German - at a minimum C1 level (CEFR), or as a mother tongue.
• Second source language: 
  May be any other official EU language at a minimum B2 level (CEFR). 

Notes

• Language proficiency levels are defined in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
• Mother tongues are considered for eligibility purposes but are not scored.
• Residence in a country does not constitute proof of language proficiency.
• Participation in Erasmus mobility programmes does not constitute proof of language proficiency. 

• Most documents to be translated originate from English, French and German. 

   

3. No prior experience in EU Institutions

Candidates who have any prior or ongoing professional experience in any European Institution, body or agency, longer than 6 weeks (42 calendar days), will be excluded.

Any such experience will count as professional experience regardless of:

• Formal or informal, paid or unpaid status
• Full-time or part-time work
• Accumulated, continuous or non-continuous periods.
• Accumulated continuous or non-continuous periods, and includes all types of professional and internship experience gained as:
  • Staff member
  • Interim staff
  • Intra-muros consultant
  • Researcher
  • Trainee.

The rule covers activities carried out within:

• EU institutions, bodies or agencies
• EU delegations or representations
• Cabinets of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs)
• Offices of Advocates General at the Court of Justice of the EU.

⚠️ The European Commission may verify compliance and exclude applicants at any stage of the selection process, including after application submission, during evaluation, or after acceptance of a placement offer.

4. Age

18 years or older on the starting date of the traineeship.

5. Nationality

• Applicants must be nationals of a member state of the European Union.
• Applicants must hold a valid passport or national identity card corresponding to the nationality declared in the application. 
  Driving licences are not accepted as proof of nationality. 

6. Work experience - home country

For the purposes of the application, the nationality declared equals the home country for professional experience. 

All types of work experience may be declared, including student employment and holiday jobs. 
 

The following conditions apply: 

• The minimum duration for any declared work experience is 15 calendar days, or the full-time equivalent.
• Only work experience acquired from the age of 16 onwards is eligible for declaration.
• Voluntary work or civic service is considered as work experience.
• Remote work, based in your home country, is considered work experience and not international experience. 

Proof requirement

• All declared work experience must be supported by documents, such as contracts, signed employer attestations, payslips or tax declarations.

• Failure to provide adequate supporting documentation will result in exclusion from the selection procedure.