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. 

   

2. Language knowledge

For the translation traineeship in the Directorate-General for Translation, 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: 

• The main (target) language must be one of the official languages of the European Union, usually your mother tongue.
• The first source language must be either English, French or German - at C1 or C2 level, or as a mother tongue.
• The second source language must be another official EU language at B2 level at least (or mother tongue). 

Important clarifications

• Language Proficiency: Translators must translate into their target language, typically their mother tongue, from at least two other official EU languages. Given that most documents are to be translated from English (91,6%), French (2.6%), and German (0.8%), at least one of these source languages is required. The remaining EU languages account for 5% of the documents.
• Predominance of English: English is the principal drafting language at the Commission, explaining its high proportion among source documents.

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. 

   

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 representations (in member-states) or delegations (in third countries)
• 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. 

6. Professional experience

All professional experiences undertaken in your home country or abroad, can be declared, including student employment, voluntary work, civic service 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 professional experience acquired from the age of 16 onwards is eligible for declaration.