FAO Internship Programme 2026–2027

Paid internship opportunities with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

The FAO Internship Programme gives university students and recent graduates the opportunity to gain practical experience in areas connected to food, agriculture, nutrition, climate, natural resources, development and other areas of FAO's work.

The current open call is for internship opportunities with FAO's Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP).

Internship assignments can last between 3 and 11 months and are based on the needs of the hiring office and the applicant's academic profile.

📅 Current application deadline

1 January 2027

The current call was published on 21 September 2026.

💰 What you receive

Selected interns may receive:

• Monthly stipend of up to US$700, paid in local currency

• Practical professional experience within FAO

• Supervision and an assignment related to FAO's work

• Exposure to international and multicultural working environments

• Experience contributing to FAO's work and the UN Sustainable Development Goals

The stipend is provided when the intern is not sponsored by a university or another organization.

Important: FAO does not provide accommodation. Interns are responsible for arranging and paying for their own accommodation and non-service medical insurance. The actual cost of living therefore depends on the location of the assignment.

🌍 Where can you be assigned?

This is a physical internship rather than a general remote-work programme.

FAO states that interns are preferably assigned to FAO offices or project locations in their own country or country of residence, unless they already reside in the duty station.

If selected for an assignment in another country, you must already have the appropriate residence or immigration status before joining FAO.

This means you should not assume that applying to the programme automatically provides international relocation or a visa.

👤 Who can apply?

You generally need to:

• Be a national of an FAO Member country

• Be 21–30 years old at the start of the internship

• Be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree programme at the time of application, or be a recent graduate

• Have studied a field relevant to FAO's work

• Have working knowledge of at least one FAO official language:
  Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian or Spanish

• Be able to work in an international, multicultural environment

• Have good communication skills

• Have appropriate residence or immigration status in the proposed country of assignment

Your university must be a recognized/accredited institution. FAO refers to the World Higher Education Database (WHED) when assessing recognized higher-education qualifications.

🌱 What kinds of work are available?

The internship is not restricted to one academic discipline.

Your specific assignment depends on your academic background and the needs of the FAO office recruiting interns.

Possible areas can relate to FAO's wider work, including:

• Agriculture and food systems

• Food security

• Nutrition

• Climate change

• Environment and natural resources

• Rural development

• Economics and policy

• Communications

• Data and information

• Partnerships

• Other areas connected to FAO's mandate

The exact responsibilities are set out in the Terms of Reference prepared by the hiring office.

Internship tasks are designed at an entry level and are connected to FAO's Strategic Objectives and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

📝 How to apply

Applications are submitted through the official FAO recruitment system.

Step 1 — Create your FAO candidate profile

Create or access your profile on the FAO Jobs portal.

Make sure your profile accurately includes:

• Education

• Employment or relevant experience

• Language skills

• Other requested information

Step 2 — Prepare your documents

You should attach:

• A letter of motivation

• Evidence of attendance at a recognized university, or your relevant academic qualification

Your motivation letter should explain why you want to participate in the internship and identify the area or unit of work in which you would like to undertake your assignment.

Step 3 — Apply to the current Call for Expression of Interest

Once your profile and documents are complete, submit your application to the current internship call.

Only applications submitted through the official FAO recruitment portal will be considered.

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Step 4 — Selection

FAO reviews applications and contacts qualified candidates directly if they are selected for an interview.

Only candidates selected for an interview are contacted.

If you are not selected before the call closes and you still want to be considered for future FAO internships, you must apply again when a new Call for Expression of Interest is published.

💡 Before you apply

Check these points carefully:

Age: You must be 21–30 when the internship begins.

Field of study: Your academic field must be relevant to FAO's work.

Language: You need working knowledge of at least one FAO official language.

Location: FAO preferably assigns interns in their own country or country of residence, but the exact location depends on the hiring office and available assignments.

Immigration status: If the assignment is in another country, you must already have the appropriate residence or immigration status.

Accommodation: FAO does not provide accommodation. Consider the local cost of living before accepting an assignment.

Family employment: People with a parent, sibling or child employed by FAO under any contractual arrangement are not eligible for the Internship Programme.

Previous FAO internship: Candidates who have already completed an FAO internship are not eligible for another internship.

💳 Application fee

There is no application fee.

FAO states that it does not charge candidates at any stage of the recruitment process, including application, interview or processing.

🚀 Apply directly

Current FAO Internship Programme — Asia and the Pacific

Apply through the official FAO recruitment portal

Deadline: 1 January 2027

🔎 Learn more

FAO Internship Programme — official information

FAO Internship Programme — official FAQ

FAO Jobs — official recruitment portal

About the opportunity

FAO's Internship Programme is a recurring pathway rather than a single annual scholarship. Current and future Calls for Expression of Interest may differ by region, office and available assignments.

Always check the current FAO call before applying.

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