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.
1 January 2027
The current call was published on 21 September 2026.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Current FAO Internship Programme — Asia and the Pacific
Apply through the official FAO recruitment portal
Deadline: 1 January 2027
FAO Internship Programme — official information
FAO Internship Programme — official FAQ
FAO Jobs — official recruitment portal
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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