Why work in the European Union?
Stability and career prospects
EU jobs offer clear, predictable contracts with long-term development opportunities. Whether you join as a permanent official or through a temporary contract, continuity and growth within the institution are highly valued.
Favourable working conditions
One of the main attractions of working for the EU is its working conditions. These are some of the advantages that make the difference:
- Competitive salaries: adjusted to the cost of living in the country of posting, with automatic increases based on seniority and grade.
- Work-life balance: flexible hours, the possibility of teleworking and generous holiday periods.
- Comprehensive social security: solid medical and pension coverage, even if you work abroad.
- Family and integration allowances: financial support for children, schooling and relocation.
- Multicultural environment: working with people from every EU country fosters professional and personal growth.
- Sense of purpose: beyond the working conditions, many people value contributing to the European project and its policies.
Types of employment in the European Union
The EU institutions offer different ways of working depending on the type of contract, its duration and the tasks involved. Here are the main categories:
- Administrators (AD): responsible for policy-making, analysis, programme management and similar tasks. Grades range from AD 5 (entry level for university graduates) to AD 16 (senior management posts).
- Main duties: Policy, programme management, analysis, legislation, external relations
- Entry grades: AD 5
- Typical requirements: University degree
- Career progression: Up to AD 16 (management)
- Assistants (AST): perform technical and administrative support functions. Grades range from AST 1 to AST 11. Entry is usually at AST 1 or AST 3, depending on the candidate’s experience and training.
- Main duties: Technical and administrative support, document preparation, internal management
- Entry grades: AST 1 or AST 3
- Typical requirements: Secondary education diploma + experience or technical training
- Career progression: Up to AST 11
- Secretaries/Clerks (AST/SC): provide administrative and office support, such as document management, meeting organisation and database maintenance. Grades range from AST/SC 1 to AST/SC 6. Entry is usually at AST/SC 1 or AST/SC 2.
- Main duties: Administrative office tasks, filing, diary management, logistical support
- Entry grades: AST/SC 1 or AST/SC 2
- Typical requirements: Secondary education diploma + administrative experience
- Career progression: Up to AST/SC 6
They work under fixed-term contracts but can chain several contracts together or even move to open-ended contracts.
This type of staff performs tasks similar to those of officials, depending on the grade (function group).
- Access is through a database managed by EPSO (Permanent CAST).
- There is no need to pass a traditional competition, but you must pass tests and be selected by an institution.
- Very common in decentralised agencies and delegations.
More specialised occupations or posts of a specific duration. They are hired directly by the institutions for specific needs (for example: climate experts, lawyer-linguists, data technicians).
- Contracts usually run from 2 to 6 years, with the possibility of extension.
- They normally require prior experience or specific qualifications.
Officials from the Member States who are temporarily posted to work in a European institution while keeping their link with their national administration.
- They require solid prior experience.
- They are regarded as their country’s “technical ambassadors” within the institutions.
- Highly valued as high-level professional experience.
Aimed at recent graduates or people in the early stages of their career. They offer a first work experience within the EU environment.
- Paid traineeship programmes (such as the European Commission’s Blue Book Traineeship).
- Usual duration: 5 to 6 months.
- Languages, motivation and a university qualification are taken into account.
Type of employment | Access | Contract duration | Stability | Pay | EPSO tests required? |
Permanent official | EPSO competition (formal notice of competition and tests) | Permanent (after a probationary period) | High | High (according to the AD/AST scales) | Yes |
Contract staff (CAST) | Registration in the database + selection by the institution | Variable (renewable, sometimes open-ended) | Medium | Good (depending on grade and duties) | No (except for the internal CAST tests) |
Temporary staff | Direct selection by the institution or agency | Usually 2 to 6 years | Medium or low | Good (for technical or specialised profiles) | No |
Traineeships | Direct application to the relevant programme | 5 to 6 months (occasionally extendable) | Temporary, training-focused | Fixed monthly allowance (varies by institution) | No (academic criteria and motivation are assessed) |
General requirements for working in the European Union
To work in the European institutions there is a set of requirements common to most procedures, whether we are talking about open competitions, temporary contracts or traineeships. These criteria may vary slightly depending on the profile or the call, but in general they are as follows:
1. Nationality
You must be a citizen of one of the Member States of the European Union.
2. Languages
Most procedures require knowledge of at least two official EU languages:
- A main language (mother tongue or language of education).
- A second language (minimum level B2), usually English or French.
3. Academic qualifications
Depending on the type of post:
- For administrator posts (AD): a completed university degree is required (bachelor’s degree as a minimum).
- For assistant posts (AST): a secondary education diploma plus specific training or relevant professional experience is usually required.
- For secretarial posts (AST/SC): a secondary education diploma plus administrative experience.
4. Capacity to perform the duties
You must have no criminal record and must not be barred from holding public office.
What the selection process looks like
EPSO has introduced a new, faster, competency-based selection model, removing the oral tests and the Assessment Centre. The testing schedule depends on the competition. In AD5 2026, testing has two parts: reasoning tests first, followed by EU knowledge, digital skills and EUFTE for candidates who pass the first part.
1. Publication of the notice of competition
The notice of competition is published on the official EPSO portal.
It includes details of the profile sought, the requirements, the tests and the deadlines.
2. Application
- Creating an account on the EPSO portal.
- Completing the online application form.
- Indicating your working languages and attaching the required documents.
3. Selection tests
- Reasoning tests: verbal, numerical and abstract (assessed as pass/fail).
- EU knowledge test: for generalist competitions.
- Digital skills test: where applicable.
- Written test: assessment of written communication skills.
4. Eligibility check
Verification of the requirements before inclusion on the reserve list (citizenship, required qualifications…).
5. Reserve list
Candidates who pass all the stages are placed on a reserve list used by the EU institutions to fill vacancies.
This new model aims to complete competitions within up to 6 months, following the testing schedule set out for each competition.
Where to find job openings in the European Union?
There are several ways to find job opportunities in the European institutions, depending on the type of contract or institution.
EPSO – European Personnel Selection Office
It is the official portal for open competitions and centralised selection procedures. This is where notices for officials (AD, AST, AST/SC), Permanent CAST and other specific competitions are published.
Job pages of each institution or agency
Some European institutions and agencies publish their vacancies for contract agents, temporary staff or specialised posts directly. Examples:
- European Commission
- European Parliament
- Council of the EU
- Decentralised agencies such as EMA (medicines), FRONTEX (borders), EASA (aviation), etc.
You can find them at https://europa.eu/european-union/about-eu/agencies
Additional platforms
Besides EPSO, there are other portals that publish EU-related jobs, especially for experts, traineeships or consultancy roles:
- Jobs in Brussels – jobs in EU-related institutions and NGOs.
- EURAXESS – opportunities for researchers and scientists.
- LinkedIn – many European agencies and institutions advertise vacancies here.
- Euractiv Jobs – specialised in European employment, particularly in Brussels.
Subscribing to alerts
EPSO and many institutions let you subscribe to email alerts so you never miss a new competition.
Tip: create an EPSO account even if you are not applying yet, so you can follow the news and receive alerts for competitions that match your profile.
