Student internships: frequently asked questions

Where can I find the student internship opportunities?
Once published, you can browse the opportunities directly on our recruitment website by clicking here. Please note that EAC internships can be found under the establishment ESOC when filtering.

Who can apply?
To apply for an internship, you must be a student, preferably in your final or second-to-last year of university course at Master's level and you must be a citizen of one of the following ESA Member States: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Nationals from Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia, as Associate Members, or Canada as a Cooperating State, can apply as well as those from Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Malta as European Cooperating States.

How do I apply?
Once the opportunities are published, you can browse them here and apply by creating your own candidate profile. Once your application is sent, you will be able to track its status. Don’t forget to set up a job alert to get notified about future vacancies that fit your profile.

Will ESA sign an individual agreement or contract with my university?
As ESA is an intergovernmental organisation and as such not subject to national employment or social security regulations, we can unfortunately not sign individual agreements with your university. You will receive a detailed offer letter summarising all applicable conditions (e.g. location, duration, working times), which you can share with your university. The only exception to this are standardised learning agreements in the Erasmus+ format, which can be signed by the ESA supervisor of the internship. We recommend that you discuss this point with your university before applying.

How long is the selection process?
Opportunities will be published in November and will be open for a month. Shortlisting and selection of candidates will take place from December to January. The starting date for successful candidates can be any time from February to October of the same year and is agreed upon between ESA and your tutor, taking into account your preferences as expressed in your application form. 

Can I do an ESA internship remotely?
ESA internships take place on site. The details of how an internship will take place will be detailed in the job description or discussed during the exchanges you will have with your tutor and HR.

I live in a country that is not an ESA Member State or Cooperating State. Can I still apply?
As long as you are a citizen of an ESA Member State, Associate Member State or Cooperating State (listed above) and are a student in your final or second-to-last year of a university course at Master’s level, you are eligible to apply for the ESA internship programme. 

I live in one of the ESA Member States or Cooperating States but I am not a citizen of one of these countries. Can I apply to the internships programme?
Unfortunately, this is not possible. To be eligible for an ESA internship, you must be a citizen of one of the countries listed above. 

If I am selected for an internship at ESA, what are the terms and conditions?
Please check our Student Internships page for full details of the terms and conditions.

Are the application requirements the same as for the Young Graduate Trainee Programme, Junior Professional Programme and Research Fellow Programme?
Each of our entry-level programmes is organised independently. Check our careers pages to learn more and for news on these programmes.

Can I do my Master’s thesis at ESA?
Once you are selected for an internship at ESA, and if agreed with your tutor, you can write your Master's thesis while at ESA.

I have a question that is not answered here. How do I contact ESA Human Resources Department?
Please contact us at contact.human.resources@esa.int.

I would like to do an eight-month long internship, is this possible?
Internships are between three and six months long and can only - and exceptionally - be extended to nine months if this is a mandatory requirement from your university.

Can I do more than one internship?
No. Only one internship can be undertaken at ESA, so as to ensure as many students as possible will have the unique opportunity to get some valuable, hands-on experience at the agency.

Can I apply to the YGT Programme while I am an intern at ESA?
Yes, on the condition that you are about to graduate at Master’s level. YGT candidates must be in their final year or have just obtained their Master’s level degree.