EU jobs for people who are not EU citizens
Most EU posts require EU citizenship, but not all of them: local posts in EU Delegations, some traineeships and some mission posts are open to others.
The general rule
To become an official, a temporary agent or a contract agent in the EU institutions and agencies, you must be a citizen of an EU Member State. This rule is set in every EPSO selection procedure.
Where you can apply
- Local agent posts in EU Delegations: Delegations in more than 140 countries hire local staff, and the notices usually ask for citizenship or legal residence in the host country.
- Traineeships in EU Delegations: some are open to citizens of the host country.
- The Blue Book traineeship: citizens of EU candidate countries can apply for a limited number of places.
- Missions and projects: EU civilian missions and EU-funded projects sometimes hire local staff in the country where they work.
How to apply to a Delegation
Each Delegation publishes its own notices with a deadline. Applications are often sent by email, with a cover letter and a CV in the Europass format, and must mention the reference of the post. Read the notice carefully: it says who can apply, which documents to send and the time zone of the deadline.
On Kandidatu, choose «Not from an EU country» in the filter to see only the posts open to people who are not EU citizens.
Open now
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EU Delegation to Qatar · Doha, QatarLocal agent (EU delegation) Group I C1 in English and Arabic (written and spoken); other languages are an assetOpen to citizens of the host country Closes tomorrow
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EU Delegation to the African Union · Addis Ababa, EthiopiaLocal agent (EU delegation) Group 3 English at C2 level and fluency in AmharicOpen to citizens of the host country Closes in 3 days
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EU Delegation to Syria · Damascus, SyriaLocal agent (EU delegation) Local Agent Group III Good command of English or French, CEFR B1 minimum.Open to citizens of the host country Closes in 3 days
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EU Delegation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia · Saudi ArabiaLocal agent (EU delegation) Local Agent Group I Excellent knowledge of Arabic and EnglishOpen to citizens of the host country Closes in 3 days
Official sources
- EPSO – General and specific eligibility requirements
- EEAS – Vacancies
- Blue Book – Eligibility criteria
Checked on 27 October 2026. Rules and figures change: the official pages and each notice always prevail. Content from europa.eu reused under CC BY 4.0 and rewritten by Kandidatu.
Other guides
- Working for the European Union: where to startWho hires, the main ways in, who can apply and which path fits you, explained in plain words.
- EU contract types explainedOfficials, temporary agents, contract agents, national experts, local agents and trainees: what each contract means, how long it lasts and how you get it.
- EPSO competitions step by stepHow an open competition for permanent EU officials works, from the notice to the job offer, and what the reserve list really means.
- Contract staff: EPSO's always-open databaseThe easiest way into the EU institutions for many people: register any time, get shortlisted, pass the reasoning tests and the interview.
- EU salaries and benefitsBasic salaries by grade, deductions, the EU tax and the main allowances, with the figures published by EU Careers.
- EU traineeshipsThe Commission's Blue Book, the traineeships of the other institutions and agencies, and those in EU Delegations: who can apply, when, and what they pay.