Traineeships in Brussels

On 9 November 2026, 16 traineeships were open on our board. See open traineeships

Which traineeships can you do in Brussels?

There are two kinds. The EU institutions run large, paid programmes with fixed application windows twice a year. Around them, NGOs, think tanks, associations, political groups and MEP offices take trainees all year and advertise each place as a vacancy.

The institutional programmes last about five months and recruit months ahead. The largest are the European Commission’s Blue Book and the European Parliament’s Schuman traineeships; the Council, the advisory committees, the Ombudsman, NATO and the political groups run their own.

The application windows of every programme, with reminders, are in the internship calendar.

How do the Blue Book and Schuman traineeships work?

Both are five-month paid traineeships with two intakes a year. You apply online in a fixed window, months before the start, and need a university degree and good knowledge of two languages.

Blue Book (European Commission)

About 1,000 trainees start in each session, in March and October, mostly in Brussels. Applications for the October 2027 session run from 15 February to 12 March 2027; the window for the March 2027 session ran from 22 July to 4 September 2026. Trainees receive a monthly grant that depends on where they work; the call for the October 2026 session gave €1,538 a month. There are tracks for university graduates, for graduates of vocational training and for translators.

Schuman (European Parliament)

Schuman trainees work in Brussels, Luxembourg or Strasbourg. You apply 1 to 31 October (start in March) and 1 to 31 May (start in October). In 2026 the grant in Belgium is €1,889 a month, plus a flat €300 travel allowance.

MEP offices

Individual MEPs take trainees at any time of year, for six weeks to five months, at €1,133 to €1,856 a month. They are advertised like jobs; see the European Parliament guide.

The Blue Book FAQ tells trainees to expect €700 to €1,000 a month for accommodation, so a grant covers living costs but leaves little over.

Sources: Blue Book, programme essentials, Blue Book traineeships, Blue Book, calendar, EU Neighbours East, Blue Book October 2026 call, European Parliament, grants and allowances 2026, European Parliament, traineeships, European Parliament, rules concerning Members' trainees, Article 10, Blue Book FAQ (checked October 2026)

What do traineeships in Brussels pay?

Among the traineeships on our board that state a stipend, the median is €1,200 a month. The middle half pay between €1,095 and €1,500.

In the last twelve months, 342 of the vacancies on our board were traineeships. 63 % of them state the amount. 7 % pay less than €1,000 a month and 26 % pay €1,500 or more. The EU programmes above sit at the top of that range.

NGOs, which post the most traineeships, pay a median €1,200. For other employer types we have fewer than 30 traineeships with an amount, too few for a reliable median.

A traineeship that states no amount is not necessarily unpaid, but ask before you apply. Our internships page shows the stipend of each open traineeship where the employer gives one.

When are traineeships posted?

Traineeship vacancies peak in June, for autumn starts, and in January. August is the quietest month. Deadlines are short: the median traineeship closes 14 days after it appears.

Because deadlines are so short, it pays to get new traineeships by email: our job alerts send them every weekday.

Who takes the most trainees?

The organisations with the most traineeship vacancies on our board in the last twelve months:

Counts only. Paid placement never affects this list.

75 % of traineeships ask for English only, more than jobs do (70 %). French is asked in 11 %.

Which traineeships are open now?

On 9 November 2026, 16 traineeships were open on our board. Most close within two or three weeks, so the calendar below matters.

Frequently asked questions