Blue Book Traineeship
Hosted by European Commission
The Blue Book is the European Commission's flagship traineeship and the largest single graduate-entry programme in the EU institutions. Around 1,200 trainees per intake, twice a year, spread across the Commission's Directorates-General in Brussels and Luxembourg plus a smaller cohort posted to EU Delegations worldwide. The Blue Book is widely regarded as the most reliable audition for a Commission career. Alumni populate every level of the institution from AD5 entry to senior management.
Key facts
- Host
- European Commission
- Location
- Brussels, Luxembourg, EU Delegations worldwide
- Duration
- 5 months
- Stipend / salary
- ~€1,420/month tax-free
- Intakes
- Twice a year: March and October starts
- Application window
- January (for October start) and August (for March start)
- Places per intake
- Around 1,200
What the Blue Book is
A five-month paid traineeship at the European Commission, available in two streams: the 'Administrative' stream (the vast majority of places) covering policy, legal, economic, communication, IT and project-management work; and the 'Translation' stream for graduates with strong language skills who want to work in the Directorate-General for Translation. Trainees are integrated into a team, given real work from day one, and accountable for substantive outputs: drafting, analysis, project coordination, meeting representation. The Blue Book is not a shadowing programme.
Who can apply
EU citizens (plus a small allocation for nationals of candidate countries) with a completed university degree of at least three years. Knowledge of two EU official languages (one at C1, the second at B2) with English, French, or German typically being one of the two for placements in Brussels and Luxembourg. No prior professional experience is required; the Blue Book is explicitly designed for recent graduates. Applicants who have already completed a paid traineeship of more than six weeks in another EU institution or body are not eligible.
What the stipend is
Approximately €1,420 per month, tax-free, paid by the European Commission. Trainees also receive a travel allowance covering the journey from the place of recruitment to the duty station at the start and end of the traineeship, plus accident and health insurance for the duration. Trainees with a disability can request a supplementary grant of up to 50% of the basic stipend. There is no separate housing allowance. Brussels and Luxembourg housing markets are competitive but workable on the stipend, particularly in shared accommodation.
How the selection works
Applications open twice a year via the dedicated Blue Book portal. Candidates submit a structured online application including CV, motivation letter, degree details, language self-assessment, and preferences for up to three DGs or services. Eligible applications enter the 'Virtual Blue Book', a database accessible to recruiting Commission services, who then pre-select candidates based on profile match. Pre-selected candidates may be interviewed (by phone, video, or in person) before final selection. The full timeline from application close to offer letter is around three to four months.
Where trainees are placed
Most trainees are based in Brussels, with a smaller cohort in Luxembourg (Directorate-General for Translation, OP, some specialised services), and a limited number posted to EU Delegations abroad. Placement depends on the recruiting DG: DG CONNECT, DG CLIMA, DG GROW, DG TRADE, DG COMP, DG NEAR, DG INTPA, DG TAXUD, DG CNECT, DG SANTE and the policy DGs are the largest recruiters. Specialist services (Legal Service, Secretariat-General, JRC) and the cabinets of Commissioners also take trainees.
What happens after the traineeship
Trainees receive a Certificate of Completion and a written evaluation from their supervisor. Many alumni go on to apply for AD5 Administrator competitions via EPSO, for Temporary Agent posts at EU agencies, for Contract Agent roles via CAST Permanent, or for parallel-track careers at national administrations, international organisations, NGOs, law firms, and EU-policy consultancies. A non-trivial fraction stay in the EU system long-term. Successive cohorts of senior Commission officials began with the Blue Book.
Live Blue Book Traineeship vacancies
No live Blue Book Traineeship vacancies on file right now. European Commission publishes its next intake during its standard application window. See the Key facts above. Set up an email alert or subscribe to our RSS feed to get notified the moment a new vacancy is published.
Frequently asked questions
When can I apply for the Blue Book?
Applications open in January (for the October intake) and August (for the following March intake). Exact dates are published on the Blue Book portal and are typically open for around four to six weeks each cycle.
Is the Blue Book paid?
Yes, approximately €1,420 per month, tax-free, plus a travel allowance at the start and end of the placement and accident and health insurance for the duration. There is no separate housing allowance.
Can I apply if I am not an EU citizen?
Generally no. A small allocation of places is reserved for nationals of candidate countries (currently Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Ukraine). All other places require EU citizenship.
Do I need to speak French?
No. You need two EU official languages with the first at C1 and the second at B2. English alone is widely sufficient for Brussels and Luxembourg placements; French is helpful but not required. The Translation stream has its own language combination requirements.
What is the difference between the Blue Book and an EPSO competition?
The Blue Book is a five-month paid traineeship: temporary, with a stipend rather than a salary, no permanent post at the end. An EPSO competition recruits permanent civil servants (officials) of the EU through a months-long selection process. Many graduates do a Blue Book first and then apply for AD5 via EPSO afterwards.
How competitive is the Blue Book?
Around 1,200 places per intake against tens of thousands of applications. Typical acceptance rates are in the low single digits. Strong applications combine a relevant degree, demonstrable EU-policy or sector knowledge, language skills beyond the minimum, and a motivation letter that clearly maps your interests to specific DGs.
Other EU traineeship programmes
- European Parliament Schuman Traineeship (European Parliament)
- ECB Traineeship & Graduate Programme (European Central Bank)
- EIB Internships and Graduate Programme (European Investment Bank)
- Europol Traineeship (Europol)
- Council Traineeship (Schuman) (Council of the European Union)
- All EU traineeships: comparison table
- Traineeship contract category: full filtered job board
- EU jobs for graduates