The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is inviting students and recent graduates to apply for its Internship Programme for Asia and the Pacific. This regional call, run through FAO’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, places interns in countries across Asia and the Pacific — not at the Rome headquarters and not under the Africa call. Assignments last three to eleven months.
This call works as an expression of interest, so you are not applying for one fixed job with one fixed start date. FAO collects applications and matches suitable candidates to assignments as offices need them. That is why the application asks about your field of study, and why only selected candidates are contacted.
What kind of work will you actually do?
FAO works on food security, agriculture, nutrition, fisheries, forestry, and rural development, and its interns support this work in practical ways. Your assignment will depend on your academic background and what the hiring office needs at the time. An agricultural economics student might help with data or policy research, while a nutrition student might support programme material.
The key details at a glance
| Detail | What the official pages state |
|---|---|
| Organisation | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) |
| Region | Asia and the Pacific |
| Programme | Internship Programme for Asia and the Pacific (regional call) |
| Duration | 3 to 11 months |
| Stipend | Up to US$700 per month in local currency (unsponsored interns) |
| Application deadline | 31 December 2026 |
| How to apply | Online through the FAO recruitment portal |
Who can apply — and who cannot
You can apply if you are a national of an FAO Member country and are enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree at a recognised institution, or are a recent graduate. Your field should be relevant to FAO’s mission, and you need working knowledge of at least one FAO official language: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, or Spanish. You must be aged 21 to 30 at the start of the internship.
Some rules close the door completely, so check them before you apply. You cannot apply if your mother, father, brother, or sister is employed by FAO under any type of contract. You must also already hold the right residence or immigration status in the country of assignment, because FAO does not arrange that status for you. Interns are preferably placed in their own country or country of residence.
You are a strong fit if:
- You are enrolled in, or recently finished, a degree related to FAO’s work.
- You have working knowledge of at least one FAO official language.
- You are comfortable in an international, multicultural team.
- You have good communication and basic computer skills.
What the stipend does and does not cover
Interns who are not sponsored by a university or another organisation receive a stipend in local currency, not exceeding US$700 per month. If you are sponsored, your sponsoring institution provides your stipend directly. The figure is a ceiling, so the actual amount can vary with the location.
Accommodation is your own responsibility, and you pay for it yourself, so the stipend will stretch further in some duty stations than in others. Medical coverage for service-incurred matters is provided, with FAO paying the full premium, but you must arrange and pay for your own medical insurance for non-service matters.
How to make your application stand out
FAO screens applications from the information in your online profile, so an incomplete profile is the easiest way to lose a chance. Fill in your employment record, academic qualifications, and language skills fully and accurately, and attach the documents the portal asks for. Your motivation letter should say clearly why you want to join the programme and which unit or area of work you want to work in. If your university or institution has an internship agreement with FAO, mention it. One honest, specific letter beats a long generic one.
How to apply
- Create or open your profile on the FAO recruitment portal and complete it fully.
- Find this regional call for Asia and the Pacific and submit your application online.
- Attach a motivation letter and proof of enrolment, or copies of your qualifications if you are a recent graduate.
- Check every field before submitting, because incomplete applications are not considered.
Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal are considered, so do not send your application by email. If you run into problems registering or logging in, FAO gives a help desk address on its programme pages, but that address does not accept applications. Do not leave the application to the last day. Use the application button below to reach the official vacancy page.
What happens after you apply
Only candidates selected for an interview are contacted directly by the hiring office, so silence does not come with feedback. FAO does not keep a roster of applicants, so your application does not carry forward automatically to the next call. If you are not selected, apply again when a new call is published.
While you wait, keep building evidence in your field, such as coursework, volunteer work, or short research tasks. If you are weighing more than one UN opportunity, compare this call with our earlier posts on the FAO internship call for Africa and the WHO paid internship programme.
Questions applicants usually ask
Q: Is this the same as the FAO internship call for Africa?
A: No. This is the Asia and the Pacific regional call, and placements are in Asia-Pacific locations. The Africa call is a separate vacancy with its own application page.
Q: Do I need to live in Asia or the Pacific to apply?
A: The official page does not say you must live in the region, but interns are preferably placed in their own country or country of residence.
Q: Is the stipend the same for everyone?
A: No. Unsponsored interns receive a stipend in local currency, not exceeding US$700 per month, while sponsored interns receive their stipend directly from their sponsoring institution.
