Most students who search for "scholarships" are looking for a degree. The UNHCR Internship Programme is something different. It is a short, paid placement with the UN Refugee Agency, lasting 2 to 6 months, for students and recent graduates who want real experience in refugee protection and humanitarian operations. It is listed as partial funding because there is no tuition involved and no degree at the end. What you get is a monthly stipend, return travel to the duty station and visa support, which is more than many UN internships give.
For a Pakistani student thinking about a career in humanitarian work, international law or development, this is one of the more realistic ways to get a UN agency on your CV. You can read the full scholarship details on our listing, and this guide covers how the programme actually works and where applicants tend to go wrong.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Provider | United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) |
| Funding | Partial: monthly stipend, return travel to the duty station, visa support |
| Level | Bachelor's students with 2+ years completed, Master's, PhD, and recent graduates |
| Length | 2 to 6 months, depending on the vacancy |
| Where | Geneva headquarters, Global Service Centres in Amman, Budapest and Copenhagen, and field country offices worldwide |
| Deadline | Rolling. Each vacancy has its own deadline on the UNHCR careers site |
| Official site | UNHCR internships page |
An internship, not a degree scholarship
It helps to be clear about this from the start. UNHCR does not fund study. It places interns inside its own offices to work on actual tasks, either at the policy and operations end or in field operations that protect and assist refugees, internally displaced people and stateless persons.
There is no single annual intake either. UNHCR posts individual vacancies on its careers portal throughout the year, and you apply to a specific vacancy that matches your background. So the question is less "did I get the UNHCR internship?" and more "did I get this particular posting in this particular office?" That changes how you should prepare, which we come back to below.
Who does this suit? Students in law, international relations, social sciences, public health, communications, IT and logistics will find these fields commonly represented among posted vacancies. People with IT, data and logistics skills sometimes assume UNHCR only wants lawyers and policy graduates. That is not the case, and those skills are in high demand.
Who should skip it? If you need a fully funded master's degree, this is not your route. And if you cannot commit to the full assignment length, or you are not comfortable with the idea of a field posting in a difficult setting, think carefully before applying for field vacancies.
Geneva, a service centre or the field: three very different jobs
Placements fall into three broad groups, and they are not interchangeable.
- Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, where work tends to be policy-level.
- Global Service Centres in Amman (Jordan), Budapest (Hungary) and Copenhagen (Denmark), which lean towards policy, data and operations support.
- Field country offices across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas, where you get frontline exposure to refugee operations.
Field placements need flexibility and resilience, and sometimes mean working in challenging humanitarian contexts. If you say in your application that you are open to the field, mean it. Adaptability is a selection factor, and selected field interns go through pre-departure briefings that include security training.
The Pakistan country office option
There is no Pakistan-specific quota. However, UNHCR runs an active country operation in Pakistan because of its role in the Afghan refugee response, and the Pakistan office occasionally posts internship vacancies alongside the global listings. For a student who wants refugee protection experience closer to home, these are worth watching for. They appear only occasionally, so do not plan your year around one appearing.
What the monthly stipend is meant to cover
The stipend is there to help with food, accommodation and local transport at the duty station. On top of that, UNHCR covers return travel costs to the duty station and provides visa support for the host country.
No fixed stipend amount is given in the programme summary, and you should not assume one. The offer letter for selected candidates sets out the stipend, the duration and the travel and visa arrangements, so read it carefully before you accept. The word "help" matters here. Treat the stipend as support towards living costs, not a guarantee that it covers everything in an expensive city.
The real value is that the programme is comparatively more accessible for students from countries where an unpaid placement abroad would be financially out of reach. That describes a lot of Pakistani families, and it is the main reason this programme deserves attention.
Eligibility, including the family rule people overlook
The listing describes the programme as global, and it specifically points to Pakistani applicants as a relevant group. Still, each vacancy notice sets its own requirements, so read the notice for the posting you want. The general conditions are:
- You are a recent graduate, or currently enrolled in a graduate or undergraduate programme at a UNESCO-recognized institution.
- You have completed at least two years of undergraduate study in a field relevant to UNHCR's work.
- No immediate relative of yours is employed by UNHCR as staff at the time you apply.
- You can commit to the full 2 to 6 month assignment.
- You are adaptable enough for field-based postings, which may involve difficult operating environments.
The family rule is easy to miss. If a parent or sibling works for UNHCR as staff, check this before you spend time on an application.
On language: no language test is required for most postings. Language skills relevant to the duty station can still strengthen your application, so if a posting is in a country where you speak the local language, say so.
Papers to have ready before a vacancy opens
Because application windows are typically 2-4 weeks, you do not want to be chasing documents after you find a good posting. Keep these ready:
- Your UNHCR careers portal online application
- An updated CV
- A motivation letter written for the specific vacancy
- Proof of enrollment, or your graduation certificate and transcript
- A valid passport copy
- Academic or professional references
Keep your passport valid and your travel documents current well in advance. Visa timelines can be tight once an offer arrives. Our documents checklist for international scholarships is a useful reference for getting transcripts and references in order.
From vacancy notice to offer letter
- Register on the UNHCR careers and internships portal.
- Browse live internship vacancy notices by duty station and function.
- Submit your application form, CV and motivation letter before that vacancy's deadline.
- If shortlisted, you are interviewed by the hiring unit, often virtually.
- Selected candidates receive an offer specifying stipend, duration, and travel and visa arrangements.
- Complete pre-departure briefings, including security training for field postings.
How the timing usually works
Vacancies are posted year-round. Each notice has its own application window, typically 2-4 weeks. Interviews usually happen 2-6 weeks after the deadline, and they are usually virtual. The start date is flexible and agreed with the hiring office. Since deadlines differ by vacancy, always confirm the exact closing date on the posting itself on the official portal.
Where applications fall short
The most common mistake is a generic motivation letter. UNHCR wants to know why refugee protection work specifically interests you, not why you would like to work for the UN in general. Name the posting, the office and the kind of work, and connect it to what you have studied or done.
The second mistake is checking the portal once and giving up. Postings for headquarters and popular field offices fill fast. Check regularly, and if you want a regional posting, look specifically for Pakistan country-office vacancies.
Third, prepare for questions on humanitarian principles and neutrality. UNHCR assesses these closely at interview. If you cannot explain what neutrality means in practice for an agency working with refugees, read up before your interview.
Finally, do not undersell technical skills. A Pakistani graduate in IT or logistics may have a better shot at certain vacancies than a social sciences graduate competing in a crowded field, because those skills are in high demand. Apply where your skills genuinely fit.
If you are comparing this with other international options, see all global scholarships in our hub.
Frequently asked questions
Does UNHCR pay its interns?
Yes. Interns receive a monthly stipend to help cover food, accommodation and local transport, along with return travel costs to the duty station and visa support. The exact terms are set out in the offer.
How long does a UNHCR internship last?
Between 2 and 6 months, depending on the vacancy. You need to be able to commit to the full length of the assignment you accept.
Can I apply while still doing my bachelor's?
Yes, if you have completed at least two years of undergraduate study in a field relevant to UNHCR's work and your institution is UNESCO-recognized. Master's and PhD students and recent graduates can also apply.
Do I need to take a language test?
No language test is required for most postings. Check the specific vacancy notice, since language skills relevant to the duty station can strengthen your application.
Is there a UNHCR internship in Pakistan?
Sometimes. The UNHCR Pakistan country office occasionally posts internship vacancies alongside the global listings. There is no Pakistan quota, so you compete on the same terms as everyone else.
Can I pick headquarters instead of a field office?
You choose which vacancies to apply for, whether at headquarters, a Global Service Centre or a field office. Selection depends on which postings are open and how well you fit them.
Live vacancies and current terms are on the official UNHCR internships page, and the UNHCR Internship Programme scholarship page has the summary details in one place.