The WHO Internship Programme places students and recent graduates inside the World Health Organization to work on its technical and administrative programmes. It is not a scholarship in the usual sense. There is no tuition, no degree at the end, and the money side is limited. What you get is time inside the main global public health body, which for a medicine or public health student from Pakistan can mean far more on a CV than another short course. You can see the full scholarship details on our listing, and this guide walks through how the programme actually works and where applicants slip up.
Internships run at WHO headquarters in Geneva, at regional offices and at country offices around the world. That is why the programme is listed under Switzerland, but your placement could be elsewhere. The programme is highly competitive and only a small number of applicants are selected each year, so treat it as one strong option among several rather than a sure thing.
The programme in one table
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Provider | World Health Organization (WHO) |
| Type | Internship (not a degree programme) |
| Funding | Full / partial. Living allowance only for eligible interns who show financial need, plus medical and accident insurance |
| Levels | Undergraduate, graduate, postgraduate |
| Duration | Minimum six weeks, maximum 24 weeks, depending on the technical unit |
| Deadline | Varies. Vacancies are posted on a continuous basis, so confirm on the official site |
| Location | Geneva headquarters, regional offices and country offices |
| Official site | WHO internships page |
Is a WHO internship paid?
Partly, and only for some interns. Since January 2020, WHO has provided a living allowance to eligible selected interns who demonstrate a need for financial support. Your eligibility for that allowance is assessed through a mandatory Declaration of Interests form that you submit as a candidate. So the allowance is need-based. It is not automatic, and you should not assume you will receive it until WHO confirms.
Beyond the allowance, interns get medical and accident insurance coverage during the internship period. Some duty stations may also provide lunch vouchers, though that depends on where you are placed. The rest of the value is non-financial: professional experience in a global health organization and exposure to international health policy and technical programmes.
Here is the honest part. Geneva has a high cost of living, and finding accommodation there can be hard. Even with a living allowance, a Pakistani student should plan for real expenses out of pocket. If your family cannot support you for the length of the placement, think carefully before accepting a Geneva internship, and look at whether regional or country office placements suit your situation better.
Fields where interns are placed
WHO takes interns across public health, medicine, social sciences, management, administration, communications and external relations. That range matters. You do not need to be a doctor to apply. A management or communications student can find a unit that fits, and the programme explicitly emphasizes capacity building, meaning interns are expected to apply their academic background to real health problems.
Interns do not hold WHO staff status and are not representatives of the organization in any official capacity. Keep that in mind when you describe the role later on your CV or in visa paperwork: you were an intern, not an employee.
The eligibility rules, and the ones people misread
WHO lists a fairly tight set of conditions. You must:
- be at least 20 years old on the date of application
- be enrolled in a course of study at a university or equivalent institution
- have completed at least three years of full-time studies (Bachelor's level or equivalent) before starting the internship
- be fluent in at least one working language of the office of assignment
- hold a valid passport of a WHO Member State
- not be related to a WHO staff member
- not have taken part in the WHO Internship Programme before
Recent graduates can also apply, provided they apply within 18 months of completing their qualification. That is the rule students most often get wrong in both directions. Some fresh graduates assume they are out because they are no longer enrolled. Others wait two years after graduating and then find they have missed the window.
The three-year rule catches second-year students. If you are partway through your degree, count carefully: the requirement is three completed years of full-time study before the internship starts, not before you apply. Check how WHO reads that against your own dates.
On nationality, the rule is a valid passport of a WHO Member State. Confirm on the official site that your passport qualifies before you put time into an application. The language rule is per office, so a placement in a country office may expect a different working language than Geneva. Read each vacancy notice for this.
The once-only rule is worth thinking about strategically. Because you cannot do a second WHO internship, apply for a unit and timing that you actually want, rather than grabbing the first opening you see.
Paperwork WHO will ask for
The programme lists four documents:
- Proof of enrolment in a course of studies
- Proof of completion of your last qualification
- A completed WHO medical certificate of fitness for work form
- The Declaration of Interests form
Do not send any of these until WHO specifically asks you to. This is stated plainly in the programme guidance, and sending unrequested files just adds noise. What you should do is have them ready. For a Pakistani student, that means getting an enrolment letter or degree completion letter from your university in English well in advance, since registrar offices can be slow. Our documents checklist for international scholarships covers how to prepare these kinds of letters.
Applying through Stellis
All applications go through the WHO Careers site using the Stellis online recruitment system. The process looks like this:
- Watch the WHO Careers site for internship vacancy notices.
- Create an online profile in Stellis.
- Apply to a specific internship vacancy.
- Complete the mandatory Declaration of Interests form if you are asked to.
- Wait. Only successful candidates are contacted.
That last step is hard on applicants. If you hear nothing, you were not selected for that vacancy, and you will not get a rejection email. Keep applying to other relevant openings instead of waiting on one.
Your Stellis profile is effectively your application, so make it complete and accurate. A half-filled profile with gaps in education dates or vague descriptions of past work is easy to pass over. Turn on the job alert feature in Stellis so you are notified when new internships open.
When to apply
There is no single annual deadline. Opening dates vary and opportunities are posted on a continuous basis, so the deadline depends on each vacancy. Confirm the timing for any specific internship on the official portal. In practice, this means checking the internship page regularly rather than marking one date on your calendar.
Plan backwards from your study schedule. Internships last between six and 24 weeks depending on the technical unit, so look at whether a placement fits your semester breaks or the period just after graduation. If you are a recent graduate, remember the 18-month limit is running.
What separates strong applicants
Research the technical unit before applying. A generic application that could go to any department reads as exactly that. If you are applying to a unit on, say, communications or a particular health programme, show in your profile that your coursework or past projects connect to what that unit does.
Be realistic about competition. Only a small number of applicants are selected each year. A student with solid academic results, clear interest in global health and relevant project or volunteer work has a better chance than someone applying on the strength of grades alone.
Sort out your finances early. The living allowance depends on demonstrated need and is assessed through the Declaration of Interests form, and Geneva is expensive. If you are selected, you will also need to deal with travel and visa steps for wherever you are placed. Our guide to visa rejection reasons for Pakistani students is useful background on how financial evidence and paperwork get judged.
Who should skip this? If you need a fully funded programme with a guaranteed stipend to travel at all, this is a risky choice, because the allowance is need-based and not promised. If you are not yet three years into your degree, wait until you are. And if you have already done a WHO internship, you cannot apply again.
For other options in the same country, see all Switzerland scholarships.
Frequently asked questions
Are WHO internships paid?
Since January 2020, WHO has provided a living allowance to eligible selected interns who demonstrate financial need, assessed through the Declaration of Interests form. Interns also get medical and accident insurance during the internship. It is not a salary, and not every intern receives the allowance.
Can I apply if I have already graduated?
Yes, if you apply within 18 months of completing your qualification.
How long does a WHO internship last?
A minimum of six weeks and a maximum of 24 weeks, depending on the needs of the technical unit.
Do I have to be placed in Geneva?
No. Internships are available at headquarters in Geneva, at regional offices and at country offices worldwide. Each vacancy notice states its location.
Should I upload my documents with my application?
No. Do not send documents until WHO specifically asks for them. Keep your enrolment proof, qualification proof, medical certificate form and Declaration of Interests ready so you can respond quickly.
Is there a fixed deadline?
No. Opening dates vary and vacancies are posted on a continuous basis, so confirm the deadline for each internship on the official portal.
Before you apply, check current vacancies on the official WHO internships page and read the full scholarship page for the summary of requirements.