An INTERPOL internship is a six- to 11-month placement with the International Criminal Police Organization, mostly at its General Secretariat in Lyon, France. Interns work in policing teams on crime and security matters or in support areas such as legal affairs, communications, IT, strategic planning and human resources. It is open to nationals of INTERPOL’s 196 member countries who are studying at a post-secondary institution or graduated within the past year.
INTERPOL pays interns a modest allowance and leaves most costs to them. Since 1 January 2025 the official rates are EUR 700 a month (prorated to days worked), a EUR 30 monthly transport subsidy and, for eligible interns only, a EUR 170 monthly housing subsidy. You pay your own travel, visa, accommodation, insurance and living costs. There is no single INTERPOL internship deadline: each vacancy on the Recruitment Hub has its own closing date, set a few months before the start.
INTERPOL internship at a glance
| Item | Official position |
|---|---|
| Host | INTERPOL General Secretariat; some posts at other duty stations named in the vacancy |
| Length | 6 to 11 months, set in each vacancy notice |
| Nationality | Citizens of INTERPOL member countries (196) |
| Education | Enrolled at, or graduated within the last year from, an accredited post-secondary institution |
| Age | Legal age of majority in your country of nationality |
| Language | Fluent English; Arabic, French or Spanish is often an asset |
| Allowance | EUR 700 a month, prorated by days worked |
| Subsidies | EUR 30 a month transport; EUR 170 a month housing for eligible interns |
| Health insurance | Required for the whole internship; you can ask to join INTERPOL’s cover at no extra cost |
| Background check | Confidentiality vetting, and criminal record certificates if selected |
| How to apply | Only through the INTERPOL Recruitment Hub |
| Deadline | Set per vacancy; check each notice |
Is the INTERPOL internship paid? What you get and what you pay
Some listing sites call this a “fully funded internship in France”. The official page does not support that. INTERPOL pays a small monthly allowance, and its own text says the intern covers recruitment, travel, insurance, accommodation and living expenses.
| Cost | Who pays | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly allowance | INTERPOL | EUR 700, prorated to days worked (rate in force since 1 January 2025) |
| Local transport | INTERPOL (partly) | EUR 30 a month subsidy |
| Housing | Mostly you | EUR 170 a month subsidy, only for interns who meet the conditions |
| Flights to and from France | You | Not reimbursed |
| Visa | You | INTERPOL provides supporting documents; you apply and pay |
| Health insurance | You, or INTERPOL scheme | Must cover illness and death; INTERPOL’s cover can be requested at no extra cost |
| Rent deposit, food, phone | You | Plan for these from savings or other support |
In short, this is a low-paid internship with an allowance. The maximum you would receive is EUR 900 a month if you qualify for the housing subsidy. I would only accept if you have savings, a scholarship from your university or government, or family support for the period, because the allowance on its own is unlikely to cover a room and living costs in Lyon.
What INTERPOL interns do
Each vacancy lists its own tasks. As an example, a recent Legal Support to Programmes internship in Lyon (six months, closing 30 September 2026 for a 4 January 2027 start) involved:
- Legal research and drafting on data protection, information security and partnerships with outside bodies.
- Drafting governance documents such as risk assessment guides, FAQs and standard operating procedures.
- Helping staff draft and negotiate cooperation agreements.
- Other tasks given by the supervisor.
Other vacancies cover crime analysis, cybercrime, counter-terrorism support, communications, IT security operations, HR and strategic partnerships. You work on unpublished information, so you sign confidentiality rules and cannot publish anything based on it, even after you leave.
Who can apply for an INTERPOL internship
- Nationality: you are a citizen of one of INTERPOL’s 196 member countries.
- Study status: you are enrolled at an accredited post-secondary institution, or you graduated within one year of the date you apply.
- Age: you are past the age of majority in your country of nationality.
- English: you are fluent. Many vacancies also want working knowledge of Microsoft Office.
- Vacancy rules: you meet the specific requirements in the notice, such as a law, IT or criminology background.
- Vetting: you agree to a confidentiality vetting inquiry before your selection is confirmed.
If you are selected, you must also give a certificate of non-criminal records from your country of nationality and from every country where you lived for more than 12 months in the past five years. Start requesting these early; in some countries they take weeks.
Check your graduation date
The one-year rule counts from the day you submit your application. If you graduated 13 months ago, you are not eligible, even if the internship would have suited you.
How to apply for an INTERPOL internship
- Read the official internship page: confirm the general rules and the current allowance.
- Open the Recruitment Hub: it is linked from INTERPOL’s careers pages. Filter for internships.
- Pick one or more vacancies: read each notice for duties, location, length, start date and closing date.
- Prepare documents: CV, academic certificates or proof of enrolment, passport or ID, and a cover letter written for that vacancy.
- Apply online: INTERPOL does not consider applications sent by email or post.
- Tests or interview: shortlisted candidates may be tested or interviewed.
- Vetting and paperwork: selected candidates go through confidentiality vetting, provide criminal record certificates and complete administrative steps before arrival.
Because each vacancy has its own deadline, check the Recruitment Hub every couple of weeks. In the legal vacancy above, applications closed about three months before the start date, which leaves time for vetting and visas.
From application to first day
Using the Legal Support to Programmes vacancy as a guide, this is roughly how the stages line up. Your vacancy may differ, so go by its own dates.
| Stage | Example timing | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Vacancy open | Until 30 September 2026 | Submit CV, documents and cover letter on the Recruitment Hub |
| Shortlisting and interview | After the closing date | Sit any test or video interview |
| Vetting and offer | Before confirmation | Consent to vetting; send criminal record certificates |
| Visa and housing | Weeks before arrival | Apply for the visa with INTERPOL’s documents; find a room; arrange insurance |
| Start | 4 January 2027 | Begin a six-month internship in Lyon |
Document checklist
| Document | When it is needed |
|---|---|
| CV | At application |
| Cover letter for the specific vacancy | At application |
| Diplomas, degree certificates or proof of enrolment | At application or when requested |
| Passport or national ID showing a member-country nationality | At application or when requested |
| Certificate of non-criminal records (nationality country and any country lived in over 12 months in the last 5 years) | If selected |
| Proof of health insurance, or request to join INTERPOL’s cover | Before you start |
| Visa, if your nationality needs one for France | Before you travel |
CV and cover letter for an INTERPOL internship
What the cover letter must contain
INTERPOL tells applicants exactly what to put in the cover letter: your motivation, your interest in and suitability for that internship, and what you expect from it. Write a new letter for every vacancy. A sample opening line for a legal internship:
“My master’s dissertation compared how three police data-sharing agreements handle personal data, and I would like to apply that research in the Legal Support to Programmes team.”
Follow it with one paragraph that matches your skills to the listed duties, one that names any language you have from Arabic, French or Spanish, and one short paragraph on what you hope to learn. Keep it to one page.
CV tips
- Put education first with dates, so the one-year graduation rule is easy to check.
- List projects, moot courts, research or volunteering that link to policing, law, security or the vacancy’s field.
- State language levels clearly, using CEFR levels if you have them.
- Leave out anything confidential from earlier jobs. You are applying to an organisation that vets for discretion.
Selection process and interview tips
After the closing date, the hiring team shortlists candidates and may use a written test, a video interview or both. Selection is only confirmed after vetting. In interviews, expect questions on:
- Why INTERPOL, and what you know about how it supports police in member countries.
- A piece of your work that matches the duties, such as a legal memo or an analysis project.
- How you handle sensitive information and tight deadlines.
- How you work with colleagues from many countries.
Read the vacancy’s learning objectives before the interview and connect your answers to them. Be ready to say how you will fund your stay, since the allowance is small and the panel may ask whether you have planned for it.
Common mistakes
- Believing the “fully funded” label and arriving without savings.
- Applying more than a year after graduating.
- Sending applications by email to INTERPOL staff.
- Using one generic cover letter for every vacancy.
- Leaving criminal record certificates until after selection, which can delay your start.
- Forgetting to arrange health insurance or to ask for INTERPOL’s cover.
INTERPOL internship compared with similar programmes
| Internship | Where | Who can apply | What is paid | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| INTERPOL internship | Lyon, France (mostly) | Nationals of 196 member countries; students or graduates of the past year | EUR 700 a month plus EUR 30 transport and EUR 170 housing (eligible interns) | 6 to 11 months |
| EC Blue Book traineeship | Brussels or Luxembourg | EU and candidate-country nationals with a degree | About €1,572 a month plus allowances | 5 months |
| METI Japan Internship Program | Japan | DAC-list nationals aged 18 to 39 | Flight, housing, JPY 3,000 a day in person | Up to 30 business days in Japan |
| Millennium Fellowship | Your own campus | Undergraduates aged 18 or over, almost any country | Free; no stipend | One semester |
Compared with the Blue Book traineeship, INTERPOL pays far less but is open to many more nationalities. If you are still an undergraduate and want international experience without moving abroad, the Millennium Fellowship is free and runs on your campus.
Who should apply, and who should not
Apply if
- You study law, criminology, international relations, IT security, data science or communications and want to work in international policing or security.
- You can fund six months or more in France with savings or outside support.
- You are comfortable with vetting and strict confidentiality.
Skip it if
- You need a salary that covers rent and living costs.
- You graduated more than a year ago.
- You can only commit to a summer internship of two or three months.
FAQ on the INTERPOL internship
How much does INTERPOL pay interns?
Since 1 January 2025, EUR 700 a month prorated to days worked, plus a EUR 30 monthly transport subsidy. Eligible interns also get a EUR 170 monthly housing subsidy. Travel, visa, accommodation and living costs are your own.
When is the INTERPOL internship deadline?
Each vacancy has its own deadline on the Recruitment Hub, set a few months before the start date. There is no single annual deadline.
Can I apply for an INTERPOL internship after graduation?
Yes, if you graduated within one year of the date you apply. After that, you are no longer eligible.
Do I need French for an INTERPOL internship?
No. Fluent English is required. French, Arabic or Spanish is an asset in many vacancies.
Sources and updates
Checked on 25 October 2026 against INTERPOL’s official internships page (eligibility, allowance and subsidy rates as of 1 January 2025, costs, insurance, vetting) and a recent INTERPOL internship vacancy notice, Legal Support to Programmes in Lyon, mirrored on Impactpool. INTERPOL updates allowance rates from time to time; the vacancy you apply for gives the current figure. This post will be updated if the rates change.
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