Permanent Representation of Denmark to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg
An internship in the Danish Foreign Service offers the opportunity to gain first-hand insight into Danish diplomacy and to apply your skills in an international environment. As an intern, you will become an integrated part of the daily work of the Permanent Representation and will be assigned a dedicated supervisor.
The internship takes place in Strasbourg, one of Europe’s key centres for democracy. Here, the Council of Europe’s 46 member states work together to strengthen human rights, democracy and the rule of law. The internship offers a unique opportunity to see how European values are negotiated and translated into practice.
The Permanent Representation of Denmark to the Council of Europe represents Danish interests in the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers and its subordinate working groups. The Council of Europe and its 46 member states work to promote and protect human rights, democracy and the rule of law across Europe.
In recent years, the Council of Europe’s work has increasingly focused on protecting democratic resilience and the rule of law at a time when both are under pressure. Ukraine remains high on the agenda. The Council of Europe plays a central role in efforts to ensure accountability for Russia’s aggression, including through work on a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression and the Register of Damage for Ukraine, an important step towards a broader international compensation mechanism.
The Council of Europe is also strengthening its work on migration. Following the informal ministerial meeting on 10 December 2025, work is under way on a political declaration on migration, human rights and member states’ obligations within the framework of the Convention. This process forms an important part of the Council of Europe’s current political priorities in the field of migration.
The Permanent Representation offers two internships each spring and autumn semester:
Both interns contribute to the Representation’s ongoing work on research, meeting preparation and reporting. You will gain close insight into negotiations in the Committee of Ministers and discussions on issues such as the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, current human rights developments, democracy and the rule of law, and the Council of Europe’s response to major political crises.
As a legal intern, you will work primarily on legal issues within the Council of Europe, including human rights standards, the rule of law agenda, and the Organisation’s instruments and procedures.
Tasks may include:
As a political and public diplomacy intern, your work will focus primarily on political analysis, communication and the visibility of Danish priorities within the Council of Europe.
Tasks may include:
As an intern, you will have the opportunity to work independently by agreement with your supervisor. The Council of Europe’s extensive meeting activity provides good opportunities to engage with areas of particular interest to you. You are therefore expected to be proactive in planning and coordinating your work with the Representation’s other staff members.
Tasks will be adapted to the needs of the Representation, and periods of increased workload may occur.
The internship lasts six months.
Spring semester: 1 February to 31 July
Application deadline: 10 September of the preceding year.
Autumn semester: 1 September to 31 January
Application deadline: 10 March of the same year.
You must be a student and remain enrolled at a higher education institution at bachelor’s or master’s level throughout the internship.
For the legal internship, a relevant legal educational background is expected.
For the political and public diplomacy internship, a relevant background is expected, for example in political science, international relations, communication, European studies or a related field.
If you are not a Danish citizen, you must have lived in Denmark for at least three years at the time of application, have permanent residence in Denmark, and be enrolled at a higher education institution in Denmark throughout the internship.
You must be able to obtain security clearance from the Danish authorities and maintain that clearance throughout the internship. References will be obtained as part of the security clearance process.
Please note that it is only possible to complete one internship in the Danish Foreign Service.
Please also consult the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ general guidelines for internships in the Danish Foreign Service.
We are looking for students with:
For the public diplomacy internship, experience with social media, communication, event planning or visual content is an advantage.
The average working week is 37 hours, including lunch breaks. Interns accrue 2.08 days of holiday per month, corresponding to 12.5 days during a six-month internship.
If your study programme requires a substantial academic assignment in connection with the internship, study leave may be granted by agreement, up to a maximum of 10 days, depending on the scope and complexity of the assignment.
You are responsible for finding your own accommodation and covering all related expenses. You must also, at your own expense, take out insurance covering repatriation in the event of illness or death, as well as liability outside working hours.
The internship is unpaid. However, compensation of DKK 4,000 per month is provided to cover documented expenses related to accommodation, transport, insurance or other costs connected with the internship.
Most interns will also be able to receive Danish student grants, SU, but you should clarify this directly with the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science.
To apply for an internship at the Permanent Representation of Denmark to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, you must complete and submit the electronic application form.
The link to the application form is available here: Apply!
The link is active from 10 February 2026 to 10 March 2026, and from 10 August to 10 September.
Applications for internships at the Permanent Representation of Denmark to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg can only be submitted via the link above.
If you also wish to apply for internships at other Danish missions, you must visit their individual websites and apply through their respective application links.
When applying, you must upload your CV, a motivated application letter and your diploma or transcript of grades. You may also upload other relevant documents.
Your motivated application should be no longer than one page and should explain why you are applying for the internship, what you hope to gain from it, and which relevant experience and skills you would bring to the specific position. At the top of your application letter, please indicate whether you are applying for the legal internship or the political/public diplomacy internship. You may also upload other relevant documents, such as a reference from an employer or educational institution, if you consider this relevant to your application.
For questions about internships at the Permanent Representation of Denmark to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, please contact us at [email protected].
