Job opportunities

• What sort of job opportunities does MFA offer?
• How does one enter the foreign service?
• How is it possible to apply for an administrative position at the foreign ministry?
• How is it possible to get a job at an Italian mission abroad?
• Work and study opportunities in the European Union
• How is it possible to get a job with an international organisation?
• Working with the Italian Development Cooperation

What sort of job opportunities does MFA offer?
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs offers various job opportunities, within the foreign service as well as at the administrative level. It is also possible to be hired on a limited contract by one of our foreign missions or cultural institutes.

How does one enter the foreign service?
Joining the foreign service is only possible through a competitive public examination announced each year by law and publicised on this web site  which also includes all the necessary requirements.

For more information, please contact the Recruitment and Public Competitions office directly at the following address:

Direzione Generale per le Risorse e l’Innovazione Ufficio V - Concorsi
E-mail: concorsi@esteri.it
Tel: 06.36918564 - 06.36917369 - 06.36913540
Fax: 06.3691.6007

How is it possible to apply for an administrative position at the foreign ministry?
Administrative positions are accessible mainly by means of public competitive examinations.

There are three administrative areas (first, second and third), each of which includes various salary phases (3 for the first, 6 for the second and 7 for the third). The staff of each area have a professional profile outlining the skills and content of the respective post.

The third area has a requirement of at least a 3-year university degree, while upper secondary school and lower secondary school diplomas are required for the second and first areas respectively.

Professional sectors of activity include: administration, consulate, social, accounting, trade, culture, IT, telecommunications and encryption.

When a competitive exam is announced the Ministry of Foreign Affairs specifies the sector in which a specific skill is requested. Prerequisites include knowledge of the most widespread computer equipment and applications and at least two foreign languages (English in obligatory).

The competitive exams are published simultaneously on the Ministry web portal and in the Ministry’s Official Journal.

There are no age limits for participating in the exams.

For further information contact the Examinations Office (Ufficio Concorsi) at the following address:

Direzione Generale per Le Risorse Umane e L’Innovazione (Directorate General for Human Resources and Innovation)
Ufficio 5 – External Competitive Exams
e-mail: dgro5@esteri.it
fax: 06.3691.6007

How is it possible to get a job at an Italian mission abroad?
The staff working at Embassies, Consulates, Cultural Institutes and Permanent Missions Abroad or who work at the Foreign Ministry in Rome and are headed for foreign postings after a minimum period of permanent service at the central Headquarters in Rome or are hired locally pending ministerial authorisation.

The hiring of contract personnel by Italian foreign missions and Cultural Institutes is regulated by Ministerial Decree no. 032/655 of 16 March 2001.

Foreign missions can be authorised to hire temporary personnel for special service for periods of no more than 6 months. In this case the residency requirement is waived.

The office authorised to hire contract staff does so by posting notice with the professional association concerned, the press and other means of information. It is, in any case, advisable to contact the mission you wish to work with directly.

What are the requirements?

Eligible candidates must:

• be at least 18 years old;
• have launched their citizenship process by the time of application;
• be in good health;
• hold at least two years’ residence in the country where the mission they are posted to is located;
• have a drivers’ license (if the position is as a driver) valid for the country where the mission is located;
• have one of the following educational credentials:
  a) second degree secondary school diploma or equivalent for subordinate posts;
  b) first degree secondary school diploma or equivalent for executive posts;
  c) elementary school diploma or equivalent for service posts.

Study and Job Opportunities in the European Union
For information on study and job opportunities in the European Union, please consult the section of this siteon the subject.

The information provided concerns not only the possibilities offered by EU institutions or the agencies and bodies of the EU itself, but also administrative twinnings, election observance carried out by the European Commission and the associated selection of electoral observers, as well as opportunities in the context of the CFSP/CSDP.

In all cases the final selection of candidates is the sole domain of the institutions or bodies concerned. The foreign ministry intervenes during the phase of gathering applications and assessing their eligibility

How is it possible to get a job with an international organisation?
Check the “vacancies” section on the websites of the organisations and submit your application. The MFA has a CV Data Base of qualified persons available to work at international organisations, so as to support candidates for positions of eventual interest to our country.

The minimum requirements for registration in the data base include: university degree, excellent knowledge of English and good command of at least one other official language of the international organisation in question, 3-5 years pertinent post-graduate professional experience, at least 2 of which at international level.

Please note that insertion into the database is no guarantee of employment of any sort and does not impede individuals seeking opportunities in international organisations.

For further information see www.esteri.it or contact the foreign ministry’s Directorate General for Human Resources:

Direzione Generale per Le Risorse Umane e L’Innovazione (Directorate General for Human Resources and Innovation)
Ufficio 5
E-mail: dgro5.ooii@esteri.it
tel.: 06.3691.3540 – 06.3691.6008
fax: 06.3691.6007

Working with the Italian Development Cooperation
It is possible to work with the Development Cooperation as an expert, technician, aid worker, peacekeeper, etc.

The MFA manages a data base (Gsesp) of experts in various disciplines involved in development cooperation activities, where it is possible to insert one’s CV, even from abroad, in order to be considered for a job with the Italian Development Cooperation. There is also a data base of experts for specific emergencies .

A list of NGOs (Non-Governmental Organisation) officially recognised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as operating in developing countries is available on the website of the Directorate for Development Cooperation.

For more information, please contact the Recruitment and Public Competitions office directly at the following address: Direzione Generale per le Risorse e l’Innovazione Ufficio V - Concorsi E-mail: concorsi@esteri.it Tel: 06.36918564 - 06.36917369 - 06.36913540 Fax: 06.3691.6007For more information, please contact the Recruitment and Public Competitions office directly at the following address: Direzione Generale per le Risorse e l’Innovazione Ufficio V - Concorsi E-mail: concorsi@esteri.it Tel: 06.36918564 - 06.36917369 - 06.36913540 Fax: 06.3691.6007For more information, please contact the Recruitment and Public Competitions office directly at the following address: Direzione Generale per le Risorse e l’Innovazione Ufficio V - Concorsi E-mail: concorsi@esteri.it Tel: 06.36918564 - 06.36917369 - 06.36913540 Fax: 06.3691.6007