V.I.E – International Internship
V.I.E is a programme organised and financed by the French Government, nevertheless it is available to nationals from countries that belong to the European Economic Area. The main objective of programme is to allow young people to have an international internship experience in French companies based in different countries.
More Details
Requirements
V.I.E is aimed at all young people between 18 and 28 years old and with nationality in a Member State of the European Economic Area. Regarding the level of qualification, this varies between opportunities, however the minimum requested by the entities is Bachelor’s degree and to be fluent in several languages which depend on the hosting country. Speaking French fluently is, most of the times, a requirement.
Duration
The V.I.E internships last between 6 and 24 months in a full-time basis. For the internships that last less than 24 months, it is possible to ask for an extension up to the maximum duration – 2 years.
Regardless of the number of months completed, each person can only do one internship through this programme.
Destinations and Internship Locations
On the V.I.E’S platform it is possible to find two different types of opportunities:
- V.I.A: these internships are carried out in French diplomatic representations and these opportunities are only available to French nationals. Most European countries also have this option and you can find more information regarding this internships in national internships.
- V.I.E: these international internships are carried out in French companies with offices spread across all continents. The hosting companies work in different areas, such as management, finance, international trade, engineering, electronics and IT.
Support
V.I.E provides different types of support to the interns. The first is the roundtrip between the country of origin and the country where the internship will take place. During the stay, all interns are covered by an insurance and receive a monthly allowance that includes a fixed amount of 715€, plus an extra amount that varies according to the country of the internship.
The interns have 2.5 days of vacation per month, that is, if the internship lasts for 1 year, it is possible to take up to 30 days of vacation.
Application
To search for vacancies and apply for placement on the V.I.E’s platform, it is necessary to create an account. You should take into consideration that the job seeking can take a few months. As mentioned in the platform, most candidates found an internship after 4 months, but of course it all depends on the methods used and the available vacancies.
After being selected for an internship, there are some formalities that should be solved during the period of 2 to 3 months before the departure date. These include getting visas, if necessary, creating a French bank account, schedule a check-up appointment in France to ensure you have the mandatory vaccination.
Overall if you live in another country than France, it will be a bit more difficult to complete all the steps before the internships abroad, but you will be supported throughout the process.