Ultimate Guide For Free Internship Abroad

Quick answer: Free internships abroad are rare. Most international internships are unpaid, and even when the placement costs nothing you still pay for flights, housing and living costs. Your best low-cost routes are university programs, scholarships and funding schemes. AIP programs are paid, not free; see pricing for what they include.

There are multiple ways in which you can obtain your internship abroad. You could search for one online or via your mutual friends and professional contacts. They sound simple enough, right?

Yes, and while they are an effective way for you to develop technical skills and further your knowledge on what really piques your interest, these internships often come with a price tag. And a rather expensive one too. As one would have guessed, university and college students would not be so happy about that...

But don’t worry: this guide covers the options for low-cost and free internships abroad, and it is honest about what is realistic. Our guide for internship abroad explains the different types of internships abroad, how to get one, and how to intern abroad.

Now, we would like to welcome you to the Ultimate Guide For Free Internship Abroad with the many types of internships abroad.

What types of internships abroad are there?

Searching for the right internships can be challenging and overwhelming if you don’t know what or where to look for said internship… Internships abroad come in all sorts of different shapes and forms. Sure, you will get something out of any type of internship.

But why go for any internship when you can find one that will sail your boat? (This is what this section of our Ultimate Guide For Free Internship Abroad is here for.)

To not waste more of your time, let’s jump right into it, shall we?

Summer Internships

Universities and colleges offer these internships for a reason. They are designed to help students gain additional professional experience in the fields of their choice with little to no disruption in their academic endeavors.

International summer internships offered by schools can be paid or unpaid. They tend to happen in the summer or during school breaks, that’s anywhere from May to August! You know where to spend your next summer break!

Though, it is important for you to note that since university-offered summer internships are without cost, they are often highly competitive. So, keep an eye out for those summer internship announcements if you want to get your hands on one of these international internships!

Non-profit Internships

Non-profit internships give you the opportunity to work directly in the field of psychology, public health, international politics, law, etc.; and create meaningful and positive social impacts. During this non-profit internship, you will be working as volunteers. Thus, you will most likely not be receiving any monetary compensation.

But don’t let that prevent you from pursuing non-profit internships! With a non-profit internship, you get a chance to build a broader professional network and develop a wide range of skills. As, non-profit intern, you will be working in hospitals, governmental agencies, charitable organizations, and so many more.

If this sounds like something that is right up your alley, we strongly recommend you to start looking into both large and small non-profit organizations.

Service Learning

Service learning is an experimental method of learning that incorporates theoretical knowledge and pragmatic practices to help students earn a deeper understanding of the current social circumstances. You then are more likely to find service learning in the sector of higher education. (If you have been out of school for quite some time, consider the other types of internship abroad below.)

Often play a major role in building up student-participants leadership skills and multi-cultural competency, service learning helps prepare them for real-world occurrences in non-traditional school settings. Bear in mind that half of their courses usually take place at international non-profit or public organizations!

What’s more, this particular learning experience encourages students to constantly evaluate and reflect on their training, making service learning a popular choice among passionate university students who love to put their knowledge in their preferred field into practice and test the water.

Job Shadowing

Job shadowing is one form of on-the-job training where paid trainees or interns; or employees take notes on how other more experienced employees carry out their tasks in real-time.

This type of internship however is fairly short-lived. What this means is that the chances of you being able to grasp the full scope of how one particular job is slim. A lot of work then has to be done on your part if you want to optimize your internship experience at a company. So, do your research and prepare your questions!

Think twice before you make a decision on which type of internship you want to pursue! Job shadowing gives you a general idea of what your day would look like as you take on a certain role, but it straps you in the back seat. If you are a more active person, job shadowing may not be your cup of tea!

Which fields can you intern in abroad?

Now that you have a better idea of what each different type of internship abroad is, it is only reasonable for us to provide you with some of the widely popular industries out there!

We hope that you will find this portion of our Ultimate Guide For Free Internships Abroad useful in helping you form a more solid understanding of how each industry operates and what lies ahead for you in the future!

Let’s get started with our first industry!

Arts & Design

In this creative arts and design field, you will be showcasing your abilities to serve different purposes. Your duties and responsibilities are totally dependent on the direction in which you take and where you intend to intern at.

Interns of this arts and design industry could be producing display works for art galleries or product designs for marketing purposes, creating digital graphic designs, for instance. For those interested, you can also choose to work together with clients to deliver their artistic views and designs.

Business

Business internships are usually varied in terms of their specialties. As a business intern, you can choose to work in the marketing, operations, sales, finance, or other business departments that are related to your studies, in for profit companies, public or charitable organizations.

Since business internships exist all around, it is often relatively easy for prospective interns to acquire new insights into the ever changing business world where they can put their strong feet forward and contribute positive impacts to the development of their host companies in which they intern at.

Engineering

Being an intern in the engineering field means that you will highly likely be working at technology-driven private companies or government funded organizations where you can practice your technical knowledge and skills while trying your hands at new and more provocative projects.

Your tasks would often revolve around designing, experimenting, operating, and maintaining a wide selection of products and systems. However, the scope of your task may also involve analyzing budgets and offering project recommendations.

Hospitality & Tourism

As an intern for the hospitality and tourism industry, you will most likely be performing administrative and clerical tasks, working on the marketing side of the business, or financial analyzes. Note: this is highly dependent on your area of interest!

Your workplace will most likely be in globally recognized and highly regarded hotels and restaurants where you will work for a myriad of international tourists. There you will get a chance to improve your crisis management skills, customer service management skills and many other crucial interpersonal ones.

Law

In this specific line of work, you will be constantly working alongside other professionals on a number of settings. Depending on your area of interest, you could be working in a large corporation, court, or in public agencies and even non-profit organizations.

The legal field gives you the opportunity to get a taste of how legal advice, trial preparation, court proceedings operate, and various others whether your expertise lies in civil; corporate; or environmental law.

Medicine

An internship in the medical field allows for you to get the feel of how the medical world operates. You will get an opportunity to first and foremost apply your theoretical knowledge into real life situations and practices.

What’s more is that you will be working shoulder to shoulder with experienced professionals who can provide you with valuable insights, tips, and tricks that will help you get through your potential career.

The medical industry trains you to become future surgeons, doctors, and various other medical staff in sectors like pharmaceuticals, health administration, and more.

NGO

Getting an internship in this highly noble industry opens up new opportunities for you to aid those in need on ground; or working on collaborative and multidimensional projects or in the administrative part behind the scenes.

Often involved in large multinational and regional level organizations, the NGO field most likely consists of an array of international workers who share similar goals in creating a better world.

Psychology

In the field of psychology, you will be able to work with clients in providing consultancy, guidance, and possible solutions to help resolve any of their issues and concerns, under close supervision. Expect to perform practicum as part of your internship!

Careers in psychology include Clinical Psychologist, School Psychologist, Research Assistant, and many more.

How do you apply for an internship abroad?

On top of making up your mind on which country will best suit your purpose, you are responsible for deciding on which type of internship and field is best for you; your visa; and not to mention other essential documents for the internship itself.

Filing in an application for an internship abroad is a big deal. One mistake could cost you the internship you want, so take your time.

In this part of the guide, we share tips on what to include in your essential documents. Show what you are capable of in your resume, cover letter, transcripts and letters of recommendation. This is how you can put your best foot forward.

Resume Guide

One of the first things your hiring manager will take into consideration is your resume, we strongly recommend you to take time out of your day to polish and update your resume.

Once you have your professional experience tidied up in a nice chronological order, the format and layout of your resume is next on the list of things that you must take care of. With hundreds and thousands of resumes going in each day, getting their attention is your number one priority. Lengthy and long winded explanations of your job descriptions won’t do the trick!

To capture their attention, you must remember to keep your resume short and to the point. Highlight any outstanding accomplishments and pay special attention to the results of your actions. We are talking about numbers and figures here. Build up their confidence in your abilities to contribute positively to their organization.

Back-up your claims with any awards or skills that will make you the candidate they can’t turn their back on. This could be anything from a foreign language skills to technical computer skills.

Cover Letters

Regular cover letters, in most cases, are not a requirement in an internship application process. However, if you are extremely keen on increasing the chances of you getting that internship, you might as well go the extra mile and craft them cover letters!

To impress them with your cover letter, you will need to justify the reasons as to why you think you are the most suitable person for the job. You can either draw out your past experiences in the field, the skills that you currently possess, and future aspirations and goals!

When writing your cover letter, it is important that you address someone personally and directly, avoid making anything vague! It is recommended that you be wary of the style and tone of your written communication; and ensure that they convey your enthusiasm and meanings well.

Before you go ahead and close off your cover letter with your utmost gratitude, support your cover letter with strong and in-depth facts about the company or the organization that you are applying to. Let them know that you are driven and committed!

Transcripts

It is worth noting that transcripts come in two variations: official and unofficial transcripts. Official transcript is essentially a university-issued document. Unofficial transcript is one where you can directly print off from your computer. It is therefore wise to double check what they are asking of you!

Since it will take some time for your university to deliver your transcript at your doorstep, it is highly suggested that you plan ahead and request your transcripts from your university earlier on to avoid any further complications down the line.

Letter Of Recommendations

Letter of recommendations or recommendation letters are what third parties have written about your academic achievements, strengths, and personal qualities. They are a great way for your hiring manager to get a glimpse of your character and personality.

Since a letter of recommendation is supposed to reflect you in a positive light, you should really invest the time and effort in finding the right people to write you your letters. If you have to wait around for a few weeks to get your letter of recommendation written, so be it. (Be sure to schedule an appointment or a private meeting with whom you would like to meet in advance, you would not want to miss the deadline for your internship application!)

For your professors and current employers to correctly portray what you want them to, it is advisable for you to provide them with a couple of things about you and the organization in which you would like to apply to. With your letter of recommendation, attach your resume; transcripts; and/or cover letters!

Are internships abroad paid or unpaid?

While you could sign yourself up (and apply) to virtually any internship abroad, regardless of whether or not they are paid or unpaid internships, and still benefit from your new-gain multicultural competency and enriched professional experience… You would not want to miss out on any of the benefits, right?

To keep you informed about the benefits of both paid and unpaid internships, and the differences between the two, our final section of our Ultimate Guide For Free Internships Abroad will be filling you in on all that!

What Paid And Unpaid Internships Are

Between the two, paid internships are a more popular option among internship seekers for obvious reasons: cash is involved! This is not to say that unpaid internships are not appealing because they are...

With that, let’s start with paid internships.

Paid internships are one way to gain relevant professional experience in your preferred field while being rewarded with money. Depending on the employer, this can include commissions, bonuses and paid vacation time (sweet, right?).

This particular type of internship tends to have a more structured timetable. As a paid intern, you are expected to carry out your daily tasks for a certain amount of hours a week. Remember that you are going into this internship with the end goal of collecting as many professional experiences as possible! That can only be achieved when you are placed under the similar conditions as full-time employees.

And in your case, you will be working directly under them, you sure will be learning a lot from your colleagues and supervisors! So, feel free to take mental notes when appropriate...

Unpaid internships, on the other hand, come with different sorts of compensation like cost coverages for food and transportation. They pale in comparison to monetary benefits, but they can still make the experience easier to afford.

When put side by side, we can see that paid and unpaid internships abroad do have their unique pluses and downsides. Deciding between the two of them requires a decent amount of self-reflection and consideration. For that reason, we would like to kindly advise you to think long and hard about the consequences of each type of internship and whether or not they fulfill the purpose of your internship!

Work Placement Abroad

If paid and unpaid internships are not quite what you are looking for, consider work placement abroad! You could opt to further your theoretical knowledge and polish your practical skills overseas while partake in your university courses.

Since work placements are integrated as a part of your courses, they positively correlate to your overall academic credits! Many students find that a work placement abroad also helps them in their studies.

Despite work placement abroad being relatively shorter than your regular internship in terms of duration (they usually last from a couple of weeks till a few months), it still delivers you the right and sufficient professional skills and knowledge you need to build a lifelong career… Not to mention professional networking and other interpersonal skill sets.

Can you really do an internship abroad for free?

It depends on what you mean by free. Most international internships are unpaid, which means the host company does not pay you a salary. That is not the same as costing nothing: you still need to cover flights, housing, food, insurance and often a visa.

Some options can lower the cost. University exchange or work placement programs sometimes carry no separate fee, and scholarships, grants and funding schemes can cover part of the bill. Ask your university first, and see our guide to internship funding for ideas on how to pay for your time abroad.

AIP programs are paid programs, not free ones. We help you find your placement, provide visa assistance and support you while you are away, and what each program includes is on our pricing page. If you are comparing options, compare them honestly with what your university or other providers offer.

Closing Remarks

In this guide we looked at the main types of internship abroad, the fields you can intern in, how to prepare your application, and the difference between paid and unpaid roles. We also covered which options can lower the cost of going abroad, and where free is realistic and where it is not.

We hope it helps you understand how to get an internship abroad and how to prepare for it. Whatever you choose, plan early, check the visa rules for your destination, and good luck with your internship abroad.

FAQs

Are there free internships abroad?

Some exist, mostly through university programs, exchange schemes or scholarships. Most international internships are unpaid, and even when the program is free you still pay for flights, housing and living costs.

Are AIP internships free?

No. AIP programs are paid programs. They cover your placement and support. See the pricing page for what each program includes.

Are most internships abroad paid or unpaid?

Most international internships are unpaid, especially short ones for students and graduates. Some companies offer a small allowance, and some roles linked to your studies are paid, but you should not count on a salary.

How can I lower the cost of an internship abroad?

Check what your university offers, apply for scholarships and grants, choose a lower-cost destination, and plan your budget early. Our internship funding page lists ideas.

What documents do I need to apply for an internship abroad?

Usually a resume, a cover letter, your transcripts and one or more letters of recommendation. Start early, because universities and referees can take weeks to respond.

Ready to explore your options? See internship funding, check pricing, or read how AIP works.