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International Affairs Division (AAI)

IAESTE Programme

Note: due to administrative constraints IAESTE Portugal’s activities are temporarily suspended.

If you are enrolled in Instituto Superior Técnico, in order to be able to apply for internships you can register on www.iaeste.net and select “Non Member Country” as your country.

Any questions please contact outgoing.global@iaeste.org.

General Information

IAESTE (International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience) is an international internship program for higher education students, present in more than 80 countries around the world.

IAESTE Portugal activities are supported by APIET (Associação para a Permuta Internacional de Estagiários Técnicos), a non-profit association. IAESTE Portugal works in the same way as IAESTE International, with a National Secretariat that centralizes the whole process at national and international level, as well as several Registration Centers distributed throughout the country.

IAESTE Portugal exists since 1965 in Instituto Superior Técnico, functioning as National Secretariat and Registration Center.

The areas covered by the IAESTE Exchange Programs include all branches of Engineering, several branches of Exact and Natural Sciences, such as Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Geology and Biology, as well as other fields such as Architecture, Agronomy, Pharmacy and Veterinary Sciences and many others.

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Goals and Mission

  • To give the opportunity to Higher Education students to acquire relevant technical and professional experience in their field of study.
  • To provide employers with highly qualified and motivated interns.
  • To promote tolerance and international cooperation, as well as trust between students, academic institutions, employers and the community at large.
  • To be a source of cultural enrichment, both for the trainees and the communities in which they will be integrated.
  • To operate independently of origin, ethnicity, gender, culture, religious or political beliefs, special need, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.

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Applications

If you are enrolled in Instituto Superior Técnico, in order to be able to apply for internships you can register on www.iaeste.net and select “Non Member Country” as your country.

Any questions please contact outgoing.global@iaeste.org.

There are two application processes:

Application to All Year Round Offers

1. Registration and Profile Creation on IAESTE’s International Platform

  • Go to www.iaeste.net – application temporarily closed
  • Register, fill in all required fields, and submit the profile for validation.
  • Consult the internship offers that are published throughout the year by IAEST member countries.

In each internship offer students can check the internship location, field(s) of study, description of the work to be performed, internship period, minimum number of completed years of study, remuneration, (estimated) cost of living, requirements, information about accommodation, languages required and their requested level, as well as other important information or requirements. Students will have to fulfill all mandatory requirements, including field of study.

Please note that it is not allowed to contact directly employers and/or IAESTE international committees.
For the internship offers published throughout the year in the platform, students or graduates (maximum 1 year) of the Technician are eligible. However, students should check the offers for specific requirements, since in some cases, for example, the country/employer may require a minimum number of years of study, student status for the whole internship period, etc.

2. Demonstration of Interest

If you are interested in applying for an internship, you should contact the NMCI, via e-mail: internships@tecnico.ulisboa.pt. You must contact us at least 5 working days before the nomination deadline.

If we confirm that you are eligible and that the internship offer is still available, we will provide you with the necessary information regarding the payment of the registration and deposit and the deadline for submission of the documents required to confirm the application/appointment.
Direct contact with employers and/or IAESTE international committees is not allowed.

3. Payment of Registration Fee and Security Deposit

After showing interest, in order to proceed with an application, you must pay the registration fee and deposit (100+50 EUR). If you are eligible and the internship offer is available, we will send you information on how to make the payment. Payment must be made within 24 hours.

Conditions for Return of Registration and Deposit

  • Acceptance: at the end of the internship (after filling in the Trainee’s Report platform) the deposit (50 EUR) will be returned to you.
  • Non-acceptance: if your application is rejected (or canceled) by the employer, you can ask for a refund of the 150 EUR or apply for another internship offer that is available in your field of study.
  • Cancellation: in case of cancellation, the registration fee + deposit will not be refunded.

4. Submission of Application Documents

  1. After payment confirmation, you will be assigned the internship offer on the platform. Only from that moment on will you be able to submit the documentation for the application within the deadline indicated by the NMCI.

  4. Mandatory documents (all in English):

  • Student Nomination Form (document generated in the Platform when submitting the documentation. Must be signed by the student);
  • Motivation Letter (Covering Letter Guidelines);
  • CV;
  • Certificate of the course(s) with grades and ECTS credits and description about the assessment system: in case of doubt please contact NMCI (internships@tecnico.ulisboa.pt);
  • Enrollment certificate (if student status is required in the internship offer): in case of doubt contact NMCI (internships@tecnico.ulisboa.pt);
  • English Language Certificate and/or other required in the offer (Language Certificate Guidelines);
  • Passport (or Citizen Card – only for EU/Schengen countries);
  • Reference letter(s): strongly recommended;
  • Photography;
  • Portfólio (obrigatório para Arquitetura);
  • Other documents/certificates: if the candidate considers it relevant or if additional documents are required in the internship offer.

Pre-registration (for consultation and application to offers exclusive to Instituto Superior Técnico students)

  1. As Técnico is an IAESTE Portugal Registration Center, its students have access to exclusive internship offers. For these offers only students enrolled in degree programs are eligible, starting with the master’s degree/2nd cycle.Sometime after the beginning of the academic year, students will be informed about deadlines for pre-enrollment and how they can do it (by filling in an online form, to be made available in due time).
  2. Pre-registration is mandatory for all students who want to check the available offers in their field of study (usually during February/March).
  7. At this stage, interested students can make a priority list (in case there is more than one internship offer in their field of study).
  12. Students will be selected based on their 1st cycle average.
  17. The students selected for each of the internship offers will proceed with an application. For that they must pay the registration fee and deposit and submit the proof of payment within 24 hours. After the payment, they will have to submit the mandatory documents to apply (see step nº 3 – Payment of the registration and deposit and nº 4 – submission of the application documents indicated above).

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After Acceptance

  • After receiving confirmation from the NMCI that you have been accepted by the employer, you will receive the official acceptance documentation. From this moment on you can directly contact the employer and/or the IAESTE committee of the country in question through the contacts provided. Questions about logistical/bureaucratic issues, including questions about arrival, stay, accommodation in the country, should always be directed to IAESTE (of the country of origin or destination).
  • Students should only book flights and start visa-related processes (if applicable), etc. after receiving all official documentation from IAESTE (acceptance documents).
  • Reception of official acceptance documents.
  • Confirmation on the platform that you accept to do the internship under the proposed conditions (confirmation of acceptance).
  • Submit on the platform the arrival details and other mandatory information (completion of the Arrival Note): Final arrival information (flight number, time and date of arrival).
  • Insurance policy number + proof of travel/accident/health insurance (mandatory for placements outside Europe). For placements within the European Union the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is sufficient.
  • Completion and delivery/sending of the Term of Responsibility to the NMCI.
  • If the accommodation booking is the responsibility of IAESTE or employer (check in the internship offer), IAESTE of the country in question will send you the details and instructions about the process, as well as other information about the arrival and stay in the country.

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After Mobility

  • Filling out the Trainee’s Report on the IAESTE platform (www.iaeste.net)
  • After completing and submitting the Trainee’s Report, the deposit (50 EUR) is returned and the IAESTE Certificate of internship completion is issued.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Can I apply for an IAESTE internship offer?

    For the offers published all year round on the IAESTE platform (www.iaeste.net), students (of degree courses) from Instituto Superior Técnico are eligible to apply for internship offers under the IAESTE program.
    However, you should always check the requirements requested in the internship offer in question and make sure you meet all the requirements indicated.
    For offers exclusive to IST students, only students who are attending a Master’s or PhD program are eligible to pre-register.

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  6. I am an Erasmus student at Instituto Superior Técnico. Can I apply through IAESTE Portugal?

    Mobility (non-degree granting IST) students will have to contact the IAESTE of the country where their home university is located More information here.

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  7. I registered on the IAESTE platform and saw an internship offer that I want to apply for. What should I do?

    Contact the Center for Mobility and International Cooperation (NMCI) by e-mail (internships@tecnico.ulisboa.pt) and indicate the reference of the offer and your student number.

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  7. I applied directly on the IAESTE platform for an internship offer, what do I need to submit?

    If your profile has already been validated, you can show interest in an offer on the platform. To do this you can click “apply” to one of the listed offers. However, this is only a demonstration of interest and not a final application. If you do so, please contact us (internships@tecnico.ulisboa.pt), so that we can check if you are eligible and if the offer is still available.

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  6. Are IAESTE internships paid?

    Yes, according to the IAESTE rule all internships must be paid in advance. The remuneration must be in accordance with the standard of living of the country in question, so that the trainee can cover basic living expenses. The amount of remuneration is indicated in the internship offer.
    In the case of remote internships some may be unpaid. This information will be indicated in the internship offer.

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  5. Does registering on the platform or pre-registration imply any kind of cost?

    No. The payment of the registration fee and deposit only has to be made if there is confirmation from us that you can proceed with an application. Only after confirmation of payment you can proceed with the application/appointment and only then the application will be forwarded to IAESTE of the country in question.

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  7. Do I need to hand in any documents to pre-register?

    No. Just fill in all the requested fields in the form.

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  7. I have filled out the pre-application form. When will I have more information about the internships/applications?

    The pre-registration period generally occurs sometime after the start of the school year. Pre-registration gives you access to exclusive internship offers to be made available during the month of February. At that time you can consult the internship offers that are available in your field of study and make your priority list.

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  8. Do I have to make any kind of payment to go ahead with an application?

    Yes, after you express interest in an internship offer (through the IAESTE platform or by email), we will check if you are eligible and if the offer is still available. If we confirm this, we will send you the payment details. Only after proof of payment is sent to us can you submit your application, which will then be forwarded to IAESTE from the country in question.

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  7. How many internship offers can I apply for simultaneously?

    You can apply for one internship offer at a time.

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  7. I have already done an IAESTE internship. Can I do another internship under the IAESTE program?

    Yes, as long as you are a student or alumna (maximum 1 year after completing the course) you are eligible. However, you should check if you meet all the requirements indicated in the internship offer.

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  7. I don’t have an English Certificate. What should I do? Is it really mandatory to present this document?

    The English certificate is always mandatory (except for applications for Brazil). The document must be submitted together with the other documents required for the appointment.

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  8. What do the abbreviations COBE, FCFS and AC that are indicated in the list of internships on the platform mean?

    These abbreviations indicate the type of internship offer and its selection process:
    COBE (Continuous Online Based Exchange) – the employer may receive more than one application and will select only one. FCFS (First Come First Served): the employer receives only one application/nomination from around the world. AC (Annual Conference) – offers exclusive to IST students (pre-registration is required, as for any offer that indicates Pre-AC). The employer only receives one application.
    Each internship reference is equivalent to one vacancy. For each reference, only one application may be sent by IAESTE Portugal, regardless of the type of offer.

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  6. If I am not accepted for an internship, will I get my registration+deposit back?

  7. If you are not accepted for the internship (or if the internship is cancelled by the employer), you can either claim the amount initially paid or apply for another internship offer that is available and for which you are eligible.
    If the student withdraws, the amount paid for the registration and deposit is non-refundable.

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  7. When I apply for an internship offer, will I be competing with other applicants?

    It depends on the type of internship offer. For offers classified as COBE, the employer may receive more than one application (from other countries) and will select only one. In FCFS, the employer only receives one application/nomination from all over the world. AC offers are exclusive to IST students and for these it is mandatory to have pre-registration, as well as for any offer that indicates Pre-AC). In these last two cases the employer only receives one application.
    Each internship reference is equivalent to one vacancy. For each reference, IAESTE Portugal is only allowed to send one application, regardless of the type of offer. However, in COBE offers, there may be candidates from other countries.

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  7. Who is responsible for the cost of travel, accommodation, etc.?

    Unless otherwise stated, the student is responsible for any costs associated with travel, visas, living expenses, etc. The amount of remuneration is indicated in the internship offer, as well as the estimated cost of living.

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  7. Who takes care of the accommodation?

    This information is indicated in the internship offer. If it is the local IAESTE/employer, you will receive more information regarding accommodation if you are accepted for the internship.
    If it is indicated that the student is responsible for the accommodation, it will be the student’s responsibility to find and book accommodation in the destination country. In some cases the local IAESTE may be able to provide some information or tips to make the process easier.

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  7. I want to be an IAESTE Portugal volunteer. How can I participate?

    Please contact us (internships@tecnico.ulisboa.pt).
    Volunteers have some advantages and can provide support in several areas, such as, for example, accompanying a foreign intern since his/her arrival in Portugal (“buddy”), organizing actions to promote IAESTE Portugal at your college, supporting the organization of a social event for foreign interns who are in the country, creating posts for us to publish on social networks, etc.

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  4. More Frequent Questions

Testimonials

Joana | Internship in Macao | Chemical Engineering
IAESTE gave me the opportunity to open horizons in my academic life and to work with professionals that helped me to develop my professional skills. More than a work experience, it was also a social experience and a social skills development experience. For this, I thank all the IAESTE interns who shared this wonderful adventure with me.
Rita | Internship in Palestine | Civil Engineering
Through IAESTE I not only had the opportunity to receive technical learning in the practice of civil engineering in a foreign country (Palestine) but I was also offered the possibility to visit a unique and authentic country culturally and aesthetically. In the internship I learned a lot and was provided with all the tools and opportunities to get me started in the day-to-day life of a civil engineer: its challenges and tasks. In cultural terms this also proved to be an extremely enriching experience. I had the opportunity to meet fantastic people and places and was always welcomed with a smile and an Arabic coffee in hand!!!
Mariana | Internship in the United Kingdom | Biology
My decision to apply for an IAESTE internship was made at the last minute, but I am very happy that I decided this way. I had the opportunity to work in a small research group in Cardiff, in the field of Biology and I believe that I have never learned so much as in those 8 weeks I was there! (…) I also had the pleasure of meeting other trainees from different countries, cultures and traditions and sharing wonderful moments with them. This was an experience that allowed me to grow professionally and also as a person. I thank the whole IAESTE team for this incredible experience.
José | Internship in Tunisia | Computer Science and Engineering
(…) In the internship, the tasks were simple. From making changes to the website and trying to increase the visibility of the company, creating and boosting a Facebook and LinkedIn account as well. The work rhythm there is calm and not exactly the most efficient, but things get done. I worked only in the morning, having all afternoons free, allowing me to explore a bit of Tunis every day. Going to the Medina, Habib Bourguiba Avenue and so many other places. Also during my stay there, IAESTE Tunisia organized a 5-day trip to the desert with all the interns and the volunteers. It allowed me to get to know other places, new foods, new environments, new customs, and to make great friendships. Some habits and dogmas are still very deeply rooted in the population, especially when it comes to religion. However, I never saw any case of extremism and tolerance and friendliness reigns.
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  6. Useful Links:

    International IAESTE Plataform
    IAESTE Portugal
    IAESTE A.s.b.l.
    Facebook IAESTE Portugal
    Facebook IAESTE A.s.b.l

  9. For more information contact:  internships@tecnico.ulisboa.pt

 

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