EPSO is the European Personnel Selection Office, the inter-institutional body that recruits permanent and contract staff for every EU institution and agency. It designs, organises and runs the open competitions (concours) and CAST selection procedures that funnel candidates onto reserve lists from which the institutions then hire.
EPSO was created in 2003 and is based in Brussels. It does not employ the staff itself: its job is to publish notices of competition, run computer-based pre-selection tests at Prometric centres, hold assessment centres in Brussels or Luxembourg, and publish the reserve lists. Once you are on a reserve list, EU Directorates-General and agencies contact you directly when a vacancy matches your profile. Typical EPSO competitions target Administrators (AD 5 to AD 7 for generalists, higher for specialists), Assistants, secretaries and clerks, lawyer-linguists, translators and interpreters. EPSO also operates CAST Permanent, an open-ended database for contract agent roles. Test content is published in the official journal alongside each notice of competition, and EPSO releases sample tests, an EU Careers brochure, and a candidate contact service. Selection is based on competencies set out in the Staff Regulations, not on academic prestige, and all 24 EU official languages are eligible languages for at least one stage of every competition.
Frequently asked questions
- How long does an EPSO competition take from notice to reserve list?
- Most EPSO competitions run for 8 to 13 months from the publication of the notice of competition to the reserve list. Pre-selection tests are usually held 2-3 months after registration closes, the assessment centre follows 4-6 months later, and the reserve list is published once results are validated.
- Do I need to be an EU citizen to apply through EPSO?
- Yes. EPSO open competitions are restricted to nationals of an EU member state. A small number of contract agent roles at EU delegations outside the EU are open to third-country nationals, but the standard permanent-staff route requires EU citizenship.
- Is there an age limit for EPSO competitions?
- No. EPSO does not set an upper age limit. Eligibility is based on diplomas, professional experience, languages and EU citizenship rather than age, in line with the Staff Regulations and EU non-discrimination law.