Seconded National Expert Jobs at EU Institutions

20 positions found

Seconded National Expert (SNE) posts bring experienced national civil servants into the EU institutions on a temporary loan, while their home administration keeps paying their national salary. SNEs are not staff under the Staff Regulations: they sit inside a DG or agency, work full-time on EU files, and receive daily and monthly subsistence allowances from the EU budget on top of their national pay. The listings below cover current SNE vacancies. For the full legal framework and financial detail see /contract-types/seconded-national-expert/.

Who SNE posts are for and how nomination works

An SNE assignment suits a mid-to-senior national civil servant (typically 5 to 20 years of national experience) whose home administration is willing to release them for two to four years while continuing to pay their salary. Recruitment runs through the member states' Permanent Representations in Brussels rather than direct application: the EU unit publishes a vacancy notice, sends it to the Permanent Representations, and interested national officials must obtain their administration's formal endorsement before applying. It is the Permanent Representation, not the candidate, that officially nominates. Shortlisted candidates then face a competency-based interview and CV review, with the secondment formalised through a tripartite agreement.

The money: national salary plus EU allowances

Financially, an SNE keeps their national civil-service salary from their home administration and receives EU subsistence allowances on top: a daily allowance of around €128 per working day for staff based in Brussels or Luxembourg, plus a one-off travel and removal allowance. SNEs are not on the EU salary grid, do not accrue EU pension rights and are not members of JSIS; their health cover continues under their national system. The economics work out well for SNEs from lower-pay member states and more modestly for those from higher-pay ones. The real return is the concentrated inside view of EU decision-making, which counts strongly on later EPSO and agency applications.

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From the EU Jobs Alert guideHow to land a job at the EU institutionsA walkthrough of EPSO competitions, agency calls, and contract roles, written by our editor.Read the guide →
From the EU Jobs Alert guideHow to land a job at the EU institutionsA walkthrough of EPSO competitions, agency calls, and contract roles, written by our editor.Read the guide →
From the EU Jobs Alert guideHow to land a job at the EU institutionsA walkthrough of EPSO competitions, agency calls, and contract roles, written by our editor.Read the guide →
From the EU Jobs Alert guideHow to land a job at the EU institutionsA walkthrough of EPSO competitions, agency calls, and contract roles, written by our editor.Read the guide →
From the EU Jobs Alert guideHow to land a job at the EU institutionsA walkthrough of EPSO competitions, agency calls, and contract roles, written by our editor.Read the guide →
From the EU Jobs Alert guideHow to land a job at the EU institutionsA walkthrough of EPSO competitions, agency calls, and contract roles, written by our editor.Read the guide →
From the EU Jobs Alert guideHow to land a job at the EU institutionsA walkthrough of EPSO competitions, agency calls, and contract roles, written by our editor.Read the guide →
From the EU Jobs Alert guideHow to land a job at the EU institutionsA walkthrough of EPSO competitions, agency calls, and contract roles, written by our editor.Read the guide →
From the EU Jobs Alert guideHow to land a job at the EU institutionsA walkthrough of EPSO competitions, agency calls, and contract roles, written by our editor.Read the guide →

Frequently asked questions

Who pays a Seconded National Expert?
The home administration continues to pay the SNE's national civil-service salary throughout the secondment. On top of that, the EU institution pays daily and monthly subsistence allowances, currently around €128 per working day in Brussels and Luxembourg, plus a one-off travel and removal allowance.
How do I apply to be an SNE?
You cannot apply directly. The EU unit sends the vacancy to the member states' Permanent Representations, and you must obtain your national administration's endorsement first. The Permanent Representation then officially nominates you, after which the EU unit shortlists and interviews candidates.
How long does an SNE secondment last?
An SNE assignment runs for an initial period of typically six months to two years, renewable up to a maximum total of four years, with a possible exceptional sixth year in some institutions. After the maximum you must return to your home administration before another secondment.
Does an SNE become an EU official?
No. The SNE rules include no conversion mechanism into a permanent EU post. Many former SNEs do become officials by sitting an EPSO open competition, where their EU experience counts strongly, but the secondment itself creates no right to a permanent position.
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