Temporary Agent Jobs at EU Institutions

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Temporary Agent posts are the main hiring category at the EU agencies and are increasingly used by the central institutions for specialist roles. Governed by Title II of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants, Temporary Agents sit on the same AD and AST salary grid as permanent officials and receive the same allowances and JSIS health cover, but on a fixed-term contract typically advertised for three to five years and renewable. The listings below aggregate current Temporary Agent vacancies across Frontex, EMA, EUIPO, Europol, eu-LISA, the ECB and others. For the full legal detail see /contract-types/temporary-agent/.

How Temporary Agent recruitment differs from EPSO

Unlike EPSO open competitions, Temporary Agent selection is run by the recruiting agency or Directorate-General itself, which makes it faster and much more specialist-focused. A typical procedure starts with a vacancy notice on the agency portal, cross-posted to the EU Careers feed and to this site. Eligibility is checked first (EU nationality, language requirements, the diploma level and years of experience the notice demands), then a panel scores applications against the stated criteria. Shortlisted candidates sit a written test and one or two competency-based interviews, producing a reserve list valid for 12 to 24 months. Agencies such as Frontex, EMA and EUIPO run dozens of these procedures every year.

Grades, salary and what makes it worth it

Because Temporary Agents are graded on the same AD/AST grid as officials, an AD5 Temporary Agent starts at €6,152.64 per month basic and an AD7 at €7,876.27, with the same automatic two-yearly step increases. You also receive the 16% expatriation allowance if you qualify, household and dependent-child allowances and the correction coefficient, exactly like officials. The route suits mid-career specialists (software engineers, medical assessors, financial supervisors, border-management experts) who want to work for a specific agency rather than rotate between DGs. The trade-off is contract security: the post is fixed-term, and although it can become an indefinite-duration Temporary Agent contract after the second renewal, that is still not tenured official status.

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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 →
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

How is a Temporary Agent different from an EU official?
Officials are recruited through EPSO open competitions and hold tenured posts, while Temporary Agents are hired per vacancy by an agency or institution on a fixed-term contract. Both share the same salary grid, allowances and JSIS health cover; the difference is contract security and the recruitment route.
How much does a Temporary Agent earn?
Temporary Agents are paid on the same grid as officials, so an AD5 starts at €6,152.64 per month basic and an AD7 at €7,876.27, before the expatriation allowance, family allowances and the duty-station correction coefficient. AST grades start lower, from €3,754.39 at AST1.
Can a Temporary Agent contract become permanent?
A Temporary Agent post can become an indefinite-duration contract after the second renewal, typically after about six years, but this is still a Temporary Agent contract, not tenured official status. Becoming a permanent official requires passing an EPSO open competition.
Where do I find Temporary Agent vacancies?
They are published on each agency's careers portal and cross-posted to the EU Careers feed and to this site. The listings on this page pull current Temporary Agent openings across the institutions and agencies; each links to the official notice with the authoritative requirements.
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