Embassy Internship

Netherlands Embassy New Delhi Internship for Indian Students 2026: How to Apply, Stipend and Requirements

Published 23 June 2026 • 10 min read

The Royal Netherlands Embassy in New Delhi does accept intern applications, and this is one of the more accessible diplomatic internship routes available to Indian students. Positions open across the Policy and Economic Affairs, Public Diplomacy, and Communications teams. Monthly allowances sit in the EUR 300 to EUR 500 range (roughly INR 27,000 to INR 45,000), and placements run for three to six months. Competition is real but manageable if you apply with the right materials and enough lead time.

The Embassy handles Netherlands-India relations across trade, development, culture, and consular services. Because bilateral trade between the two countries exceeds EUR 14 billion annually and the relationship spans sectors from agriculture to semiconductors, the policy work interns support is substantive, not filing and coffee runs. That said, this is a formal diplomatic institution: professionalism, discretion, and strong written English are non-negotiable.

Which Departments Hire Interns

Not all sections of the Embassy take on interns. The Visa and Consular sections handle sensitive personal data and do not offer internship positions to external candidates. The departments that do hire interns, along with the work you would typically do, are set out below.

The Policy and Economic Affairs section is the most competitive. It typically requires students with strong analytical writing skills and at least some grounding in trade economics or international law. The Public Diplomacy team tends to be more open to a range of backgrounds and is a good fit for students with strong English writing and social media skills.

Eligibility Requirements

The Embassy sets the following baseline criteria for all intern applicants:

• Currently enrolled at an accredited Indian university at bachelor's level or above (master's students are preferred for the Policy section)
• Strong written and spoken English (the Embassy's working language with Indian counterparts is English)
• Dutch language proficiency is a genuine advantage for the Communications team but is not required for any position
• Degree field relevant to the department applied to (see table above)
• Clean criminal record (a police clearance certificate may be requested at shortlisting stage)
• Ability to handle confidential information and work within formal diplomatic protocols
• Availability to work full-time in New Delhi (35 to 40 hours per week) for the agreed placement period

Students in their second or third year of a bachelor's programme are eligible, though many successful applicants are in their final year or pursuing postgraduate study. If your university offers academic credit for internships, the Embassy will typically provide a letter of confirmation to support your credit application, though you should arrange this with your department before the placement starts.

Stipend, Duration and Conditions

New Delhi is one of the more expensive cities for student housing. A shared PG accommodation in South Delhi or Defence Colony (close to the Embassy in Chanakyapuri) costs between INR 10,000 and INR 18,000 per month. This means the stipend covers accommodation and basic living if you are sharing. Expect to budget INR 5,000 to INR 8,000 per month for food and transport on top of rent.

The internship is a full-time commitment. You cannot take on freelance or part-time work alongside it. The Embassy operates on Dutch public-sector hours, which means a clear start and end to the working day, a formal dress code, and strict data confidentiality obligations.

How to Apply: Step by Step

There is no centralised online portal for Embassy internship applications. The process is direct-to-Embassy by email. Here is the sequence:

1. Confirm the opening. Check the Embassy's official website at india.nlembassy.org for any advertised positions. If none are listed, a direct speculative application to the relevant department is accepted.
2. Prepare your CV. Use Europass format (free at europass.eu) or a clean European-style CV: two pages maximum, reverse chronological order, no photograph required in the standard format.
3. Write the motivation letter. Address it to the Head of Mission. State clearly which department you are applying to, why you are interested in Netherlands-India relations specifically, what you will contribute, and your proposed start and end dates. Keep it to one page.
4. Gather supporting documents. Official academic transcript, a letter of support from your university or department head, and your passport copy.
5. Send your application. Email the package to the Embassy's general contact address listed on india.nlembassy.org. Use the subject line: Internship Application [Department] [Your Full Name].
6. Follow up. If you have not received an acknowledgement within two weeks, a polite follow-up email is appropriate.

Apply at least three to four months before your intended start date. The selection process involves an initial document review, a written assessment or short task in some departments, and a video or in-person interview. The timeline from application to offer typically runs six to eight weeks.

For a sense of how strong international intern profiles look across Dutch institutional programmes, take a look at this example business internship profile to see the level of detail that stands out to European employers and institutions.

Other Dutch Institutional Internship Programmes in India

The Embassy is not the only Dutch institutional route available in India. If the Embassy positions are full or do not match your profile, these alternatives are worth pursuing in parallel:

• Nuffic India office (New Delhi): Nuffic is the Netherlands organisation for internationalisation in education. Their New Delhi office works with Indian universities on cooperation programmes and takes on interns for research, communications, and programme coordination roles.
• Holland Alumni Network India: The network connects Indian graduates of Dutch universities with Dutch-linked opportunities in India, including short-term project roles and internship referrals.
• Netherlands-India Chamber of Commerce: Periodically offers research and business development intern positions focused on bilateral trade facilitation.
• Dutch multinationals with India operations: Philips Healthcare (Gurugram), Shell India (Bengaluru), ASML (Bengaluru, semiconductor lithography), and ING Vysya all run structured graduate and intern programmes in India. These roles pay significantly more than Embassy stipends and provide direct professional experience with global companies.

If you are also exploring Germany, the DAAD scholarship guide for Indian students interning in Germany covers a comparable institutional route with strong funding support.

The Alternative Route: Interning in the Netherlands as an Indian Student

If your goal is to get to the Netherlands rather than work for Dutch institutions in India, two pathways are particularly relevant for Indian students:

Orange Tulip Scholarship

Offered by the Netherlands government in partnership with Dutch universities and companies, the Orange Tulip Scholarship (OTS) covers partial to full tuition and living costs for Indian students pursuing degree programmes or exchange periods in the Netherlands. Internships that form part of a degree programme at a Dutch university fall within OTS eligibility. The scholarship is managed through Nuffic and awarded annually. Application windows typically open in November for the following academic year.

MVV Highly Skilled Migrant Intern Pathway

Indian students who have secured an internship with a Dutch company recognised under the highly skilled migrant scheme can apply for an MVV entry visa. The host company must be an IND-recognised sponsor. Processing time at the Dutch Embassy in New Delhi is typically four to eight weeks. The internship must be full-time and remunerated at a level that meets IND salary thresholds (which for interns under 30 years old is set below the standard highly skilled threshold, currently around EUR 2,631 per month gross for 2026, though confirm the current intern rate directly with IND).

The combination of a strong CV, a relevant internship in India (even at the Embassy), and an OTS or highly skilled migrant application gives Indian students a credible path into the Dutch professional ecosystem.

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