Internship agreement

Learn what an internship agreement is and about the process of requesting one.

If you've secured an internship abroad, the organisation might ask you for an internship agreement, also known as a Convention de Stage or Convenio de Colaboracion. The Careers Service has worked with the University’s legal department to produce a University approved internship agreement. This is the only document that the University will provide and sign, we will not make any additions or alterations to this document.    

What is an internship agreement?

An internship agreement is an agreement setting out the arrangement between the organisation and the intern. It forms the basis of the working relationship between them, outlining information such as the length and duration of the internship and the intern's duties.

SWAY

If the internship is part of an approved year or semester abroad, or is a SWAY funded activity. Contact sway@ed.ac.uk 

Study and Work Away Service 

To be eligible for an internship agreement you must:

  • be a fully enrolled University of Edinburgh Student
  • the internship must take place during vacation
  • not part of a course or study, for credit relating to your course or a SWAY funded activity
  • If your opportunity is outside the UK, you are responsible for understanding and securing any necessary visas and insurances e.g. travel, health and liability insurance
  • Accept that you are responsible for understanding internship laws, insurance requirements and visa obligations in your host country.

We have had instances where a student has applied and been accepted for an internship or stage, however, these have not been paid internship roles, they have been similar to a training placement or a placement for academic credit. The student has to withdraw because we cannot provide the required paperwork, to do so would be providing inaccurate information. E.g. stating that you will be receiving academic credit for your placement in lieu of pay.

To avoid this happening to you, confirm the following with your employer:

  • Ask your employer or potential employer if this internship requires you to undertake the opportunity as part of a course of study or for credit related to your study. The Careers Service cannot provide an agreement if this is the case and you will need to contact your School.
  • Share the documentation that the University can provide with your employer.
  • Make your employer aware that we are unable to sign paperwork provided by the employer.
  • Make your employer aware that the University will not sign any other documentation. 
  • Check with your employer who will sign the agreement on behalf of the company you are interning with

You can request a copy of the approved University Internship agreement from xxxx@xxxx

Certain students’ visa conditions require students to be on campus during term-time and may be affected by time spent away from Edinburgh. If you are on a Student Visa, please make sure to seek advice from the Student Immigration Service.

Contact the Student Immigration Service  


Graduates: If you are a graduate, you are not entitled to a convention de stage as your formal relationship with the University of Edinburgh has ended. Companies will regularly try and recruit graduates and request a convention de stage. We have had instances where a graduate has applied and been accepted for a job before discovering that a convention de stage was required, the graduate then has to withdraw because one cannot be supplied. YOU must clarify if this is required before applying for anything described as an internship or stage. 

If you are a graduate or will graduate in the course of the internship, we can provide you with a Graduate Internship letter. Check that the organisation will accept this before applying for a role or requesting the agreement from the Careers Service.


The University of Edinburgh does not provide insurance for students or graduates undertaking internships, placements or similar opportunities that are not part of an approved University programme. Therefore:

  • If your opportunity is outside the UK, you are responsible for understanding and securing any necessary visas and insurances e.g. travel, health and liability insurance
  • You are responsible for understanding internship laws, insurance requirements and visa obligations in your host country.
  • The University of Edinburgh will not cover or be liable for any sickness, accidents, or incidents.  

How to request an internship agreement

Request an Internship Agreement by filling in the Internship Agreement Request Form linked below.

We aim to provide your internship agreement within 7 working days. Please ensure you allow sufficient time for your request to be processed before the start date of your internship.

The internship agreement is sent for electronic signature using Adobe Sign in this order:  

  1. The Student
  1. The Employer
  1. The University  

A PDF is then emailed to all parties.

You are responsible for ensuring that all of the information that you are providing is accurate. If it's not, and the agreement needs to be redrafted, this may take an additional 7 days. This delay could impact your internship.  

The information that we need: 

  1. Confirmation that you have checked with your employer that they will accept the University agreement.
  1. Your full name, matriculation number and course title
  1. The company name and address, the name, title and email address of the representative at the company who will sign the document. Check with the person you have been communicated who this is, it is often not them and we require another member of staff’s contact details.
  1. The start and end date of your internship 

Fill in the MyCareerHub form below to request an Internship Agreement. 

Related content

Finding work outside the UK

Learn how to find work in other countries, including USA and China, and the practicalities to consider.

This article was published on