Students at Bulgarian universities will be able to do internships at Bulgaria's embassies abroad under the Erasmus+ programme, the Foreign Ministry press office said. The ministry has signed a cooperation agreement with the Association for Support of the Academic Community (APAO).

Applications for the pilot scheme open in early 2027 and will go through each student's university.

The first placements will be at the missions in The Hague, London, Paris, Berlin and Vienna. Each internship will last from two to 12 months. It is open to students at universities that are partners in APAO's Erasmus consortium, and their fields of study must fit the needs and work of the missions.

APAO will tell the universities about the scheme and will pick the candidates together with them. Successful students will be sent to a mission that suits their studies, professional interests and language skills. Funding follows the usual Erasmus+ rules, with help from APAO.

The agreement carries out an initiative of foreign minister Velislava Petrova, who announced it during a visit to The Hague on 5 October. She said she wants more young Bulgarians to see the diplomatic service as a place where they can grow and help present Bulgaria with dignity around the world. Petrova said she hoped the internship would encourage some students to come back one day and work with the diplomatic service.

Interns will get a close look at the work of the Bulgarian diplomatic service and gain practical experience. The first internships begin once the selection ends and the paperwork is ready, but no date has been given.

The terms, documents and deadlines for applying will be posted on the official channels of APAO and the universities taking part.