EPSO Eligibility Requirements: Full Breakdown by Category (AD5, AD7, AD9, AST, AST/SC, CAST)

Before you apply for an EPSO competition, you must meet both general eligibility requirements (applying to all candidates) and specific requirements by category and grade. This article breaks down what EPSO requires, from citizenship and language to education and experience. Eligibility is non-negotiable: if you don't meet the criteria, your application will be rejected immediately, regardless of test scores.

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General Eligibility Requirements (All Categories)

Citizenship

You must be a national of a Member State of the European Union. This includes all 27 current EU member states. As of 1 February 2020, British nationals are no longer eligible due to Brexit, unless they have acquired nationality of another EU member state.

What counts as "national"? Hold the passport or nationality documentation of an EU27 member state. If you hold dual or multiple nationalities including an EU27 state, you are eligible. If you are a British national with an Irish or other EU27 passport, you are eligible.

Civil and Political Rights

You must enjoy your civil and political rights fully. In practice, this means:

• You are not deprived of voting rights in your home country
• You have not been convicted of a serious crime affecting your integrity
• You have met any military service obligations required by your country

EPSO typically requests a criminal record extract (or equivalent document proving absence of convictions) during the recruitment stage, not at application.

Good Moral Character (Moralité Requise)

You must present guarantees of morality required by EU law. This is vague by design, but in practice covers:

• No conviction for crimes of dishonesty, violence, or abuse of power
• No professional misconduct or breach of confidentiality in prior roles
• Honesty in your application (false CV data will disqualify you and may trigger legal proceedings)

EU institutions take this seriously. If you misrepresent your education, experience, or language skills on your application, you can be rejected and barred from future competitions.

Physical Fitness

You must be physically and mentally fit to perform the duties. A medical examination is conducted during the recruitment stage, not at application. If you have a disability or chronic health condition, inform EPSO early — reasonable accommodations are available (alternative test formats, extra time, etc.).

No Age Limit

EPSO has abolished any maximum age limit. You can apply for AD5, AST, CAST at age 50, 60, or beyond. Seniority (experience requirement) depends on grade, not age.

Language Requirements

You must declare proficiency in two official EU languages (Language 1 at C1, Language 2 at B2). See the detailed language article for specifics. You must meet these levels before applying — there is no grace period or language training during the competition.

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Category-Specific Requirements

AD5 (Entry-Level Administrators)

Criterion	Requirement
Education	University degree of at least 3 years (bachelor level or higher: master, doctorate). This must be a recognized tertiary education diploma. Non-university higher education (e.g., vocational bachelor from certain countries) may be accepted if equivalent to 3 years full-time study.
Degree deadline	The degree must be completed before 30 September of the competition year (typically). Candidates still in studies cannot apply.
Professional experience	None required. AD5 is designed for recent graduates.
Specialisation	Generalist (open to all bachelor graduates) or Specialist (lawyers, economists, IT, auditors, engineers, scientists, etc. — requires domain-specific degree).

Examples of qualifying degrees:

• BA in Political Science, Economics, Public Administration, Law, Engineering, Environmental Science
• MA in any field (even if competition is for AD5)
• BEng, MEng in any engineering discipline
• JD, LLM (Law degree)
• Diplom-degree from Germany or Austria, 3+ years
• Laurea triennale (3-year bachelor) from Italy

Examples that typically do NOT qualify:

• 2-year vocational certificates (unless your country's system counts them as equivalent to 3-year tertiary)
• High school diploma alone
• Professional courses or certifications without underlying tertiary education

If your degree is from outside the EU or is non-standard: Prepare a detailed document (Diploma Supplement, transcript, curriculum from your institution) showing it is equivalent to a 3-year bachelor. EPSO uses the Lisbon Recognition Convention as reference. Consider getting a formal equivalence assessment from your country's education ministry before applying.

AD6/AD7 (Mid-Level Administrators)

Criterion	Requirement
Education	University degree of at least 3 years (same as AD5).
Professional experience	AD6: 3 years relevant professional experience (post-graduation). AD7: 6 years relevant professional experience.
What counts as "relevant"?	Work in a field related to the competition profile (e.g., policy, administration, finance, law, IT, communications). Self-employment, volunteer work, internships can count if they were substantial and demonstrate professional competence. Part-time work counts pro-rata (2 years at 50% = 1 year counted).

Timeline: Experience is counted from the date you completed your degree. If you graduated in June 2019 and apply for AD7 in January 2026, you have 6.5 years of potential experience — you meet the requirement.

AD9/AD10 (Senior Administrators)

Criterion	Requirement
Education	University degree of at least 3 years.
Professional experience	12 years of relevant professional experience post-graduation.
Seniority profile	Experience should include demonstrated responsibility, project management, or team leadership. Mid-level or senior role experience preferred.

Strategic note: AD9/10 competitions are rarer and more specialized (e.g., auditor, HR manager, IT architect). If you're applying for the first time, AD5 is the entry point for graduates; use AD7 if you have 6+ years experience.

AST (Assistants)

Criterion	Requirement
Education	Secondary education upper level (typically baccalaureate or equivalent) OR vocational training qualification.
Professional experience	Varies by specific role. Some AST competitions require none; others require 2-3 years. Check the Notice of Competition for your specific profile.

What counts: High school diploma (including technical/vocational streams), certificates in professional trades (e.g., IT support, accounting, document management), apprenticeship completion.

Career path: AST is the technical support backbone: IT support staff, accounting assistants, communication coordinators, HR assistants, document managers. Entry is open to secondary education graduates; progression is within the AST grades (AST1-AST9) or via certification into AD.

AST/SC (Secretaries and Clerks)

Criterion	Requirement
Education	Secondary education upper level (baccalaureate or equivalent) PLUS relevant professional experience OR vocational training in secretarial/clerical work.
Professional experience	Typically 2-3 years of secretarial, administrative, or clerical work. This can include office management, personal assistant, calendar/document management, reception.
Language skills	AST/SC candidates are often assessed on typing speed, multilingual document handling, and office software proficiency. While the general C1/B2 applies, practical language skills in office contexts matter.

Roles: Personal assistant to senior officials, secretary, receptionist, calendar manager, document processor, travel coordinator. This category requires organisational excellence and attention to detail.

CAST FG I (Function Group I — Manual & Service)

Criterion	Requirement
Education	Compulsory education (typically primary school completion or national equivalent).
Professional experience	Generally none required, though relevant trade experience (driving, security, maintenance) is an advantage.
Typical roles	Drivers (vehicle operator licenses required), security personnel, maintenance staff, messengers, catering assistants.

CAST FG II (Function Group II — Routine Office)

Criterion	Requirement
Education	Secondary education (baccalaureate or equivalent).
Professional experience	Usually none required, though office experience helps.
Typical roles	Clerical assistant, basic accounting, switchboard operator, document filing, simple data entry.

CAST FG III (Function Group III — Executive Level)

Criterion	Requirement
Education and experience (alternative pathways)	Pathway A: Secondary education PLUS 3 years of relevant professional experience. Pathway B: Higher education (bachelor or above), no experience required.
Typical roles	Junior project coordinator, policy research assistant, HR coordinator, IT systems support, budget assistant, communication support.

Strategic note: CAST FG III with Pathway B (higher education, no experience) is often used by recent graduates as a way to enter the EU system and gain experience, then apply for AD5 in a future competition. Many successful recruitments follow this "CAST FG III stepping stone" strategy.

CAST FG IV (Function Group IV — Expert Level)

Criterion	Requirement
Education and experience (alternative pathways)	Pathway A: University degree (3 years minimum), no experience required. Pathway B: Secondary education PLUS 6 years of relevant professional experience.
Typical roles	Equivalent to entry-level AD tasks: policy analysis, legal research, IT architecture, audit assistant, communications officer (contract-based, not permanent).

CAST FG IV is attractive for graduates who want EU experience before attempting the AD5 permanent competition, and for experienced professionals who prefer contract flexibility.

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Practical Eligibility Verification: Step-by-Step

Before You Apply

1. Check citizenship: Do you hold an EU27 passport or nationality? If not, can you acquire one before application?
2. Verify education: Count your degree. Is it 3+ years? When did you graduate? Will you have completed it by the deadline?
3. Calculate experience: If applying for AD7/9, AST/SC, CAST FG III/IV, count months of paid professional work post-graduation. Part-time counts pro-rata. Be conservative — use 1 year for every 12 months of verified work.
4. Confirm languages: Can you document C1 in Language 1 and B2 in Language 2? Do you have certificates, or can you rely on professional/educational evidence?
5. Check the Notice of Competition: Read the specific eligibility section for your profile. Some competitions have additional requirements (e.g., security clearance, specific language mandates, IT certifications).
6. Prepare documents: Europass CV, diploma with transcript, degree transcript, language certificates, proof of professional experience (employment contracts, reference letters).

When Applying

On eu-careers.europa.eu, you will fill out a structured form with:

• Citizenship declaration
• Education details (institution, degree title, field, graduation date)
• Language declarations (L1 and L2 with proficiency claim)
• Professional experience (employment history with dates and job descriptions)
• Military service status (if applicable)
• Declaration of good morality (yes/no checkbox)

Be accurate and complete. Incomplete applications are rejected. Fraudulent information disqualifies you and may trigger sanctions.

During Recruitment (Post-Reserve List)

If you're selected for interview, EPSO and the hiring DG will request:

• Certified copies of your degree diploma and transcript
• Employment contracts or reference letters (proof of experience)
• Criminal record extract (or equivalent)
• Language certificates (if claimed but not previously verified)
• Medical fitness examination

Critical: Any discrepancy between your application and these documents will result in rejection, and possibly referral to legal authorities if fraud is suspected.

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Special Cases and Borderline Situations

"Will I Meet the Experience Requirement If I'm Still Working on My Thesis?"

For AD5: No experience required, but degree must be completed by the deadline. If you're defending your thesis after the deadline, you're not eligible for that competition. Apply next year.

For AD7/9 and others: Experience is counted from degree completion. Work done during studies (thesis research, part-time employment) can count if it's verifiable and relevant, but typically at a discount. One year of thesis research might count as 0.5 or 0.75 years of professional experience.

"My Degree Is from Outside the EU; Will It Be Accepted?"

Yes, if it is equivalent to a 3-year bachelor. Use the Lisbon Recognition Convention as reference. If you earned a degree from:

• USA/UK: Bachelor (4 years) is clearly 3+ years; accepted.
• Canada/Australia: Bachelor typically 3-4 years; provide transcript to confirm.
• Non-OECD countries: Provide official transcript, degree certificate, and curriculum from your institution. EPSO or a credential evaluator will assess.

Preventive step: Get a formal diploma equivalence assessment from your country's education ministry (e.g., Nuffic in Netherlands, Campus France, DAAD in Germany) before applying. This document strengthens your case.

"I Have Multiple Nationalities; Which One Counts?"

As long as one of your nationalities is EU27, you're eligible. EPSO will process you under that nationality. If you hold both Irish and UK passports, you're eligible (use the Irish one). If you hold both Polish and Canadian, you're eligible (use the Polish one).

"I Changed Careers; Does All My Work Experience Count?"

For AD7/9 "relevant professional experience," the work must be in a field related to the competition. A career change from law to finance to HR might have gaps, but if you can show the skills are transferable (e.g., project management in all three roles), EPSO is usually lenient. Document this clearly on your CV — show the through-line.

"I'm Self-Employed; Does That Count?"

Yes, self-employment counts as professional experience if you can document it (business registration, tax returns, client contracts, professional references). Part-time self-employment is counted pro-rata. A freelancer working 20 hours/week for 3 years = 1.5 years of counted experience.

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Timeline Example: Concrete Eligibility Check

Candidate: Maria, age 28, Portuguese national with Belgian residence.

Education: BA in Political Science (3 years), graduated June 2020. Masters in EU Studies (2 years), graduated September 2022.

Experience: Intern at Portuguese Ministry (6 months, 2020), Policy Officer at EU NGO (3 years, Oct 2020 - Oct 2023), Project Coordinator at think tank (1.5 years, Nov 2023 - present).

Languages: Portuguese (native, C1), English (certificate TOEFL 110, C1), French (professional, self-assessed B2).

Eligibility check for AD7 generalist (January 2024 publication):

Criterion	Maria's Profile	Status
EU Citizenship	Portuguese	✓ Eligible
Education	BA (3 years) + MA (2 years)	✓ Eligible (3+ years)
Experience (AD7 = 6 years)	0.5 (intern) + 3 (policy) + 1.5 (project) = 5 years	✗ Short by 1 year
Language 1 (C1)	Portuguese (native)	✓ Eligible
Language 2 (B2)	English (TOEFL certified)	✓ Eligible

Verdict: Maria does not meet AD7 requirements (only 5 years vs. 6 required). She could apply for AD5 (no experience required) since she holds a bachelor and master. Or she could wait until November 2024 (when she reaches 4.5 years) and re-apply for AD7 in a future competition. Alternatively, apply for CAST FG IV, which accepts her education/experience profile, gain contract experience, then apply for AD7 later.

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Key Takeaways

• General requirements: EU citizenship, civil rights, good morality, fitness, two-language minimum (C1/B2), no age limit.
• AD5: University degree (3+ years), zero experience. This is the entry point for graduates.
• AD7/9: Degree + 6/12 years relevant experience. "Relevant" means related to the profile; self-employment and career changes are acceptable if justified.
• AST/AST/SC: Secondary education ± professional experience depending on role.
• CAST: FG I (compulsory education), FG II (secondary), FG III (secondary + 3 years OR bachelor), FG IV (bachelor OR secondary + 6 years).
• Education from outside EU: Accepted if equivalent to 3-year bachelor by Lisbon Recognition Convention. Provide documentation.
• Experience calculation: Counted from degree completion; part-time pro-rata; self-employment accepted if documented.
• Verification: Be accurate in your application. Fraud disqualifies you and may trigger legal action. Documents are verified during recruitment.
• Strategic timing: If you're short on experience for a higher grade, apply for a lower one now, gain experience, then re-apply.