UN YPP 2026 Participating Countries, Eligibility and 30 Nov Deadline

47 countries can take part in the UN Young Professionals Programme (YPP) 2026 cycle (Development and Sustainability): as of 1 November 2026, Development and Sustainability is the only exam area listed for 2026. Applications opened on 16 October 2026 and close on 30 November 2026 at 11:59 p.m. New York time; you apply through Inspira via the YPP 2026 job opening.

The list below is copied from that job opening and the UN Careers YPP page, read on 1 November 2026. To apply you must hold the nationality of a listed country, have a relevant bachelor's degree (or a three-year equivalent), be born on or after 1 January 1994 and be fluent in English or French. India, the United Kingdom, Germany, Nigeria and Pakistan are among the countries not on the 2026 list, so nationality of one of them alone does not qualify you.

Independent practice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the United Nations. ProSyllabus is an independent study site: we have no inside information, we do not review applications, and we do not know the exam questions. The UN programme information below is based on the public UN Careers pages linked in the sources; comparisons and worked examples are ours.

UN Careers YPP page and job opening 285586, read 1 November 2026.

These are the 47 participating Member States for YPP 2026, in the order and spelling the UN uses in the job opening's Special Notice. (The country list on the YPP page writes China as "People's Republic of China"; it is the same entry.)

The UN invites nationals of countries that are un- or under-represented in the UN Secretariat, so the list varies from year to year. If none of your nationalities is on it, you cannot apply as an external candidate this year; for future cycles, we recommend checking the YPP page and its Important Updates.

The YPP page also shows the previous participating countries list. Comparing the two (our comparison of the two official lists):

Both lists have 47 countries. The page shows the previous list under its earlier cycle box, which is headed 2024, while the data behind the page files that list under 2025, so we do not put a year on it. If your only nationality is Germany, Guinea-Bissau, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Malta, Panama or Viet Nam, the 2026 job opening does not include you.

Work experience is not an eligibility rule. The UN may use it, with your highest level of education and your knowledge of official UN languages, to rank applicants when more than 90 eligible people from the same country apply for the same exam area.

For the 2026 exam, the job opening lists the "Main Course of Study" options it accepts: Agriculture, Foresty & Fishery (spelled that way in the opening); Business & Administration; Computing; Environmental Protection; Humanities; Law; Mathematics & Statistics; and Social & Behavioural Science. If your exact degree is not in the menu, choose the closest field and type the exact degree title, in the original language and in English or French, in the additional comments. The opening warns that selecting "Other" for the main course of study or field of study means automatic disqualification.

Part I of the YPP written exam is the General Paper, which the UN says assesses competencies and abilities critical to working in an international affairs context (for example written communication, reasoning, and UN core values and competencies), plus the multiple-choice first part of the Specialized Paper. Start a short free sample below; it plays in our timed practice player and explains every answer. These are our own questions written from public UN documents, not UN exam questions.

The UN says its timeline is for reference only and varies a little from year to year. The earlier cycle box on the page (headed 2024) shows an estimated application period of July to August; in 2026 the opening was posted on 16 October. The YPP page still says the application period "typically opens in June", so watch the Important Updates section rather than relying on any month.

On 1 November 2026 the 2026 cycle box on the YPP page listed one exam subject area, Development and Sustainability. The job opening says the exam covers economics, statistics, social affairs, environmental issues and sustainable development, plus technology and digital transformation and programme management support. It says Development and Sustainability positions are located primarily in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), UNCTAD and the UN Regional Commissions; passing the exam puts you on a roster, not in a guaranteed job. The 2024 cycle box, by comparison, lists Human Resources & Administration, Political Affairs & Human Rights, Finance & Budget, and Information System & Technology.

Our UN YPP exam syllabus guide breaks the general and specialised papers down subject by subject, and our UN YPP sample questions guide has free practice for both stages.

Applications are first screened for nationality, age, education and language. If more than 90 eligible applicants from the same country apply for the same exam area, they are ranked on their highest level of education, knowledge of official UN languages and relevant work experience. The top 90 per country per exam area are invited to the first stage of the online exam, and at most 60 per country per exam area move on to the second stage, based on their exam performance.

Successful candidates go on a roster, valid for three years, used to fill entry-level P-1 or P-2 vacancies across the UN Secretariat; a place on the roster does not guarantee a job. Those selected get a two-year fixed-term contract, which may become a continuing contract after two years subject to satisfactory performance. P-1 is for a bachelor's degree and no work experience; P-2 for a bachelor's degree and two years' experience, or a master's degree. You must be willing to serve at any duty station; the opening names Addis Ababa, Bangkok, Beirut, Geneva, Nairobi, New York, Santiago and Vienna among them. Our UN YPP salary guide explains P-2 pay from the official salary scales.

UN Secretariat staff in the General Service and related categories, and Field Service staff at FS-5 and below, take the same exam but apply through internal job openings in Inspira, not the external opening. "G to N" applicants need a relevant degree, to be 32 or younger by the end of the year, fluency in English or French and a participating nationality, plus a UN appointment valid until at least six months after the exam and a rating of at least "successfully meets performance expectations" in their latest performance assessment periods. "G to P" is for staff who do not meet them: it needs five years of continuous Secretariat service, a rating of at least "successfully meets performance expectations" in the last two performance assessment periods, an appointment valid for at least six months after the exam, a relevant degree and fluency in English or French; the criteria listed on the YPP page for this route do not include nationality or age. G to P appointments are capped at 10% of the positions under the programme in a year.

The UN warns that for-profit companies sell YPP-related services such as application review and exam preparation, that some claim to have UN inside information, and that the UN does not collaborate or partner with any of them. The UN does not charge any fee at any stage of the YPP. Invited candidates get free preparation material from the UN itself, which may include a suggested reading list, sample or previous questions and other tips, through the UN Online Examinations & Tests System. Our practice is independent: original questions written from public UN documents, with no inside information and no application review. Read the UN's own warning before you pay anyone.